Golf Setup: 4 Things Every Beginner Ought To Know

Golfers new to the game are so captivated by the swing that they hardly notice and give credit to the setup, which is the most crucial part of a stroke. To become good at golf, you need to master the starting stage of a stroke – the setup. There are a few basics that every golfer should know, let’s learn them.

Grip

We’ll discuss the grip first. Your grip and the finger position change according to the shot being played. But there are a few basics that are common to all the strokes. Hold the club shaft with your left hand. There must be some gap between the index finger and the thumb. Grip the shaft such that the base near the little finger is not outside the shaft. Once your left hand is in position, place the right hand on the grip. You can use either the normal hold or interlocking grip.

Stance and Aiming

The standard stance is positioning the feet shoulder width apart. You would be very familiar with the foot positioning, now slightly turn the right feet so that it points to 1 on a clock face. Now, turn the left feet to face the number 10 on the clock face. When you’re done with the foot position, don’t forget to keep the feet parallel to the target line. Pointing your feet towards the target will take the ball way outside the target line. The toe line and the target line must run parallel, and the club face must point to where the ball needs to go.

Ball Position

Even in case of the ball position, there isn’t a single right spot. The position will change according to the shot you’re about to attempt. For a standard drive, the ball should be placed a little front of the center, so that the clubface comes into contact with the ball during the upward movement (ascending blow). To play other strokes with different clubs the ball must be steadily moved back so that the club catches it on the downward swing.

Knee Flex

The ideal swing path is neither too vertical nor horizontal. It’s somewhere between the two. To get it right, the normal upright position won’t help. Flex the knees just enough to maintain proper balance and free your arms to take a clean swing. Do the following: from an upright position, bend the knee forward, and push your rear end slightly out. Once in position, your arms must hang vertically.