The importance of good posture
How much thought do you put into your posture on a daily basis?
As a parent, I tend to emphasize this idea with my children. “Stand tall, keep your back straight, and be confident.” This is a wonderful rule to live by not only in life, but also in golf.
My students will tell you that I am constantly emphasizing good posture with them. Proper posture in your golf swing is your body’s way of telling your mind that you are ready. But what is proper posture in the golf swing?
The best way to create proper posture in the golf swing is to begin by standing as tall as you can, with your chest out and your chin up. By sticking your chest out, you will likely feel some tightness in your lower back.
This is a good thing. Once this feeling is established, try to maintain this while you bend from your hips and set your golf club to the ball.
Proper golf posture feels strong. Imagine trying to hit a golf ball in a driving wind storm. You would instinctively set yourself into a strong position so that the wind would not blow you over. This is the idea I’d like for you to have even when the weather conditions are perfect. Be athletic, and be confident. I can walk up and down a practice range and immediately see players who are focused on their posture. Their backs are straight, their chins are up, and they have a purpose behind what they are doing.
Those with poor posture are slumped over with their chins sunken into their chests.
Having proper posture in your golf swing is not a swing thought. Instead, you should think of it as a pre-shot routine. It only takes a couple of seconds to establish, and you only need to maintain it for a few seconds after that.
Once your shot is hit, you can go back to having sloppy posture until it’s time to hit your next shot.
The next time you go out to play or practice, establish a goal for yourself to focus more on your posture. You will look better, you will swing better, and you will feel more confident. That, my friend, is a recipe for success.