5 common setup mistakes — and how to avoid them

If you’re having problems with your swing, chances are, you can trace the issue to your setup.

Your setup sets the foundation for everything that follows, and if you have a flaw in your grip, stance or posture, you’ll likely make subconscious adjustments in your swing.

How can you be sure that your setup is sound? Teaching professional Kelley Brooke outlined five common setup flaws to avoid in a video posted to the LPGA Professionals YouTube page.

“The setup is the foundation of the whole swing,” Brooke says. “It’s like a house: If your foundation on your house is cracked, everything’s gonna fall down on top of it.”

Below, Brooke shares five common setup flaws that can lead to poor swing motion.

1. Spine angle

Don’t let your back get too round at address, Brooke says.

“If your vertebrae in your back are rounded, how in the world do you make a good turn?” Brooke says. “You can’t. We need the vertebrae to be lined up in one straight line so that we can make a good turn.”

A spine that is too rounded can lead to swinging outside or across the ball, creating weak fades, slices and snap-hooks. Brooke suggests tilting your hip joint to about 35 degrees and flexing your knees in an athletic position.

“Now my spine is in a position where I can rotate easily and make a good turn,” she says.

2. Head position

Well-meaning advice to “keep your head down” through impact can often be counter-productive, Brooke says. When your head is down, the spine gets round again.

“It doesn’t allow you to make a good turn,” Brooke says. “We want your flat spine to start [at the neck] and end at your tailbone. So even if your spine is flat, I don’t want you to dip your head down because now you’re not going to be able to rotate to your rear foot easily.”

Instruction

3. Grip pressure

Don’t try to squeeze the life out of the club, Brooke says. On a scale of 1-10, she suggests keeping your grip pressure below a 5.

“We need to be able to release that club,” Brooke says. “If your grip is tight, your muscles are just going to be constricted and you’re not going to be able to release.”

4. Distance from ball

If you’re stretching to reach the ball, you can inadvertently create a rounded spine, Brooke says. As we learned above, that doesn’t lead to anything good.

5. Weight distribution

Standing too far from the ball can also lead to having too much of your bodyweight centered on your toes. Your weight should not only be evenly distributed across both feet, says Brooke, but also from your heel to toe on each foot.

“If you’re too far away, you’re gonna have to lean over your toes,” she says. “You’re gonna be off balance before you even start.”

Ideally, Brooke says you should stand close enough to the ball that you can let your rear hand hang and it can comfortably grip the club.

Give Brooke’s tips a try to limit mishits and give your swing its best possible foundation, and check out the video above to watch a full setup tutorial from Kelley Brooke.