The 2014 Nedbank golf challenge is done and dust and it was an exciting final day with the all-English trio of Danny Willett, Ross Fisher and Luke Donald in the final thee-ball to win the coveted tournament affectionatly known as “Africa’s Major”.
While Willett played two exceptional rounds of golf on the third and fourth days to will the “Million Dollar” by four strokes on 18 under par, 50-year-old Spainish veteran Miguel Ángel Jiménez was the man to watch when it came to sticking to the basics, taking your time with your shorts, keeping it simple and more importantly…the correct posture.
Although Jiménez finished in 6th on six under the par, there was no better golfer to study during the course of the four-days in the Pilansberg.
This week we’re dealing with the correct posture in building sound swing, a principle which so oftern gets over looked.
Like a grip (which we covered last week) a good posture truely procudes good and more often than not, astonishing results. In a game where centimetres translate into meters, a good posture is essential for the physical outcomes of accuracy, speed, balance, power and strength within the golfer themselves.
With the help of Bloemfontein Golf Club professional coach, Quintin Williams, we tackle a sound posture.
Step 1 – Stand tall with your feet shoulder width apart. Your weight should be balanced on the balls of your feet, your toes turned out slightly.
Step 2 – Bend forward from your hips, keeping your back straight.
Step 3 – Flex your knees a bit and stick out your rear-end for stability. You should almost feel as if you are in a “tall sitdown” position. The lower part of your back should be comfortably straight (check this by holding a club against your spine), while the arms hang down vertically from the shoulders.
It’s of vital imporatnce that you do not bend to far forward with too much weight on your toes. I same breath you shouldn’t be standing too straight, resulting in too much weight on your heels.
Always make sure that your weight is balanced on the balls of the feet, while the lower body should feel “springy’ ready to stabilise the motion of the swing. Don’t worry about how far you need to stand away from the ball. A good posture basically fits every club. As with just about eveything in golf, let the club do the talking. Your hip line or belt buckle should be in line with the butt end of the grip.
Bad posture – The more your back is curved at the address (a common problem), the more likely it is you will have to risde to hit the ball resulting in bad contact. A straight back promotes consistent contact.
A golden rule to remember is that in order for the club to swing in balance, your body has to be in balance.
Next week we will be addressing the ball and shot alignment.
Quintin Williams can be contact on 083 383 4113 or via email at [email protected].
