By Seán Hawker
A good golf setup position helps you achieve three important objectives.
First, proper posture and foot placement allows you to maintain your balance throughout the swing. All great players are balanced from address to the finish, which allows them to hit the ball squarely in the centre of the clubface. Balance is the key to consistent ball striking and a good setup allows you to remain in balance when swinging.
Second, a good setup helps you create power and control the direction of the shot. Key pre-swing elements such as ball position and body alignment create the conditions that lead to control. The body angles that you create at address directly influence the path and angle on which you swing the club. They influence the actual in-swing body positions and movements; therefore your setup directly affects all elements of the swing.
Finally, all great players pre-set themselves in positions that they try to create at impact. In other words, your golf setup puts you in positions of advantage, making a fundamentally sound swing a possibility. Your swing evolves from your setup and if you want to achieve a good impact position, you can simply setup with impact in mind. Just remember a good setup gives you the advantage.
This is a quote from the great Jack Nicklaus: “If you setup correctly, there’s a good chance you’ll hit a reasonable shot, even if you make a mediocre swing. If you setup to the ball poorly, you’ll hit a lousy shot even if you make the greatest swing in the world.”
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Seán Hawker is a bilingual PGA professional available all across the Algarve.
He is available for golf tuition for players of all levels, from complete beginners to tour winners. 969 188 981 | hawkersean@gmail.com | www.seanhawker.com
