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The Golf Stance Part 4

For men there is another and surer check point for their golf stance.

At address the hips should be so positioned, parallel to the direction line, that as the player looks down, the fly of his trousers is to the right of the club shaft by two inches.

If his hips are "open," the fly and the club will be in the same line, or the fly even a little to the left.

Women wearing shorts or slacks can make the same check on the center seam.

Women in skirts are out of luck on this one unless there is a pleat or some other decorative line directly down the front of the skirt.

The "open body" stance, a common fault, with the body slouched and turned a little too easily toward the target.

Note that the shaft of the club points to the right of the player's trousers fly.

The correct position, with the body square to the projected line of flight and the club pointing to the left of the player's trousers fly.

Note, too, how the squaring of hips and shoulders changes the position of the hands and club.

One more point about the hips. Don't let them stick out to the rear.

You are not a circus clown waiting to be whacked with a board. Tall people with long backs, especially sway-backs, are liable to do this.

We want the derriere directly under the trunk, pushed forward a little, if anything.

The squaring around of the hips and shoulders is more difficult if the foot stance is open.

It is easier when the foot stance is square, easiest of all when the stance is closed.

That is why, as a matter of fact, it is easier to hook a ball from a closed stance than from an open one.

The club is coming farther from the inside because the body is square to the ball, or facing a shade to the right.

We have had pupils with pretty good swings who found it almost impossible to take a straight divot, for instance.

They persisted in swinging from the outside. Once they were shown the little trick of squaring their hips and shoulders, the straight divot, and even the inside-out divot, came easily.

So be certain you are not deliberately handicapping yourself before you start by "opening" your body to the ball.

The misalignment is slight but the effect is great.