UP, OVER AND OFF

By Erika Larkin on 7/5/12

So many swing flaws and mis-hits can be linked back to a poor setup including posture, grip or alignment. Today we are focusing on posture. Remember these three words: UP, OVER and OFF. Use them to improve your posture and your shots!

• UP: Don’t sit or squat- get UP on straighter legs with knees just barely soft. Feeling tall in your legs is a good thing and will help you with the following.


• OVER: Stand so that you tilt your chest down enough that your arms can hang from your shoulders relaxed and without touching your own body. To help you feel the proper position try this: first, stand up straight, then place your palms on the top of your thighs. Slide your hands down your legs until your finger tips reach the top of your knees. This should show you how far to fold forward from your hips so you have enough spine angle.


• OFF: Close your eyes and feel where your weight is on your feet… most people sit on their heels too much which pulls them away from the ball through impact and leads to other compensations. Try and rock forward just enough that your center of gravity is over your laces but not so far to the balls of your feet that you are falling over forward. If you are UP on your legs and OVER with your chest you should find it easy to get OFF your heels but still be in balance and ready to hit the ball with good posture.

If you can practice and feel these posture keys you will promote better contact with the ball more leverage and more power. Good luck!

Erika Larkin is the Director of Instruction at Larkin Golf Learning Community at Stonewall Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia. She was recently named the 2012 Middle Atlantic PGA "Teacher of the Year" and the 2011 "Top Golf Pro" by Washingtonian Magazine and she's ClubSG's newest columnist. She'll be writing on a variety of topics including instruction, so if you have a question for her or an idea for a column, email her at erikalarkin@pga.com.


Image via Flickr, Companygolflessons