Golf Fitness > Golf Tip >Golf Stance

Golf Stance: It Is A Physical Issue

The very important topic of golf stance is often golf stance is one of the most forgotten topics in regards to your golf swing, but it is a critical one to ensure your ability for a consistent swing and performance.

When golfers think of their stance in their golf swing, they don’t realize how hard it is to maintain over 18 holes (four and a half hours). Just take a look at the position your body is in during your set up. There are many physical issues taking place, even though it is a static position at the start.

Let’s go over the physical components for the corect stance in golf.

You Tilt Forward At Your Hip Sockets, Not Lower Back

To achieve this initial movement takes strength and flexibility in not only the lower back, but the hamstrings and core muscle groups. If these muscle groups are limited, you will have a very difficult time achieving this simple move.

Slight Bend In Your Knees

A combination of bending at the hips and knees allows you to get to the ball. The shorter the club, the more the bend at both the hips and knees. If your quadriceps are weak, you will have a very difficult time maintaining the proper knee flex therefore causing you to create in improper golf stance...resulting in mishits and lack of distance.

Flex Your Ankles

The ankle is a joint that is in the flexed during the entire swing. As golfers get older, they lose range of motion in this joint making it difficult to maintain proper knee and hip flexion. Part of this is due to the calf muscle in the back of the lower leg being tigh. Stretch this muscle regularly and your ankle flexion will remain at a high level.

Erect Upper Spine

This is the one you should pay particular attention to! You don't want to play the game of golf looking like the hunch back from Notre Dame do you? That big, ugly hump in the upper back you see so many older golfers with. This is death to your golf swing. Good bye power and distance forever! Your backswing will be limited, deminishing your ability to create clubhead speed. Fix this problem and you can tack on another 15 yards almost right away! My golf fitness manual has a ton of simple exercises and stretches for this exact problem.

This is just a brief overview of the demands put on your body to have the proper golf stance. I hope I've encouraged you to take a look at this, and apply some simple solutions like the ones I've mentioned.

If you want long drives, the lowest scores, and the pure joy of crushing your golfing buds, you'll focus on your stance more often.

Improving your fitness specific to golf is the way to an improved stance for golf, and that is why I produced my Golf Fitness DVDs to improve your golf specific strength and flexibility right in your home with minimal equipment.

Mike Pedersen
Golf Performance Professional

More Golf Tips