Golf Tip
How to Improve your Golf Posture
There are so many elements to a successful golf swing, and posture can be easily overlooked. Posture is so important because a golf swing is a violent turning motion that is centered around your spine. Understanding how to stand during your swing will greatly improve your consistency on the course. Incorrect posture is either slumped over too far or standing up too straight. Ideally, you will have a slight bend at your waist, only bending above the hips. Your lower body should be perfectly upright.
To practice this, take your club and hold it in front of your belly button. Keep your arms and legs straight, and stand tall with your shoulders pulled back and chest sticking out. Now slightly bend at your hips, and make sure your lower back remains straight. Now bring the club down to the ground, and flex your knees slightly into an athletic stance. Many new golfers will over bend their knees, and it results in inconsistent performance. If done correctly, you should be able to see a straight line from the balls of your feet, to your slightly bent knees and finishing at your shoulders.
Practicing is a perfect way to condition your golf swing to your liking, and the only way to have consistent results. Using the three-step posture drill, you can start to train your body. Start by standing in an athletic stance with your shoulders and feet the same width. Take your club and extend your arms, holding the club in front of you. Now let your arms drop to your chest, keeping them extended. Slightly bend your knees, and slowly bend forward at your waist. A correct stance will only have you leaning forward a couple of inches, so make sure to slowly bend forward and see what feels the most comfortable. Your club head should touch the ground when you are in the correct position. Your weight should be located on the balls of your feet, and your hands should fall directly below your chin. The feeling of bending forward may feel a bit too far at first, but not overwhelming. A correct stance should have you feeling relaxed and ready to swing.
Finally, work on what works best for you! These drills are a great foundation for learning the basics, but you will ultimately know what works best for you. Go play a round with your new swing stance, and see if it improves your overall score.
As many golf tips as you read online, the best thing you can do is see our instructors in person at our Nike Junior Golf Camps!
About Nike Junior Golf Camps
Nike Junior Golf Camps is a division of US Sports Camps, Inc (USSC). Headquartered in San Rafael, California, USSC is America’s largest sports camp network and the licensed operator of Nike Sports Camps. The company has offered summer camps in the U.S. since 1975 with the same mission that defines it today: to shape a lifelong enjoyment of athletics through high-quality sports education and skill enhancement. Nike Junior Golf Camps offers junior overnight and day camps, as well as advanced player camps at over 150 locations nationwide. Since 1994, more than 200,000 junior golfers have participated in the camps.