Golf Tip on Proper Shoulder Alignment (Video) - by Pete Styles
Golf Tip on Proper Shoulder Alignment (Video) - by Pete Styles

So if you've been playing golf for a while now, you'll appreciate that it’s a target orientated game. We're always aiming at our target, and its very important to get your whole body pointing at your target, so a lot of people spending time getting their feet lined up correctly, getting their club lined up correctly, but only to forget that their body doesn’t necessarily follow the club or their feet particularly their shoulders could be quite open. Now it's interesting because your shoulders might change that position depending on the club that you're hitting, and that's because the ball position can differ.

So if we have a pitching wedge, we normally play a fairly central ball position there, so pitching wedge, fairly central ball position. Right hand is lower than left for the right handed golfer. Yes, so the shoulders would tilt, but they shouldn't aim anywhere other than target. So if I set it up here with my central ball position, and I place my club over my shoulders you'll see it points down the Cumberland. Now my point up because my right hand would be lower than left that's fine, but it shouldn't point left, and for most people I tend to find that pitching where it is relatively easy to lineup with the shoulders, but a drive is a different matter.

Generally we would be playing a driver, more from the front end stuff, more from the left leg, for the right-handed golfer. And now as we turn to face that ball, the shoulder start to aim left. So you see that from this position my left hand in the center of my chest, my shoulders are leveled. Left hand moves to the left leg. Now, the shoulder start to aim too far down the left hand side. That could be a problem. They could create a swing path. That would be out to in the swinging left for the right handed golfer.

So what we need to is, make sure the hand can move forward to the left thigh to get near the ball, but not actually turn the shoulders, but what we can do is tilt the shoulders. So from here, I need to get my left hand here it's about ball, I can tilt my shoulders so I lean back slightly more increasing my spine angle behind the ball. So from the front end position I tilt my shoulders this way that allows me to get my hands near to my left leg that keep my shoulder alignment square. Now your golf club is the easiest tool to check your shoulder alignment.

You would allow yourself to take your normal address position and let's say I've got my driver here. The ball would be a long way forwards. I've been placed the club out my shoulders, look down at the grip and I would see that I'm pointing exactly on my target line or exactly parallel to my toe line if I was to setup and I had turned my body to see the ball, I would look down that grip now, and I would see them actually pointing way off the left hand side of the fairway.

If I made that swing, the swing path would probably fall on my shoulders pulling left causing lots of issues, so make sure that your shoulders are square and parallel with your short clubs but on, but pay particular attention when you get to your bigger clubs that your shoulders don’t turn to get the ball forward, but they tilt to allow the golf ball to go forward. Get your shoulders nice and square and straight for straighter golf shots.

 2013-09-16

So if you've been playing golf for a while now, you'll appreciate that it’s a target orientated game. We're always aiming at our target, and its very important to get your whole body pointing at your target, so a lot of people spending time getting their feet lined up correctly, getting their club lined up correctly, but only to forget that their body doesn’t necessarily follow the club or their feet particularly their shoulders could be quite open. Now it's interesting because your shoulders might change that position depending on the club that you're hitting, and that's because the ball position can differ.

So if we have a pitching wedge, we normally play a fairly central ball position there, so pitching wedge, fairly central ball position. Right hand is lower than left for the right handed golfer. Yes, so the shoulders would tilt, but they shouldn't aim anywhere other than target. So if I set it up here with my central ball position, and I place my club over my shoulders you'll see it points down the Cumberland. Now my point up because my right hand would be lower than left that's fine, but it shouldn't point left, and for most people I tend to find that pitching where it is relatively easy to lineup with the shoulders, but a drive is a different matter.

Generally we would be playing a driver, more from the front end stuff, more from the left leg, for the right-handed golfer. And now as we turn to face that ball, the shoulder start to aim left. So you see that from this position my left hand in the center of my chest, my shoulders are leveled. Left hand moves to the left leg. Now, the shoulder start to aim too far down the left hand side. That could be a problem. They could create a swing path. That would be out to in the swinging left for the right handed golfer.

So what we need to is, make sure the hand can move forward to the left thigh to get near the ball, but not actually turn the shoulders, but what we can do is tilt the shoulders. So from here, I need to get my left hand here it's about ball, I can tilt my shoulders so I lean back slightly more increasing my spine angle behind the ball. So from the front end position I tilt my shoulders this way that allows me to get my hands near to my left leg that keep my shoulder alignment square. Now your golf club is the easiest tool to check your shoulder alignment.

You would allow yourself to take your normal address position and let's say I've got my driver here. The ball would be a long way forwards. I've been placed the club out my shoulders, look down at the grip and I would see that I'm pointing exactly on my target line or exactly parallel to my toe line if I was to setup and I had turned my body to see the ball, I would look down that grip now, and I would see them actually pointing way off the left hand side of the fairway.

If I made that swing, the swing path would probably fall on my shoulders pulling left causing lots of issues, so make sure that your shoulders are square and parallel with your short clubs but on, but pay particular attention when you get to your bigger clubs that your shoulders don’t turn to get the ball forward, but they tilt to allow the golf ball to go forward. Get your shoulders nice and square and straight for straighter golf shots.