Make posture a priority if you want to play better golf

You wouldn’t think that PGA Tour players need to be reminded about basic fundamentals like posture.

 

Martin Laird seemed to be doing just fine with his posture as he birdied the last three holes to win the Valero Texas Open by two shots Sunday.

 

Look a little further down the leaderboard and you’ll find Shane Lowry, who still finished tied for 15th despite hitting one of the worst shots of the tournament.

 

Lowry seemed to have a hiccup in his fundamentals on Sunday when he topped his ball, hitting a shot a mere 100 feet while trying to play from the rough.

 

It’s good every once in awhile to see the world’s best players appear to be human, but unfortunately the average golfer experiences poor shots like this a little more often.

 

Poor posture can lead to several bad golf shots, including topping the ball. If you experience more mis-hits than good strikes, follow these basic guidelines to get your posture on track:

 

• Posture is one of hardest things in the world to do correctly because you can’t see yourself in your posture when you play. It’s all based on feel. A great way to practice is to get in front of a mirror and try to mimic a picture of your favorite tour player’s posture. Then close your eyes for a few seconds to enhance the feel of a proper posture.

 

• You want your body to be athletic before the swing begins. Using examples from other sports, a linebacker in football or a defensive position in basketball, can be a great visual to get your posture stable and more athletic. Knees bent for balance, shoulders straight versus slouched, and bending from your waist with arms hanging naturally are just a few keys to an athletic posture.

 

• Practice your posture separately from your golf swing. This simply means shifting your focus from making a swing to making sure you have a good posture. The slightest change in your posture can have a dramatic effect on your results. When I teach, I enjoy using technology like K-Vest to measure my students and give them the proper feedback needed to fine tune their posture. You don’t have to have a K-Vest to perfect your posture, but you will need feedback from somebody or something to make sure you are practicing the right thing.