Improving your golf game starts with improving your golf posture. Without good golf posture, you’ll hit inconsistent shots, you’ll lose power, and you can even cause long-term harm to your lower back. Don’t worry, though. Below we take a look at five essential steps to improve your golf game, and they all have one thing in common – best golf posture!
Set Your Balance & Starting Golf Posture
The first and one of the most important aspects of improving your golf posture, and therefore your game, is to perfect your starting posture. Remember, you have complete control over how your body is placed relative to the ball and your club, and a lousy starting posture will make it that much harder to hit the ball correctly. So, what does a good starting posture look like? Firstly, be sure you’re not too hunched over or too straight. The latter will cause you to lose balance and power, and being too hunched over will create excess stress on your back and reduce movement. Other things to keep in mind include keeping your arms relaxed and a slight bend in your knees, pointing both feet out at a slight angle, and ensuring your weight is centred. Knowing what good posture looks like is good, but how to translate that into your stance is where step one comes in. Find a full-length mirror where you can see yourself head to toe, and if possible, place it in an area with enough space to swing a club. Next, grab a club, preferably an iron or wood, and practice your stance in front of the mirror. Make slight adjustments to your spine angle, feet width, and knee bend while looking in the mirror until you find a comfortable and athletic position. 
Then, release from your stance and take a few steps around. Return to your newly practiced golf stance and without looking in the mirror, see if you’ve returned to the same position. If not, correct your stance and repeat the process. It’ll take time for your muscle memory to kick in, so continue this process until you find you naturally slip into your ideal golf stance.
Perfect Your Pivot and Golf Swing Sequence
Once you’re confident with your golf stance, the next step is to perfect your pivot. While it’s easy to assume your power comes from how fast you can swing a club, in truth, your pivot is the driving force behind powerful and accurate shots. To perfect your pivot, break it down between your backswing, downswing and follow-through. Practice each part of your golf swing separately, then together.
Golf Backswing
Begin your backswing by rotating your shoulders. If you’re right-handed, your left shoulder will drop towards the ball, and your right shoulder will rotate backward. Keep your arms relaxed, and as you shift your weight from your centre to the inside of your right foot and heel, you’ll notice your elbows naturally bend, and hips rotate.
Downswing
The focus here is on transferring your weight forward while untwisting your spine. Begin by rotating your hips back towards their starting position. Your weight will shift onto your front foot, and your arms, elbows and shoulders will follow suit, hitting the ball in nearly the same position you started in.
Follow-through
Your pivot doesn’t end when you’ve hit the ball. Continue to twist your hips through their starting position and your upper body. Your weight should be on your left leg with your chest pointed toward your target.
Strengthen Your Core and Lower Back to Ensure Your Best Golf Posture
Now that you have your stance and pivot down, to continue to improve your game, the next step is to strengthen your core and lower back and improve flexibility. While you don’t need to be incredibly fit or have a six-pack to be a good golfer, having a strong midsection and being able to rotate smoothly plays a big part in both hittings accurately and safely. Below we’ve listed a few exercises to strengthen your core, lower back, and increase flexibility in your hips, shoulders, and back. For instructions, click on the link provided.
- Cat & Cow: Great for stretching out your lower back, strengthening your core and creating hip mobility.
- Pushups: Either a full push up or knees push up works to strengthen your chest, shoulders, and core allowing you more control during your swing.
- Bird Dogs: Perfect for strengthening your back, thighs, and glute muscles.
- Seated Twist: Strengthen your core and improve mobility.
You can find more top exercises to improve your golf posture & fitness here. It’s also key to remember not to overdo it. Spend ten minutes a day, three times a week performing these exercises to see the best results.
Video and Evaluate Your Golf Swing Plane
Completing steps one through three will undoubtedly improve your game, but don’t stop here. The next step is to check your progress. Every few weeks or so, depending on how often you golf, take time to video yourself while golfing. Then, watch the video back in slow motion and watch if your rotation is smooth, if your clubhead is hitting the ball in the correct location, and if your golf posture is spot on. To take your training a step further, sign up for a golf posture course at bestgolfposture.com. You’ll be given a range of tools to optimize your golf swing mechanics, identify and correct posture issues and learn even more exercises to increase your golf fitness. You’ll continuously do this step, so it’s a great idea to start a golf posture journal. Here you can record what you’re noticing in your golf posture, how your body feels, what’s been improving and what still needs to improve. It’s a great tool to look back on when your game goes astray and will give you confidence your hard work is paying off.
Practice Maintaining Posture in Golf Swing
Last but not least, practice! Your golf game is ever-evolving, and running through these steps one time won’t have a lasting effect. Instead, continuously repeat these steps and make them a regular habit in your life. Not every round of golf will be a new personal record. Still, by having good golf posture at the top of your mind, you’ll find more consistency and accuracy in your game and ensure you’re setting yourself for years of pain-free and rewarding rounds of golf.
