How to Set Up Perfectly for a Golf Shot
This section of the site covers everything you need for a great golf setup and address position.
There are a number of key elements in the golf setup.
The golf lessons and videos below look at each of these in more detail. But before you jump ahead, it’s worth really appreciating why a proper setup position is so critical to your golf game.
Never Underestimate The Importance of Your Setup
To understand why your setup is so important, it’s useful to understand a bit about open and closed skills in sport.
An open skill involves variables that are usually beyond your control. Think of a tackle in soccer. You have to react to the movements of other players and a moving ball.
A closed skill on the other hand is controlled purely by you. Think of a free throw in basketball. There are no moving players to contend with, the ball is stationary and there are no real time constraints.
Any sport that is made up of closed skills usually demands you to be very accurate and very consistent (think of darts, pool, shooting etc). The golf swing is a closed skill – and one with a very small margin of error. Because of this we have to take every precaution to maximise our accuracy and consistency. The starting point for this consistency is our setup and address position.
By repeating the same setup every time for every shot, we allow our golf swing to develop as quickly and as consistently as possible. Any variation and faults in our golf setup routine will have a detrimental effect on the outcome of each shot.
I would encourage all golfers of any standard to continually focus on a good quality setup. You should pay particular attention to accurate alignment (see the lesson below) as it’s an area I feel many golfers overlook and lack discipline in establishing it as part of their setup routine.
Golf Setup Lessons
Proper Alignment: Make it your #1 Priority
You need to become almost obsessive over your alignment. It’s a simple concept but one that I see so many club-level golfers failing to put into practice at the range or on the course.
The Stance: Build a Solid Base for your Swing
This video lesson covers the ideal stance width for various clubs and proper position for the feet.
Ideal Distance to the Ball and Why it’s Important
This simple tip and reference point will show you exactly how close you should be standing to the ball for each club.
Correct Ball Position for Each Club in the Bag
Understand exactly where to place the ball relative to your stance for every golf club in your hand.
The Best Position for your Hands for More Solid Ball Striking
This is often overlooked (or unknown) by most amateur golfers yet it’s a simple tweak that can really help your ball striking consistency.
Perfect Posture for an Efficient Golf Swing
You don’t have to be a young athletic-type to adopt a good posture in your setup. This lesson shows you what a good golf posture is and why it’s essential to your success.
Quick Posture DrillUse this quick drill to test your own posture over the golf ball.
A Proper Golf Grip: The Complete Step-By-Step Guide
If you’ve had a poor grip for some time it may feel uncomfortable to change. But it’s well worth the effort. Follow this lesson, keep a golf club close to hand at home or in the office and make a perfect grip feel like second nature.
