Posture: Is It OK To Bend Over A Little Forward At Address?

During a round of golf my playing partner took a picture of me from behind me at address as I was setting up to the ball. Initially to me it looked good, and I even asked a couple golf professionals and they thought it was good. However, on closer examination it appears that I am a bit too far forward. I referred to Leadbetter's book and it showed this illustration.

A vertical line descending through the middle of your right shoulder or tricep should pass through the kneecap into the ball of the foot.

I looked at various golfers on YouTube and I saw quite a few who deviated from this setup. The Leadbetter swingers (i.e., Faldo, Els, Frost, etc.) appear to somewhat approximate the illustration, and yet some of them even appear to have their weight a little forward at setup. That is, the vertical line descending through the shoulder/tricep finishes in front of the foot and not on the ball of the foot. Michelle Wie is way forward. Gary Hallberg, my favorite, is textbook perfect. Adam Scott is forward. Mac O'Grady is forward. Fred Couples is a little forward. Hyo Joo Kim is a little forward. Alison Lee is a little forward. Tom Watson is near perfect. Tiger Woods is near perfect. Tom Purtzer is near perfect. Anthony Kim is forward. Justin Rose is forward. When I look at these swings, I am looking at the pros from down the line when they are swinging irons.

It appears that, compared to the Leadbetter illustration, a lot of them are a little forward at address. So despite what Leadbetter teaches in his book, I guess is OK to be a little forward at address?

You answered your own question.

 

It appears that, compared to the Leadbetter illustration, a lot of them are a little forward at address. So despite what Leadbetter teaches in his book, I guess is OK to be a little forward at address?

Leadbetter wrote "a" book about golf instruction, but I wouldn't say that he wrote "THE" book. More knowledgeable souls than I would know better, but I imagine that there's a range of acceptable posture, and that a difference in posture might influence the way that you swing the club best. But there's not a single one-and-only right way to do much of anything in golf.

the picture is a good representation of what a neutral setup would be. It's probably going to work pretty well for most players. However, there are always deviations and being a little one way or the other may be a bit better for one person. You just don't want to get too extreme. I would say use the photo as a baseline and maybe experiment a touch. It could be that you may need to feel your weight a little more in the heels but in reality it may be more centered. As many say, feel isn't always real.

Well my question is if many tour players are setting up with their weight a little forward, why is Leadbetter teaching with the weight as illustrated? It seems that not many are setting up that way.

Well my question is if many tour players are setting up with their weight a little forward, why is Leadbetter teaching with the weight as illustrated? It seems that not many are setting up that way.

You'd have to ask Leadbetter. Have you read any other swing instruction? I'm guessing different instructors will tell you different things, that doesn't make any of them right or wrong. Leadbetter has helped some professionals, yet we hear of people leaving him and moving to a different instructor. Leadbetter's instruction apparently isn't universally applicable.

Shoe laces, knees, armpits in one line according to Gankas. He would only have the butt a bit more tucked under and as a result you would stand slightly taller.

At one point I was setting up exactly as the picture illustrates and had way too much weight in my heels.

Here is the classic David Leadbetter 1990 video. He was kind enough to have uploaded the whole video on YouTube.

Fast-forward to 24:30. Here he teaches the correct posture with a wonderful drill, which he thinks nothing works better. He said that with the arms and club fully extended, he instructed Bill to flex his knees until he feels the weight go back to the heel. I tried this myself and at first it seemed awkward, but when I bent forward from the hips and stuck my buttocks out a little, as David instructed, the weight from the heels shifted over a little forward. On my feet, the weight feels like it is now on the middle of my feet. I guess that previously I was a bit forward because I had too much weight on the balls of my feet.

Here is the classic David Leadbetter 1990 video. He was kind enough to have uploaded the whole video on YouTube.

 

 

Fast-forward to 24:30. Here he teaches the correct posture with a wonderful drill, which he thinks nothing works better. He said that with the arms and club fully extended, he instructed Bill to flex his knees until he feels the weight go back to the heel. I tried this myself and at first it seemed awkward, but when I bent forward from the hips and stuck my buttocks out a little, as David instructed, the weight from the heels shifted over a little forward. On my feet, the weight feels like it is now on the middle of my feet. I guess that previously I was a bit forward because I had too much weight on the balls of my feet.

OK, so Leadbetter seems to work for you. Great. Stop looking at other stuff and confusing yourself. If you look at enough instruction from enough different instructors, and enough swings from successful professionals, you won't have a damn clue about the right way to do anything.