Back To Basics - Nicky Lawrenson Golf

Back To Basics

POSTURE
Good posture is vital for good balance. To create a sound posture, locate your hip bone and bend forward from this point, keeping the spine as straight as possible until your weight is balanced and favouring the balls of your feet. Flex your knees slightly, just enough to relieve the tension along the back of your legs.

Do not bend from the stomach or neck as a more rounded spine makes it difficult to maintain your posture and for your body to turn correctly. Creating and maintaining a straight spine angle and an athletic posture is key to allowing the body to turn around a simple axis in its most efficient form to encourage consistency.

ARM HANG AND GRIP
1. Assuming correct posture, your arms hang naturally slightly turned inwards and tension-free. Your hands will generally want to return to their natural position at impact, therefore it becomes a simpler motion if your hands are as natural as possible at address. With correct posture and arm hang, the correct grip and distance from the ball will also be formed. It is important that as your arms hang, they are not locked out tightly, but simply remain in a natural tension-free state. When the body is in a more natural position less compensations are required and this will keep your golf swing in a state of simplified efficiency. 2. From this natural tension-free position, place your left hand at the top of the grip and your right hand directly underneath (reverse for left-handed golfers). You will notice the club will be gripped more so in the fingers rather than the palm, allowing the correct hand action and leverage in the golf swing. Imagine the difficulties in throwing a ball from the palm of your hand; the same principle applies to the grip. With the left hand at the top and right underneath, interlock the little finger of the right hand with the first finger of the left hand (reverse for the left-handed golfer) allowing the hands to work as a unit. Rest the little finger on top of the first finger if this is preferential to interlocking. In order to gain more control of the club, do not hold it at the very end, allow approximately half an inch to be showing at the top of the grip

3. As a checkpoint for the left hand, you should be able to see roughly two knuckles as you look down onto the grip. Again, by letting the arm hang from correct posture should encourage this to happen. 4. This position shows an example of gripping the club too much in the palm of the hand. This may feel a more powerful position but ultimately increases unwanted tension and reduces the ability to create correct hand action in the swing. Imagine returning the hand back to its natural position at impact, the club would be dramatically open or aim right of target. 5. If the left and/or right hand is placed too much to the right of the grip, the hands will generally want to try to return to their natural position at impact and close the clubface (aiming left) encouraging the ball to finish left of the chosen target. Compensations may take place to try to combat this producing inconsistent accuracy

ALIGNMENT
	Correct body alignment is as important as correct clubface alignment. Feet, knees, hips and shoulders should be positioned parallel to the aim of the clubface and ball to target line, this in turns sets the body up parallel left of the target and not aiming at the target, a common error in the set-up. As a guide for correct shoulder alignment, imagine someone viewing you from behind the target line whilst you set up. With correct alignment, arm hang and grip, that person should be able to see roughly the top portion of your left forearm above your right (for a right-handed golfer) - pic 1. With the whole of the left forearm on view above the right arm, the shoulders generally are closed of target (aiming right) – pic 2. No sign of the left forearm above the right arm at all signifies shoulders are generally open of target (aiming left) – pic 3.