Golfers tend to think that they have issues with their swing when they fall in injuries or fail to perfect their golf ball hits. Yes, it could be a reason, but there could be another root problem to your injuries. That is your bad golf swing posture.
Golf swing includes 4 basics – stance, aim, ball position, and posture. Unfortunately, most golfers ignore their posture as a significant element to improve. But professional golfers are very diligent about their posture and spend hours adapting to a proper golf posture.
Your intent to increase your golf swing speed is clear to us as you have searched for Golf Posture. Therefore, we designed this article in a manner that will answer all your queries on golf posture and help you develop it. In addition, we will also share knowledge about maintaining correct golf posture, and tips to improve it.
Let’s start with the basics, then.
Table of Content
What is Golf Posture?
Golf posture is all about the alignment of your different body parts while playing golf. It’s more about the spine and a little of the head, shoulder, hips, and waist. Every golfer should follow the correct golf posture, from addressing the golf club to having a full swing.
Proper golf posture is essential to avoid injuries, especially back pain. If you can maintain the correct posture, you are more likely to have a longer career. More importantly, a good golf posture ensures a good golf swing. When you are consistently having a good golf swing, your golf performance is bound to be better.
How to Maintain Correct Golf Posture
Your balance, aim, and mobility depends on your posture. Maintaining the correct posture is very easy once you know how to have it. To help you in this regard here is our step-by-step guide to maintaining a correct golf posture.
- Fix your aim first. Correct your ball position, fix the direction you want to hit and how long you want to hit. Choose the right golf club to achieve your goal.
- Stance is the next factor you need to focus on. Correct stance width is a must for proper balance and strength. You can follow shoulder-width length as standard and then modify it according to your requirement.
- When you are ready to have your swing with your stance, straighten your back as much as you can. To do so, you can take help from your friend to take a photo or video of yourself and see whether your back is straight or not. It should look like the following image.
- Once your stance is okay and has a straight back, it is time to push back your shoulder and lift your head to perfect your posture. Your head and neck are critical to your spine. You need to ensure a good sync of your head and neck. Lastly, focus on your golf ball.
Repeat these four steps for some time, and you will find the difference in having a proper posture. Initially, you may find it difficult to straighten your back. Watch the following video from US Golf TV for a visual explanation of getting in a good golf posture. (if needed)
Common Mistakes in Golf Posture
When golfers find faulty swings, one of the first points they make is a faulty posture. But what are the mistakes that golfers often make in a posture? Our research found two mistakes that most golfers have in common. They are
- golf posture that is too bent over
- golf posture that is too upright
As mentioned earlier and illustrated in the above image, these mistakes are related to your back. Your back should be like a straight line. You should not bend down nor stand upright; It should be a balance. You can follow the video attached below for more about common mistakes and how to solve them regarding golf setup.
Is Posture Important in Golf Swing?
Yes, golf posture is the basis of maintaining a proper golf swing. With improved posture, you can play top-quality golf at your older age. It is a must for a perfect golf swing and avoiding injuries. A bad posture makes it difficult to swing hard at times.
How Far Should You Bend over in a Golf Swing?
45 to 60 degrees
It is hard to make exact measurements of bend amount for a good posture. However, you should bend so that you can hit the ball properly. We found in our research that it is between 45 to 60 degrees. If you bend too low, you are likely to get injured and not produce good swing speed. On the other hand, if you stand tall, you may have better swing speed, but you will struggle to hit the ball properly.
Conclusion
Golf posture plays a vital role in a perfect golf swing like stance, ball position, and alignment. This article illustrated how you could maintain posture in a golf swing. Follow these steps, and you will start getting the benefits of a correct golf posture soon. Let us know in the comments if you feel the difference.
