How to Setup For Success
By Steve Silverman
Not every swing you take on the golf course will be perfect. The elements may impact the way you hit the ball, or your emotions could force you to take too big a swing when you need a long drive. However, you can address the ball consistently and have a sensational setup just about every time you prepare to hit the ball.
Instructions
Difficulty: Moderate
Addressing the ball the same way every time you take a full swing from the tee or the fairway is important to producing consistent golf shots. For a right-handed golfer, make sure your left shoulder is pointing directly at the green. Your left foot should be directly underneath your shoulder. Your feet need to be shoulder-length apart.
Grip the club firmly, but do not squeeze the club so tightly that you lose circulation in your fingers. The correct grip pressure is similar to the grip you use when you meet somebody in business for the first time. You should grip the club at about a "5" on a scale of 1 to 10.
Play the ball about 1 1/2 ball lengths closer to your front foot than your back foot when you are teeing off or using a fairway wood. You need to give yourself a chance to get the ball in the air when swinging with a longer club that has little loft. By moving it closer to your front foot, you will catch the ball on the upswing.
Play the ball midway between your feet when you are hitting iron shots. When you hit with your irons from the fairway, you want to swing down in order to get the ball up in the air. Playing it equidistant between your two feet will give you the chance to get the most out of your iron shots.
Open your stance (by turning your lead shoulder to the left) when you are playing an approach shot with your pitching wedge, gap wedge or lob wedge. These clubs are designed to hit the ball high in the air and land softly, and opening your stance will help you hit these close-in shots more accurately.
Tips & Warnings
Check your alignment and your grip strength every time you prepare to swing the club.
About The Author
Steve Silverman is an award-winning writer, covering sports since 1980. Silverman authored The Minnesota Vikings: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly and Who's Better, Who's Best in Football -- The Top 60 Players of All-Time, among others, and placed in the Pro Football Writers of America awards three times. Silverman holds a Master of Science in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism.
