Kelley Brooke shares common setup pitfalls that can derail your swing.
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If you are having problems with your swing, chances are, you can trace the problem to your setup.
Your setup sets the foundation for everything that follows, and if you have flaws in your grip, stance or posture, you’re likely to make uninformed changes to your swing.
How can you be sure your setup is sound? Teaching professional Kelley Brooke revealed five common setup mistakes to avoid in a video posted on the LPGA Professionals YouTube page.
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“Setting is the foundation of everything,” Brooke said. “It’s like a house: If your foundation of your house cracks, everything will fall on top of it.”
Below, Brooke shares five common setup mistakes that can lead to bad moves.
1. Spine angle
Don’t let your back round too much at address, says Brooke.
“If the vertebrae in your back are round, how on earth do you make a good turn?” Brooke says. “You can’t. We need the vertebrae to line up in a straight line to be able to turn properly.”
A too-rounded spine can lead to swinging out or across the ball, creating weak feet, slices and snap-hooks. Brooke suggests tilting your hips to about 35 degrees and bending your knees in a running position.
“Now my spine is in a position where I can turn easily and turn properly,” he said.
2. Head position
Well-intentioned advice to “keep your head down” by using influence is often counterproductive, says Brooke. When your head is down, the spine turns again.
“It doesn’t allow you to turn properly,” Brooke said. “We want your spine to start [at the neck] and keep on your tail. So even if your spine is flat, I don’t want you to sink your head down because now you won’t be able to rotate on your back foot easily.”
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3. Holding pressure
Don’t try to squeeze life into the club, says Brooke. On a scale of 1-10, he suggests keeping the grip pressure below a 5.
“We have to be able to free that group,” said Brooke. If your grip is tight, your muscles will be tight and you won’t be able to let go.
4. Distance from the ball
If you stretch to reach the ball, you can inadvertently create a rounded spine, says Brooke. As we learned above, that does not lead to anything good.
5. Weight distribution
Standing too far from the ball can also lead to more of your body weight being concentrated on your toes. Your weight shouldn’t be evenly distributed on both feet, says Brooke, but also from your heel to toe on each foot.
“If you’re too far away, you’ll have to lean on your toes,” he says. “You’ll be off balance before you start.”
Ideally, Brooke says you should stand close enough to the ball to let your back hand hang and can grip the club comfortably.
Try Brooke’s tips to limit mishits and give your swing the best possible foundation, and check out the video above to watch a full setup tutorial from Kelley Brooke.
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