Alignment help for shoulders and hips.

[jportz]

How do I get my setup right every time?

Today at the range I wasn't hitting the ball very well and finally asked a friend to check my setup and right off the bat he said that my feet, hips, and clubface looked square but my shoulders were slightly open...I closed up my shoulders and hit the ball much better.

Just wondering...if I were to err one way or the other, which is better? A little open or a little closed?

Also, what if your hips are square and your shoulders are closed/open...what will that cause?

It seems so hard / tedious to make sure that my feet, hips, shoulders and clubface are all square to the target line....my shoulders tend to work themselves open if I get lazy...any pointers to help me setup square every time? There's so much to think about and that's something that troubles me every few weeks.

Thanks.

[ram01002]

I wish I knew the answer to this - maybe slicefixer can help.

[sktheman]

I may have an answer.

When you set up, first pick a intermediate target and set the clubface square to the target with only your left hand on the club (for right hander).

 

Then set your feet accordingly. At this point, you should be relaxed and not yet in an address position. But your feet, hips and shoulders all should be aligned.

 

Next, grip the club with your right hand without twisting your shoulders open. This should promote a more angled spine away from the target, as it should be without openning your shoulders.

[jportz]

That's definitely my problem...I get all square to the target and then I reach to place my right hand on the club and it opens my shoulders (without me knowing). I'm working on a more precise pre-shot routine and am paying particular attention to my setup.

 

Slicefixer is at Augusta this week....yes, I'm jealous.

[joesgonegolfing]

I like open stances thru the hips and feet, with a square shoulder.

 

With an iron:

 

Address the ball off the back big toe. Both feet are together, club is in your right hand and squared to intermeidate target.

 

Turn your left foot to the target, leaving your heel on the ground. Step away with the right foot(from the left) and slightly closer to the ball (opens stance)

 

The shaft will now point slightly to the left hip, put your grip on and swing away. You should see your ball position as closer to the target side of center.

 

Hard to describe, much easier to demo.

 

With a driver or 3 wood: Same rountine but start the ball position in the set-up routine off the LEFT big toe. Step wider away with the right foot as the club (driver) is longer.

 

On a regular lie ball postion varies 3.5 inches for most players from Driver to 9 iron. That distance looks greater than it is as the width of your step away with the right foot and the start of the set-up off the left or right big toe is what varies that ball postion.

 

Joe

[taylormadefan]

I think this just goes to show you how individual golf can be. If I err on one side, I'd much rather be set up closed rather than open.

 

When I set up open, i have a tendency to come in to out (instead of in to in) and I hit everthing from thins to dropkicks, to the occasional shaft. It also leads me to dropping my right shoulder which can lead to fats and big slices with the driver.

 

When I'm closed I can still come in to in and worst case is a miss to the left.

 

Pick which one works for your swing and if you're ever in doubt, set up that way.