Cheat Sheet: Two steps for perfect posture (and better contact!)

Before anyone rolls their eyes at yet another posture tip, or runs to find examples of great players with “bad” posture, let me say this: Good posture isn’t a requirement for good golf. But if we’re going to go down that rabbit hole, it’d be nice to know what is required. Suddenly, this no longer remains a conversation about posture. Instead, it’s a lesson on creating safe, efficient and functional movement.

Whether it’s a power squatter establishing his or her max position of strength, a sprinter locking into the blocks or a basketball player setting up to spot a three, all great athletes adhere to a simple principle of biomechanics: stacking the center of mass over the base of support. Great golfers adhere to it, too, whether they start that way or not.

Hey, this game is hard enough without making it harder before the club even swings back. It makes nothing but common sense to create good posture as early as possible. Your reward? Efficiency and repeatability in your swing like you’ve never seen.

It’s easy. Bend forward from your hips and flex your knees slightly. Two critical checkpoints in the photo below:

A) Your arms are hanging freely, and

B) The top of your spine and the tips of your knees are over the balls of your feet.

If you’re too bent over or set up with too much knee flex, you’ll fail these checks and face difficult-to-time compensations throughout your motion. Too bent over (far left)? You’re going to compensate by pulling up and away from the ball during your swing. Too much knee flex (center)? Your mass is too far on your heels and will likely move toward the ball as you swing.

Yes, you can play golf with bad posture, and there have been great players who certainly have. But whether you’re the too-bent-over golfer or the player with too much knee flex, you’re essentially taking the least optimal route to the desired destination and potentially setting yourself up for injury. Why wouldn’t you want to set up like an athlete? Get your center of mass over your base of support. You won’t be disappointed.