Address vs Impact

Your address position

Here I am in the address position (above). When I look down, I can see my hand position, ball position and get my lines right. My forearms are in a good position and, for a 5-iron, my shoulders are angled nicely, too. Some people might complain that my left foot is not turned out enough but that’s a preference for me. That’s just not what I do.

A good way to practice is to set up around your ‘T’ shape. I do this all the time. You’ll see tour players put alignment sticks down on the range at tournaments to help with their set-up. It’s a good way to get your symmetry right. I was playing recently at an event and I did this all week in the run-up to the opening round and during my practice.

Your impact position

At impact, you’re going to see the right knee move into position as you hit down on the ball. Your right knee should be heading towards the target. The right heel starts to come off the ground and you should start to feel much more pressure into your left foot.

The shaft angle increases at this point in the swing. Head position is very much the same, though my left hip has started to rotate, so the clubhead and the arms can pass through into the target line.

Four points:

1 – Open your left foot (more than me!)
2 – Clear your left hip
3 – Increased shaft angle will give a more centered strike
4 – Move your right knee across towards your target

Why I do this

The whole basis of this tip is to try and create this position and generate it easily through muscle memory. You stand in a static position and, hopefully very quickly, you’ll get a better understanding of where the pressure points are.

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David Orr is Head PGA Professional at Eastwood Golf Club. For lessons, call David on 01355 500285. Follow David on Twitter @DavidOrrGolfer.

Originally published on bunkered on April 19, 2016.

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