To quote a line from Ed Norton, ?Step up, plant your feet firmly, and address the ball- Hello Ball? For all of you Honeymooner fans out there, I'm sure you will recall that this was Eds? direction to Ralph in the famous Honeymooner Golf Episode, which is one of my all time favorites. In order to prepare for the golf swing, the set up is where you will step up to the ball, place your feet in position and address the ball, so Ed was pretty accurate in his direction to Ralph, except of course for the Hello Ball part.
After the ball is set on the tee, step back and ?Relax?. The next step is to position your body in relation to the ball. The proper alignment to the target is key to accuracy in the set up. As noted in a tip in Step 1 of My Seven Step Checklist, you should choose an intermediate target directly in front of you and in line with the golf ball and your intended landing area. Once you have selected your spot the next step is to take your stance parallel to that line. Note: To practice aligning correctly to the target two clubs can be placed on the ground - One will be placed adjacent the golf ball and will be pointing directly in line with the ball, your intermediate spot and the landing or target area. The other will be placed in parallel to the first but at the area where your feet will be placed. Once you practice for a while utilizing this method you should acquire a feel for the correct alignment technique. (Note: The set up can be performed with the feet and body positioned open or closed, in other words, out of alignment to the target line which will allow the golfer to work the ball left or right depending on the set up of the golf hole. This is done deliberately to promote the left to right or right to left ball movement. It is also a technique employed by the more experienced player and is not recommended for the beginning golfer). After you have established your line, the next step is the placement of your feet. When I take my stance, I like to place my right foot almost perpindicular or turned slightly to the right of perpindicular to target line and my left foot is angled about 45 degrees left of a perpindicular line toward the target ( Note: the information provided is meant for the right handed golfer and should be reversed for those left handed). The distance between my feet is approximately shoulder width, especially for the driver. This allows for stability in the stance, which is important in maintaining good balance thru out the swing. As you take your stance the knees should be bent slightly and the upper body should be tilted forward a bit at the waist. The head should be kept upright so the chin does not impede the backswing and shoulder turn, which will be addressed in the next step. As the body tilts slightly forward at the waist and you have taken your grip ( as discussed in Step 1), make sure you allow your hands to fall in a relaxed position almost directly below your line of sight if you looked straight down - not too far or too close to your body. I would estimate the hands and club to be approximately six to eight inches away from the body, depending on your height, if done correctly.
I will again emphasize the importance of ?Relaxing? for the set up and the entire golf swing. I don't mean to the point of falling asleep, but there should be no tension in the body, especially the arms, shoulders and legs. This will promote a much better tempo and allow the speed of the swing and the club to do the work, which in turn will produce much better results. Since all golfers are different in stature and ability, they may utilize a variation on the ideology noted above. This information is derived from personal knowledge and over 30 years of experience of playing golf and I would hope it would be helpful to the majority of golfers. There is nothing like practice and experience for learning the correct way to swing a golf club. In order for the practice to be efficient and your ability to improve you must have the basic foundation in place for the proper swing, playing techniques and strategies of the game. Learn ?The Right Way?. Happy Golfing To All!
Golf Swing Set Up
Have you ever enjoyed those magic days where your body is in top form? Nothing hurts. You move, you swing and you putt like a well oiled machine. Yes! It's magic! And then there's the struggle days when the machinery grinds and groans like a rusty old tractor. Well, the good news is that you can look forward to a lot more of those magic days by adopting a few easy warm-up routines before tee-off. Warming up will be your super lubricant for the perfect game.
Warm-Up before You Tee Off - Your golf swing is directly related to your physical condition and the state of preparedness of your body. Given the sedentary lifestyles of many amateur golfers it is crucial to warm-up and stretch prior to tee off. A little dynamic exercise including forward and backward shoulder rotations, upper body twists and arm circles go a long way in imbuing your stroke with looseness and fluidity. Knee rotations are a great for loosening up the legs and ankles. Take a few minutes before tee-off to enjoy some of these simple exercises. You'll warm up the proper muscles and joints essential for your golf. What's more, you'll enjoy the pleasure of much more ease, relaxation and looseness in your game.
Shoulder Rolls - Stand in a relaxed upright position with your arms by your sides, lift your shoulders as high as you can towards your ears as you inhale. Hold briefly in the up position and then move them down and backwards in a circle. You'll feel the pull in your deltoids at the bottom of your circle. Repeat 10 times. Reverse and repeat 10 times in the forward direction.
Upper Body Twists ? You can use one of your clubs as a prop in this one. Again from a relaxed standing position with knees slightly bent, hold the club with one end in each hand. Raise your arms above and behind your head and bring the club shaft to rest on the fleshy part of your shoulders just below the base of your neck. Maintain your arm position with respect to your chest and keep your gaze fixed in the forward direction. Slowly turn your torso until you feel a nice twist in your trunk muscles. You'll notice it in your abs, and your oblique muscles. Hold for 1 second, release and rotate back through center and continue onwards to the right-hand side. Hold for another second and reverse. Repeat 10 times or as desired.
Arm Circles - Stand in an upright posture with knees slightly bent and your arms relaxed and initially by your sides. To execute backward circles, swing your right-arm clockwise and your left arm counter-clockwise. Your hands may overlap and at the top of your circle. Let you arms to brush your ears in the swing past your head. Allow your hands to brush the outsides of your legs at the bottom of your swing arc. Release any tension from your arms and hands and simply allow them to be loose and floppy through the exercise. Repeat 20 times in the backwards direction and reverse to the forward direction for an additional 20 repetitions. To really challenge yourself try swing both arms in the same rotational direction and see what happens e.g. try swinging both arms counter-clockwise and watch your brain have a hissy-fit.
Knee Rotations - Stand with feet together and knees slightly bent. Place your hands on your knees and rotate clockwise for 20 reps. Repeat in the counterclockwise direction.
The 5 Minute Difference - 5 minutes is all it takes to run through these simple warm-up exercises. You'll find they'll become pure pleasure and you'll enjoy the building sense of anticipation of a great game as you run through your routine. What's more, you'll enjoy much more ease, fluidity and consistency in your movement. Here's to shooting your lowest scoring, most comfortable rounds ever!
Both Mike D'auria & Aidan J Sugrue are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Mike D'auria has sinced written about articles on various topics from . My name is Mike and I grew up in the Canarsie section of Brooklyn, N.Y.. I now live in Sayreville, N. J. and I play golf every chance I get. It's a great sport and has replaced Baseball and Football as my favorite from my younger days. Happy Golfing! Visi. Mike D'auria's top article . to your Favourites.
Aidan J Sugrue has sinced written about articles on various topics from Golf Guide, Golf Guide. Aidan Sugrue is a Golf Enthusiast and creator of Hot Golf Secrets the Internet's hottest free resource for . Go to. Aidan J Sugrue's top article generates over 40500 views. to your Favourites.
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