Titleist Tips: Three Setup Details for a Better Golf Swing

In this video, Titleist staff instructor John Kostis shows the relationship in golf between toe position, ball position and aim. To hit shots solidly and on-target, these details all have to fit together, which can be difficult. To build a solid setup, follow John’s three keys: ° Practice your setup using a frame of reference, namely alignment sticks. Place one stick on the ground, just outside of your golf ball and parallel to your target line. Align a second alignment stick perpendicular the first and just behind the golf ball. These guides will help you to aim the clubface properly and orient your body squarely to the target. ° Your center of rotation, the hub around which the club swings, is your sternum. When you position the ball don’t use your feet as a guide, position the ball underneath and just slightly ahead of your sternum (the exception is your driver, which requires a slight adjustment because the ball is teed up and you want to catch the ball on the upswing). This will ensure that you make clean, consistent contact with the golf ball first and then the ground. ° Establish your ball position with your feet together and then widen your stance by spreading your feet out evenly. Make sure that your feet are flared out the same amount, relative to the second alignment stick. If your feet are flared out too closed or too open, it can inhibit your body turn and it can also throw off your visual perception, potentially causing you to move the ball position back or forward of your sternum. Get these three fundamental details right and you’ll have a better golf swing without even trying.