Sorry for the delay in posting. Got busy with other things and holiday events. Today's post covers set-up and alignment.

Set-up determines where you swing the club. Alignment determines the direction the ball begins it's flight. Clubface alignment determines the shape of the ball flight. Having the correct grip for you takes care of clubface alignment. Let's take care of set-up.

Set-up is putting the body in position to swing the club the most efficient way. Set-up is made up of balance, posture, and ball position. Begin with your hands on the club, standing straight and tall, arms extended with the club level to the ground and the club shaft point at your belt buckle. Your spine should be straight from your tail bone to the base of your skull. This posture does not change during the set-up. Notice the distance from the end of the grip to your belt buckle. This is a benchmark we will check later. Now look at the crook of your elbows. They need to be level. The back arm should not be higher than the forward arm. If you look at yourself in the mirror, your shoulders are tilted with the back shoulder lower than the front shoulder. Make sure the groove in the clubface are vertical.

From this straight and tall beginning, bend forward from the hip joint until the club meets the ground. The club and your spine should be at 90 degrees to each other. Your head should be on top of your spine, not leaning forward. The distance from grip end to belt buckle should be the same. Your knees should be relaxed, not bent or locked. If the ball is not in front of the clubface, move your feet. This foot movement may be toward the target, away from the target, toward the ball or away from the ball. To check your ball position, do the set-up procedure with your eyes closed. This will tell you if you change body position when you bend forward. You have answered two questions. How far from the ball should I be? and where should the ball be in my stance?

A great set-up means nothing if your alignment is off. How is this accomplished? I will reveal the secret to alignment in one sentence. Aim the clubface at the target. So simple yet so difficult. You will be tempted to aim your body at the target. Unfortunately, this will aim the clubface away from the target. The clubface is aimed correctly when the grooves in the club face are perpendicular to the target.

Once you have bent forward and set-up, rotate your head to see where the club is aiming. If the aim is incorrect, move your set-up until the club is aimed at the target. Do not change the characteristics of the set-up.

Once you are set-up double check your clubface alignment. As you are looking at the target, feel free to shuffle your feet, waggle, and get comfortable. Warning, do this only while looking at the target. Which brings me to the one thing I would tell all players; Stare at the target, glance at the ball. When a player is playing well, the target's the thing. When a player is playing bad, the ball's the thing.

Next time: How to begin the swing.

How your club, arms, and hands react when swinging.

Here's the facts:
-The clubhead rotates around the shaft during the swing.
-If the hands and fingers are on the club properly for you, the forearms will rotate during the swing and release the energy stored during the swing at impact.

I spent so much time on the grip in the last post because without the proper grip, the clubhead and the foreams will not rotate during the swing. This rotation is the result of the swinging of the club with the proper grip. It should not be something you intentionally make happen. The instinct grip will make this action difficult if not impossible.

Look at any tour player swing sequence in any golf magazine. When the club is swung back, the toe of the club is pointing up when the club shaft is parallel to the ground. As the club moves forward before impact, the toe of the club is pointing up when the club shaft is parallel to the ground. As the club moves forward after impact, the toe of the club is again pointing up when the club shaft is parallel to the ground.

Look at the club face when the camera faces the player. When the club shaft is parallel to the ground before impact, you can see the club face. After impact when the club shaft if parallel to the ground the club face you see the back of the club. This implies lots of rotation and momentum. Hence the term release to describe it.

In your forearms are two bones which help make our hands the wonders of nature they are. The radius and the ulna bones allow our elbows to point at the ground while our palms can rotate up and look at the sky or rotate down and look at the ground. In medical terms this phenomenon is known as pronation and supination. Hogan talked about this in his writing.

A warning. Even though your grip is correct for you, if your grip pressure is too high, it will interfere with this rotation. Feeling the movement of your club head, hands and arms is something most humans resist. The club doesn't feel as secure and you might lose control. Hence the tension. Please understand this freedom of movement needs to be allowed.

Next time another building block, Set-up and alignment. Until then, thanks.

Putting your hands on the club correctly for you.

This tutorial is the most important part of your learning. If your hands and fingers on not on the club correctly for you, you will not reach your potential.

Facts about your grip:
-Your top hand should be turned away from the target an amount equal to the amount it is turned away from the target when your arms hang to your side. The thumb of your top hand will be on the side of the grip away from the target and the thumb of your bottom hand will be on the side of the grip toward the target.

-The fingers of both hands are on the club, not the palms.

-The palm of the bottom hand should point at the target matching the club face.

-Your grip pressure should be light. How light? Sam Snead used the analogy of holding a small bird. I don't know about you but I've never held a small bird. Use your right hand and place it on your left forearm so you can feel the hair on your arms and the texture of your skin. Now you have an idea of the amount of tension. What part of your hand did you use to feel the hair on your arm and the texture of your skin? If you said fingers, move the top of the class. We feel with our fingers and fingertips not our palms.

Why is getting a correct grip so difficult? I believe it's instinct. I've never seen a beginning golfer with a correct grip. They use what I call an instinct grip. Their hands are turned with the palms facing each other, the grip in their palms, and their thumbs on top of the grip. A great way to hold the club if the object is to pull the club. A lousy way to hold the club if you wish to swing it.

The instinct grip feels secure with little or no movement of the club or hands and arms. When you have the correct grip for you, the club feels less secure and you feel the movement of the club and your hands and arms. This does not mean the hands and fingers move off or around the grip when your swing the club.

Take the time and effort to put your hands and fingers on the club correctly for you. It will pay off handsomely.

Next time: How the club and your hands and arms move when you swing.

Using your dominant hand and eye to improve your game.

At the end of the previous post, I asked two questions; Which hand is dominant? and which eye is dominant? Hopefully you are now aware of the answers.

As this blog goes ahead, you will notice a pattern. I will ask questions designed to make you aware of your own body and mind. These are questions are important for you to begin using your mind and body in the most productive way. You must know yourself before you can improve.

Dominant Hand

Many years ago, Tommy Armour made a lot of money telling his students to "hit the hell out of the ball with the right hand". If you are right hand dominant, I heartily agree. If you are left hand dominant, hit the hell out of the ball with the left hand.

I have heard many students tell me that they use too much of their dominant hand. If your hands and fingers on the grip properly for you, I do not think it possible to use too much dominant hand.

Dominant Eye

I have not heard many teaching professionals talk about a student's dominant eye. You now know yours. From now on, for 99.99% of your shots, your hands and the ball must be closer to the target than your dominant eye. Include putts, chips, and pitches in there too. Those of you whose dominant eye is closest to the target will feel this change dramatically.

Most of you have seen Jack Nicklaus hit a golf ball. You probably noticed before taking the club away he turns his head away from the target. If your dominant eye is closest to the target, you should copy this move. As a young golfer, I tried to copy this move. Unfortunately, I am right eye dominant and the experiment was a total failure.

Use your dominant hand and eye when you play and see a change for the better.

Next time: Getting your hands on the grip properly for you.