Continued from page 1
Note: Several of my golf students bring their hips forward with their knees. You must avoid this as it brings your hips under your shoulders causing your balance to move backwards onto your heels. Think of some of these thoughts when bending your knees: 1. Bend your knees forward and reach your hips backwards. 2. Get into ready position common to most sports. 3. Get into position you need to push a vehicle out of a snow bank or mud-puddle or to move a sofa/couch to vacuum floor. 4. If you are familiar with any kind of baseball then you make bend of knees same as back catcher starting squat position. 5. If these thoughts don't help you get knee bend correct then — picture yourself beginning first movement of sitting on a toilet seat. (My junior golfers love that tip.) Correctly doing this move will usually place your shoulders slightly forward of front of your shoes. It will also place your hip joints over or slightly behind your heels. End Note
Practice steps above facing mirror and standing sideways to mirror. In fact, do so in both sideways positions.
2. Setting up those perfect parallel body alignments Your foot position is foundation to being lined up correctly to where you want your golf ball to stop (or, best of all, fall in hole on green.) Your feet also act as guides for your turn movements in your swing sequence. (Future articles and my lesson modules will show you how your feet can guide your swing movements.) You have arrived at your ball and you have positioned your feet so they are parallel to line of flight of ball.
How do you ensure that your knees, hips, and shoulders are also parallel to flight line? For almost all golfers and "would-be golfers" this can be done by sight and feel.
KNEES: When you have taken posture position described in Part 1 #1 you can look down and see if SAME length of both of your shoes is visible past your knees. If so, then your knees are aligned parallel to your feet.
HIPS: If your knees are parallel to your feet then your hips are already parallel to your feet. This applies to almost everyone. The exception will be anyone who has different lengths in their legs. SHOULDERS: When you stand at attention your shoulders are each above one of your hip joints. You will feel comfortable with no side or back muscles working.
When you bend at your hips you must feel this same comfort — no muscles working or straining.
Your shoulders will be in line with your hips, but at an angle. Since your hips are parallel with your feet then, so will your shoulders be parallel to your feet.
During a round of golf a quick glance out of bottom of your eyes will confirm your knee and hip alignment. A quick thought about whether your back and sides feel comfortable will help confirm that your shoulders are in line.
More instruction on a good setup posture is found in Part 2. As well, I have additional notes about how to avoid improper posture and body alignments at my website.
Copyright by Glen Osborne August 2004. All Rights Reserved
Glen teaches his golf program for Ladysmith, BC Parks & Rec. Beginners, struggling golfers, and juniors are his specialty http://basicbodymovementforanygolfswing.com mailto: golflesson@basicbodymovementforanygolfswing.com 10935 Trans Canada Hwy Ladysmith, BC Canada V9G 1X7