When giving lessons, professionals do not pay enough attention to the player’s basic setup. You see many professionals targeting the swing plane without any contemplation of why the swing plane could be out.
Posture and setup is extremely important in creating a consistent swing which will give you positive results. In doing this, your game becomes more enjoyable.
If your upper body is too hunched over at address, you will find it hard to rotate and get the club on the correct path during your swing. Having a poor setup, which will give you a poor movement during your swing, can actually cause your injuries. The affected area which will get targeted due to a poor body movement is your lower back. Once your back is injured, it is very hard to build the strength in your muscles to get back to normal.
I do not like to get very technical in my writing, but I will give you a couple of numbers of how much your body should move in various position.
When setting up:
Upper body should be bent over your hips between ranges of 35 degrees – 45 degrees. So, if standing tall is 0 degrees, you need to find a point where you almost reach a 45 degree bend. If you stand taller than this range or over your hips more than this range, your body will not rotate correctly.
If you would like to get even more detailed about your posture, your hips should bend between a range of 12 degrees – 27 degrees. If you are not able to feel how to get into these ranges, I am very happy to clarify for you in person.
The next question which is important to clarify is, how do your arms hang at address and how far away from your body should the club be set?
To answer this, set yourself up as if you would prepare to address the ball. Let your arms hang freely, and then grip the club without adjusting the hang in your arms.
In regards to how far the club should be from your body, while in your address position, place your left thumb on your belt line, span your hand open. From there, place the butt of the grip against your pinky finger. From there, grip the club, which will put you in the correct posture and setup to start a good swing.
While I am talking about numbers, here are another couple, about which many people have a false impression.
Hip rotation on the backswing should only turn between a range of 30 – 46 degrees. The upper body should only rotate between 74 – 86 degrees. Turning your body in these ranges will give you a great turn so you can build power.
I am happy to help you achieve these positions!