The foundation of a good golf swing rests on your
fundamentals at address.
At the PGA Tour Golf Academy, we call these fundamentals
“mastering the basics.” This includes
your grip, posture and alignment or GPA. If a player
can learn to master the basics, then his golf swing
will become more efficient and his GPA will be high.
It’s important to understand that all players
learn to play golf from the fundamentals they have
address. This means that if your grip, posture or
alignment is poor, then you have to make some compensations
during the swing in order to hit the ball where
you want.
Let’s take a look at these three fundamentals
in more detail to make sure your setup is fundamentally
sound so you can avoid any swing compensations.
GRIP
The grip to a large degree controls the clubface,
and the angle of the clubface at impact determines
a shot’s curvature. For example, if your ball
tends to curve to the right, the clubface at impact
is open. In this example, it’s likely that
your grip is too weak, with your hands rotated too
far to the left on the grip. If your ball tends
to curve to the left, the clubface at impact is
closed, probably because your grip is too strong.
A strong grip occurs when your hands are rotated
too far to the right on the grip. Ultimately, the
proper grip for you will allow the clubface to square
up at impact.
A general rule of thumb is if your ball is curving
right, then you should turn your hands to the right
on the grip. Conversely, if your ball is curving
left, you should turn your hands to the left on
the grip. Once you establish a good grip, you can
minimize your shot’s curvature and enjoy more
consistent results.
POSTURE
The body angles created at address directly influence
what the body does in the swing. Good posture dramatically
increases the likelihood of solid, consistent contact.
Posture encompasses three components: stance, primary
spine angle and secondary spine angle.
Stance — For a full swing, it is recommended
that you stand with your feet shoulder width apart.
Shoulder width is accomplished by positioning the
feet so that the shoulder joints are over the inside
of the heels.
Primary Spine Angle — This is the forward
bend of the upper body toward the ball. This tilting
action from the hips allows the clubhead to be grounded
behind the ball with the knees slightly flexed and
weight centered over the arches of the feet. The
spine will remain neutral (flat), which will allow
full range of motion during the swing.
Secondary Spine Angle — This is established
by the tilt of the upper body to the right, slightly
away from the target. This sets the right shoulder
lower than the left and positions the head behind
the ball.
ALIGNMENT
Alignment begins with the establishment of a target
line. The target line is an imaginary line that
starts from behind the ball, runs through the ball
and continues to the target. Once the target line
has been established, you can then aim the clubface
down the target line. From here, the body will establish
its posture and be aligned parallel left of the
target line.
A good way to view alignment is with the analogy
of a railroad track. The outside track would be
the target line, and the inside track is the body
line.
Remember, your grip, posture and alignment make
up the foundation of a good swing. Become a master
at the basics before you do anything with your swing.
Often times, just by fixing your grip, posture and/or
alignment, your swing will improve.
