Getting Properly Set Up by Mel Dies, CPGA Head Professional FGCC

As everyone knows not all golfers are the same size or have the same build. Therefore, the “set up”, otherwise known as the “starting position”, is going to be different for everyone. What everyone doesn’t know is that the main goal to the golf swing is to create a repetitive motion. It is impossible to create this repetitive motion unless we are set up to the ball the same every time. We are all going to swing differently because of our size and build therefore all setups will be slightly different. This is OK as long as it is consistent. Going through the process to get set up the same every time is extremely important and often overlooked. Below are some hints to help with this set-up.

The first thing you need to do when setting up to the ball is to place the club behind the ball and square it up to the target. After completing this it is then time to take the grip. A lot of players will do this in reverse order; therefore when they set the club behind the ball and square it to the target they change their grip in the process and create a bad position. When taking the grip a right handed golfer should see 2-3 knuckles on their left hand and the v’s created between the thumbs and index fingers on both hands should be pointing towards the right shoulder. (Vice verse for a lefty.)

The next step towards a proper setup is to place the ball in the proper position in the stance. With the 7 iron through the wedges the ball should be played in the middle of the stance. Starting with the 6 iron the ball should gradually move forward in the stance as the club gets longer putting the ball position off the front heel with the driver. This will make it easier to play the longer clubs and allow you to hit the ball higher as the loft on the club decreases.

The last important step to a consistent setup is where we bend over to get to the ball. This will again be different depending on the size of the player, but remember consistency is the key. As a rule, you want to bend slightly at the knees allowing our weight to fall onto the balls of our feet. From there you need to tip at the hips and let our arms hang down to a position where you can grip the club. Practice obtaining a consistent position, and try to eliminate tension when doing this to allow for a natural position.

If you take the time to repeat this process every time you setup to the ball, you should create a more repetitive motion resulting in more consistent shots, which ultimately is the goal of every golfer.