Correct Your Golf Posture, Improve Your Score

I bet that there are days when you feel uncomfortable while hitting the ball, and you struggle swinging your club. Sometimes causing you to fail getting the ball in the hole.

Chances are,  you’re not using the proper posture! 

Good news is, you’re not alone. Many golfers, beginners and experienced players, have the same struggle. 

I did, too.

But the better news is, you can work it out! All golfers are capable of hitting a perfect swing. One way of doing that is through achieving a perfect golf posture.

Learn It From David

If you’re thinking that having perfect posture is not important because it won't affect your swing so much, then you need to slow down. Your swing posture, together with your grip, your stance, and the ball’s position, determines the effectivity of your swing.

These are the things that you can’t take for granted.

I’m going to share with you one of the best tips I learned from David Leadbetter because they worked for me.

David Leadbetter is a golf instructor from the United Kingdom. He compared using the correct golf posture with your posture when bouncing a basketball. He said that both require the same balance and coordination.

Remember, we don’t put aside our athletic skills in golf! So, to easily explain it, just imagine yourself holding a club while playing basketball.

According to David, this is what having a great golf posture means: 

• Your weight should be brought not away from your toes, your heels. Your weight should be centered under your shoe laces.
• Chin and chest up.
• From your hips, your upper body should be bent.
• Keep your shoulders and tailbone back.
• Your feet have to remain in their neutral position.
• Feet apart with the width of your shoulder.
• Toes should not point inward.

Now that you know what you should look like, I’m going to show you the step-by-step ways on improving your golf posture.

3 Steps to Golf Pose Perfection

Improving your posture is easier said than done. I’ve been there and I’ve done that.

It all starts with your spine because the position of your spine is the most critical factor you have to be mindful about when we’re talking about correct posture.

Your spine should be your central column whenever you perform your swings. Having it flat on your back will essentially help you turn your hips properly.

Having your body in this position will help you swing that club better.

This can feel off, especially if you've gotten used to naturally having a bad posture. But don’t worry. Everything can be achieved through practice and hard work.

You don't need to be a pro golfer or someone who practices every week to work on your posture.

Regardless of your size, age, or gender, doing this step-by-step will help you strike that perfect golf pose:

After this, you’re now ready to hit that ball with a pretty smooth swing!

Why Posture Is So Important

Like I’ve said before, having a good posture affects the way you swing your club. When we talk about good posture, we usually take note of our spine, arms and knee flex. If we fail to execute these steps properly, we may encounter problems.

• Your posture affects the way you hold your club. When your back remains flat, it helps your arms to straighten up as well, while you're holding the club.  But when you try to hit that ball with a rounded spine, you would tend to stretch those arms a little forward.  You might feel the difference when you perform a backswing. 
• Your posture affects your swings. When you've got a curved spine, you won't be able to rotate your hips and shoulders. Your arms would be tight as well. This causes the club to abruptly motion upward. 

Therefore, it wouldn't be comfortable to execute a swing. It would feel like getting an axe to chop a wood, so when you’re up to downswing your club, you’d probably miss the hit.

• Good posture increases your chances of getting comfort and swinging your club right. When you have the correct posture, it seems like you're heading the right direction. Unlike when you have a curved spine, a straight spine guarantees shoulder and hip rotation. 

Aside from this, your arms will be free from tension. This allows your body to rotate freely. So as you start to downswing, your arms will drop smoothly, resulting in an opportunity to hit greens.

The Training Your Posture

One of the hardest thing to maintain in golf is your consistency, and this is mostly impossible when you become inconsistent in your swing posture.

The key to consistency is to practice, take time to train and make an effort. Don’t worry. What I’m going to show you is not that hard to execute.

With this training, you're gonna need a five-pound dumbbell, a driver and a belt that you should wear on your pants.

Note: If you don't own a pair of pants, just put a belt around your hips.

These are what you’re supposed to do:

1. Stand up straight.
2. From your spine, slip your driver in between your belt and pants, until the head of your club touches your head.
3. Establish your "drinking position" as if you're talking to somebody.
4. Grab your dumbbell and hold it with both hands, while retaining your drinking position.
5.  Hinge your hips and let the gravity and the 5-pound weight dumbbell pull your arms down.

Remain in the last position for a couple of seconds. In order to not defeat the purpose, doing this once won’t help. Repeat this from establishing your drinking position to hinging your hips. Do this 5-10 times.

These things will train you to maintain your control, balance, and spine position. Getting the feel of the drive on your spine will help your body get used to the feel of good posture.

However, your training does not end here.  Your arms need to get used to having that correct posture while holding your golf club.

This time, you’re gonna need your 1 ½ or 2 ½ pound ankle weights.

1. Wear the pair of ankle weights on both of your wrists.
2. Grab the club in your drinking position, while its head is parallel to your eye level.
3. Bow towards the ball with your club and hinge your hips. Focus on hinging your hips properly.
4. Complete your stance.

The purpose of the ankle weights is to help you get used to the natural dropping of your arms.

Initially, train yourself with the driver on your spine and the ankle weights on your wrists. But eventually, you can practice your perfect golf pose without them once you get used to the feel of  your perfect posture.

After this, you can naturally stand on the course and execute your backswings and downswings with the perfect posture required.

Perks of Having A Proper Posture

I told myself that I had train to have proper posture just because I want to hit on the greens.That was my first motivation.

But, more than that...

1. When I tee off, I don’t just hit greens.
2. I feel more comfortable while swinging and hitting greens at the same time.
3. I feel more fulfilled knowing I’m doing golf right.

Of course, it’s going to be uncomfortable the first try. But just like what I said earlier, it’s easier said than done. It’s not going to be easy. If you want to be better, you really have to try.

And finally...

• 4. I have come to understand that at the end of the day, it’s still worth the try.

You’re doing this for yourself. Remember that.

And remember that you’re playing one of the best games mankind has ever invented. Might as well play it well— with the proper posture.