The Proper Set Up

Video Transcript

The whole golf swing is action and reaction, so how you set up to the golf ball determines to a great extent how you are going to swing the golf club. When you set up to the ball I am going to give you some tips that will put you in the proper position. The first thing is that the triangle that is formed by your hands, arms and shoulders should sit right in front of your body. A lot of players push their hands forward at address. This is more of an impact position. When you come to impact your weight is going to be about 90 percent on your left side and your hands will be forward at the correct impact. However, at address your weight is only 50-50 between your feet and with your hands pressed forward they are out of position to make a good takeaway. Remember you are not setting up to make an impact; you are setting up to make a takeaway. So the triangle that is formed by your hands, arms and shoulders is sitting in front of your body. This gives you the best chance to take the club back away on the correct plane. If your hands are too far forward at address you are going to take the club back on the inside too much and that will usually cause a loop over the top. If your hands are back too much you are going to take the club back too much to the outside and that will usually cause a loop to the inside. So set up with your hands in front of your body for every club in the bag. Yes your ball position is going to change a little bit because the clubs are made differently, but you are the consistent part of it. Weight is 50-50, right shoulder just slightly lower than the left shoulder because the right hand is lower on the club than the left. But the triangle of the arms is set right in front of the body. That is the setup that gives you the good chance to make a good takeaway and the takeaway is the key to swinging the golf club on plane.

Hank Haney
Hank Haney Golf Ranch
2791 S. Stemmons Freeway
Lewisville, TX 75067
Tel: 972-315-5300

Hank Haney is the instructor to PGA Tour Pros Tiger Woods and Mark O'Meara. He is listed as one of Golf Magazine's Top 100 Teachers and Golf Digest's #4 instructor in the world.

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