Golf instruction is ever-evolving, but the best advice stands the test of time. In GOLF.com’s new series, Timeless Tips, we’re highlighting some of the greatest advice teachers and players have dispensed in the pages of GOLF Magazine. Today we look back to our April 2013 issue for tips on power from Tiger Woods. For unlimited access to the full GOLF Magazine digital archive, join InsideGOLF today; you’ll enjoy $140 of value for only $39.99/year.
Hitting the ball flush starts before you even take the club back. To put yourself in the best position for success, it’s imperative you get in the correct posture.
Don’t believe me? Just look at Tiger Woods. Although his swing has changed many times throughout his career, one thing has always remained constant: a rock-solid setup.
Back in 2013, we at GOLF Magazine published a feature on just that. Read one below for a breakdown from GOLF Top 100 Teacher Jon Tattersall on the way that Woods’ posture puts him in position to smash long drives.
Tiger’s powerful posture
Tiger’s swing has changed over the years. Some of the alterations have been made to achieve or correct a certain ball flight, while others have been inserted to accommodate or prevent an injury.
Regardless of the state of his swing, Tiger has always set up and swung with great posture. Keep in mind that proper posture at address doesn’t matter unless you know how to use it to your advantage. This is where Tiger excels.
One of his best power moves is to increase his forward bend during his downswing while elongating his lower body. At impact, his hips are higher than at address and his knees and ankles are much straighter, but his upper body and head are actually closer to the ball. When you hear instructors talk about “leveraging the ground” to create speed, this is it.
Below, I’ve outlined the different components of Tiger’s posture — and how he uses them to create power.
Upper body
The most important angle you can create at address is the tilt of your upper body when you bend forward. Like all great players, Tiger bends from his hip joints, not from his waist. His forward tilt has increased since working with Sean Foley, and as a result, has the tilt in his pelvis. In addition to bending forward, Tiger also angles his pelvis downward, which helps flatten his lower back. This is commonly known as neutral stone tilt, which is incredibly important for spine and hip health.
Back
Tiger’s upper back isn’t flat (nor should it be), and even though he has pulled his shoulders back to widen his chest, his arms hang almost straight down, leaving a noticeable gap between his right ear and shoulder. If you try to force good posture by flattening your back, you won’t see as wide a gap.
Legs
Strong players like Tiger change their posture when they swing by pushing off the ground with their legs. Notice how much straighter Tiger’s legs are at impact than they are at address. Tiger’s ankles, knees and hips go from a flexed state at setup to an extended state at contact, just like a basketball player jumping to throw down a dunk.
Arms
Tiger’s arms hang more vertically these days as a result of his increased forward tilt. This makes it easier for him to keep his arms close to his chest when he swings, which negates the need to rotate them as much as he previously had to. This, plus a stronger grip, are big reasons behind his excellent ball striking.
Knees
Tiger’s knees are flexed, not bent. A good checkpoint here is a line drawn straight down from the front of your right knee that intersects the middle of your right big toe.
Perfect posture at work
Dynamic backswing
Although it doesn’t look like Tiger’s posture has changed that much, it has. At the top, his left side (not his chest) is tilted toward the ball and his forward bend is nowhere near what it was at address. When you have Tiger’s core strength and flexibility, you can pull this off while making it look like you’re winding up without changing your angles.
“Crunch” it
While Tiger slightly increases the tilt in his pelvis going back, he rapidly decreases it during his downswing (between 5 to 10 degrees). His hips level out and his forward bend toward the ball is close to where it was at address. It’s as though he’s doing ab crunches in the gym. The good news? You don’t need Tiger’s six pack to make this move.
Roll your weight
Tour players roll their ankles to shift weight from the right leg to the left. Tiger is one of the best at this, and not only does he roll, he actively pushes off the ground from the top of his swing through impact. This pushing action is real — most big hitters we’ve tested have at least a 20-inch vertical jump.
