Set-up Made Simple

Bad habits at address lead to many ball striking issues
By Cennydd Mills

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lot of golfers I teach and many more that I see on the range exhibit fundamental problems with their set-up and posture that make it very difficult to hit the ball consistently. What I’d like to focus on here for iron shots is the position of the sternum at address. Many players have their spine tilted far too much to the right (like you might see with a driver) or tilted left.

Having the sternum too far to the right promotes a takeaway inside the line and an angle of attack into the ball that’s too shallow for solid iron contact. Conversely, leaning the other way has the opposite effect, with the club wanting to go back on the outside, creating a steep, choppy downswing into the ball.

Your sternum should be over your belt buckle at set-up.

Here’s a simple way of ensuring you get set-up centrally over the ball. Make sure that when you get into golf set-up, your sternum is directly over your belt buckle. With the sternum in the correct position, your left shoulder will be hanging nicely over that left knee. From here, you can make a swing knowing that the angles you established at address will enable you to strike the ball properly.

Cennydd Mills is a PGA Teaching Professional at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club. For more information, visit dubaigolf.com

Photographs by Kristina Nabieva, Photo Illustrations by Clarkwin Cruz

Related: How to get your arms and body in-sync