How Can My Golf Set Up Make My Swing More Athletic? (Video) - by Pete Styles
How Can My Golf Set Up Make My Swing More Athletic? (Video) - by Pete Styles

It’s interesting I get questioned quite regularly by golfers who seem to have good technique, they’re quite happy they’re with that technique but they just don’t hit the ball out that far enough and a lot of that problem stem from their lack of athleticism in their swing. And the problem with that stems from the set up position, they stand to the golf ball and they just stand to the ball. They stand to the ball from this end and they just stand to the ball and they think they are ready to go and they are not really putting their body in a position, in that set position ready to really do an explosive action like a golf swing is. If you imagine a sprinter in the blocks with the ready, set, go, they are in the ready position, they are just kind of crouching down ready to go, they’re just standing to the ball ready to go.

I want the golfer to be in a set position, so he’s up and he’s ready to push off and he’s ready to sprint down the track and you’re standing to the golf ball and you’re ready to pull the trigger and when the gun goes you pull the trigger and you can hit the ball further, quickly, more aggressively. So that set position in the set up, looks a bit like this. We are going to have a nice wide stance, at least as wide as the outside of your shoulders. The feet should be facing fairly well forward not too sort of penguin footed like this with the heels too close together. We’re going to have the ball for the sixth iron I’ve got slightly ahead of centre, that’s going to encourage me to move forward as I hit into it. I’m going to check that I’m at a decent distance from the ball by lowering the club down so it lands just above my knee cap. If I lower the club down above my knee cap that’s a good distance, too close not enough power, too far away not enough power or balance. So I’ve got the club just above my knee, I’ve got my knee flex nice and soft, it’s not bend but also is not locked. It’s flexed its ready to go. And the most crucial part about building this athletic set up position is getting the posture in the right place. I want my spine angle to be tilted forwards but I don’t want it to be bent forwards. The best check point here is to bring the club opposite your belly button, make a nice grip, now pull your shoulders back and stick your chest out, really feel like you’re standing tall like you’re standing to attention and then push the hips back and let the club come down to the ball and then just incorporate the slight knee flex and this is a set position really ready to go on the start of the golf swing. I’m not sort of collapsed and hinged and then here, which is that ready position that we started about, so is the ready, set, go principle. Make sure you’re in the set position, as soon as the gun goes, you can start your swing. 2014-08-14

It’s interesting I get questioned quite regularly by golfers who seem to have good technique, they’re quite happy they’re with that technique but they just don’t hit the ball out that far enough and a lot of that problem stem from their lack of athleticism in their swing. And the problem with that stems from the set up position, they stand to the golf ball and they just stand to the ball. They stand to the ball from this end and they just stand to the ball and they think they are ready to go and they are not really putting their body in a position, in that set position ready to really do an explosive action like a golf swing is. If you imagine a sprinter in the blocks with the ready, set, go, they are in the ready position, they are just kind of crouching down ready to go, they’re just standing to the ball ready to go.

I want the golfer to be in a set position, so he’s up and he’s ready to push off and he’s ready to sprint down the track and you’re standing to the golf ball and you’re ready to pull the trigger and when the gun goes you pull the trigger and you can hit the ball further, quickly, more aggressively. So that set position in the set up, looks a bit like this. We are going to have a nice wide stance, at least as wide as the outside of your shoulders. The feet should be facing fairly well forward not too sort of penguin footed like this with the heels too close together. We’re going to have the ball for the sixth iron I’ve got slightly ahead of centre, that’s going to encourage me to move forward as I hit into it. I’m going to check that I’m at a decent distance from the ball by lowering the club down so it lands just above my knee cap. If I lower the club down above my knee cap that’s a good distance, too close not enough power, too far away not enough power or balance.

So I’ve got the club just above my knee, I’ve got my knee flex nice and soft, it’s not bend but also is not locked. It’s flexed its ready to go. And the most crucial part about building this athletic set up position is getting the posture in the right place. I want my spine angle to be tilted forwards but I don’t want it to be bent forwards. The best check point here is to bring the club opposite your belly button, make a nice grip, now pull your shoulders back and stick your chest out, really feel like you’re standing tall like you’re standing to attention and then push the hips back and let the club come down to the ball and then just incorporate the slight knee flex and this is a set position really ready to go on the start of the golf swing. I’m not sort of collapsed and hinged and then here, which is that ready position that we started about, so is the ready, set, go principle. Make sure you’re in the set position, as soon as the gun goes, you can start your swing.