Bespoke Lessons

 

 

From the details of the set-up to the structure of a balanced and well-defined finish, sit back and enjoy a series of key lessons aimed at rewarding you with a dynamic posture and a series of stepping stones to a co-ordinated motion of the arms and body. The 2011 champion James Voce joined inaugural pro winner and Trilby Tour ambassador Steve Cowle in the studio for a bespoke fitting

A TAILOR-MADE POSTURE ENGAGES ‘CORE’ MUSCLES

 

Rehearse this simple posture routine as often as you can so that you make a habit of standing to the ball with sharp body angles and dynamic balance. Note that in a good set-up posture the arms and upper body relate comfortably to each other – there is no need to reach in order to find a comfortable position

A good posture should feel strong and athletic, the body primed for action. Time and again I see amateur golfers who slouch over the ball, often with too much flex in their knees, as if they are about to sit in an armchair, with the upper spine and shoulders too rounded. These faults combined lead to inefficient movement in the swing.

Take time to fine-tune a good posture. The angles and the balance you create here determine the quality and consistency of your swing.

 

Rehearse this simple posture routine as often as you can so that you make a habit of standing to the ball with sharp body angles and dynamic balance. Note that in a good set-up posture the arms and upper body relate comfortably to each other – there is no need to reach in order to find a comfortable position

GOOD POSTURE IS CONSISTENT
 

One of the questions I often get asked as a coach is how far should you stand from the ball with each of the clubs in the bag. Well, the simple answer is that if you rehearse the posture sequence illustrated above, you will develop good set-up habits that solve that issue automatically. Good posture gives your body the opportunity to function efficiently, whichever club you happen to be using. You don’t ever change your fundamentals. As you create your spine angle, allow your arms to hang ‘loose’ and then bring the palms of your hands together... and that’s where you naturally hold the club. Don’t reach for the ball by pushing your arms further away, just stand a little closer to it as you work down from the longest shaft in the driver to the shortest in your most lofted wedge.
 

 

Bending from the hips establishes this distinct spine angle and allows the arms to hang freely - identifying your natural holding position

COOL FIRST MOVE? ARMS, HANDS AND CLUB AS ONE

 

One final point: you don’t hit the ball with your backswing, so keep it ‘low and smooth’ and build your speed gradually.

 

Arms, hands and upper body work together to move the club over the first few feet of the swing. Key is to keep the hips relatively quiet to this point; as the swing then progresses the hips turn to facilitate the full rotation of the upper body

EASY DOES IT

Having adjusted his posture, James found that he was in a better position to make this first move count. Previously he had a tendency to move the club away first, which involved his arms working independently in front of his chest (and led to the club being across the line at the top of the swing – as you will see pictured overleaf). In just a few minutes working on this sensation of ‘togetherness’, with a sense of controlling the initial movement from the shoulders, this key first move is much better. A tip I offered James is to feel a softness in the right shoulder – as you relax the right side you rotate more easily into the backswing.

No lifting, jerking the club back or picking it up too steeply. The club traces a natural inside path as the arms and upper body work together

TURN YOUR LEFT SHOULDER UNDER YOUR CHIN
 

In this position you are looking for evidence of a full shoulder turn – along with as straight a left arm as you can get. (Some players are more flexible and able to do this than others!). When you check your position, you want to see the hands in line with the right shoulder. The right elbow should feel as though it points downwards and your wrists should have fully hinged. The right knee should be facing forward and still flexed with the weight down the inside of the right leg. All in all, you should feel coiled up like a spring, bursting with energy and ready to unwind.

 

Turning your left shoulder under your chin while maintaining the athletic posture angles created at the set up rewards you with a loaded backswing position. Looking down the line (left), you want to see your hands swing up over the tip of the right shoulder

ARMS AND BODY BETTER ‘CONNECTED’

 

The beauty of improving the quality of your posture at the set-up is that you reap the benefit of a better body action – and that is something that is going to help James in a big way over the coming months. The inset photo above illustrates James’ tendency to get the club across the line at the top of his backswing, and you can see also that the right knee has straightened and his right elbow is ‘disconnected’ from his body. All of these little quirks lead to inconsistency – and in James’ case losing shots out to the right. By improving his posture and the subsequent moves in the takeaway, James will find that he is able to combine a full shoulder turn with a more compact arm-swing, and so get the club into a stronger position at the top. As a result he can look forward to a more on-line route back to the ball and sweeter, straighter shots. 

A tendency to overuse his hands at the start of the swing results in the shaft crossing the line at the top (right). Improving both his posture and first move from the ball will solve this problem, rewarding James with a slightly more compact and on line backswing position

 

JOB DONE: THE BENEFIT OF A GOOD FINISH

 

No matter what you do in your backswing, the quality of your follow-through can often make the difference in recovering a shot. But if you have a poor, unfinished follow-through, you’re asking for trouble. One of the most effective lessons that I try to instil in the players I coach is that if you simply focus on swinging to a full and committed finish, you will actually improve all of the links in the chain that get you there. This is an area of the swing where amateurs really can learn an awful lot watching the pros. In fact, if you were to commit to finishing every single swing in perfect balance, supported chiefly on the left leg with the right foot up on its toe, you will be surprised at how many good shots you hit.

 

On the range, make a point in between hitting shots of holding and posing a fully rotated finish; hold it for several seconds and let the feeling sink in. Then think about nothing but returning to that position in the swing. You can always tell a good player by the shape of the follow- through. If you end up in balance, rotated and committed, there’s every chance your ball will be travelling towards the target.

Placing a club across your chest, arms-folded, make a few rehearsals, rotating to face the target so that you finish with your weight on the left side, right foot up on the toe of the shoe

FREE UP YOUR FINISH
 

Practice all these moves at home before you attempt to introduce a ball. If you learn to swing the club freely the ball will be collected along the way. Work on your posture to improve balance throughout the swing. Once you can swing to a full follow-through with perfect balance both the quality and accuracy of your ball-striking will improve. Good luck and keep swinging.

Allowing the right foot and knee to‘release’, so that you reveal the sole of the right shoe, helps you to shift your weight correctly to the left side and promotes the structure of a well-balanced finish