How to set up with different length clubs

[KOC]

I am a bit confused regarding posture- the forward angle bent from the hip.

Every time I reviewed Ben Doyle and Brain’s videos, I noticed the butt end points to the belt line forming an incline plane pretty much the same as the lie angle of the club at setup. The forward angle used to be a very big angle to me as I was used to stand very upright. Yet, I copied it right and hit more solid iron shot.

Now, the question is how about setting up with longer clubs to Driver? It seems golfers’ setup more upright for Driver. How about the effect of standard lie angle for a short golfer? I am 5’6, any general guidelines?

Happy New Golfing Year.

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

KOC...

Stand straight up with your knees LOCKED. Now hold any club directly out in front of your belly button about a little more than a fist length away.Now the club should be 90* to your body.

Now here comes the trick...WITHOUT LOWERING YOUR ARMS do the following:

1) Bend from the hips until club touches ground
2) raise the hands just slightly
3) relax your knees

If you follow this procedure each time with every club and don't cheat by lowering your arms you will have enough waist bend for each club. Because each club differs in length you will end up with varying amounts of waist bend.

Personally i subscribe to brian's idea of a fist with the thumb and picky extended for hand distance from the ball but your mileage may vary. Experiment until you find something comfortable.

I will tell you this though, this is probably MUCH MORE bent over than you are used and you will probably think it's way wrong. But i promise you if you setup this way and aim your hands in front of that ball and hit down on it like you know you can, KABOOM!

 

[Ringer]

KOC...

Stand straight up with your knees LOCKED. Now hold any club directly out in front of your belly button about a little more than a fist length away.Now the club should be 90* to your body.

Now here comes the trick...WITHOUT LOWERING YOUR ARMS do the following:

1) Bend from the hips until club touches ground
2) raise the hands just slightly
3) relax your knees

If you follow this procedure each time with every club and don't cheat by lowering your arms you will have enough waist bend for each club. Because each club differs in length you will end up with varying amounts of waist bend.

Personally i subscribe to brian's idea of a fist with the thumb and picky extended for hand distance from the ball but your mileage may vary. Experiment until you find something comfortable.

I will tell you this though, this is probably MUCH MORE bent over than you are used and you will probably think it's way wrong. But i promise you if you setup this way and aim your hands in front of that ball and hit down on it like you know you can, KABOOM!

I like this and would only add.. "stick your butt out and stick your gutt out." This will help to ensure that the bend is from the hips and not hunching of the spine.

 

[puttmad]

..

Now hold any club directly out in front of your belly button about a little more than a fist length away.Now the club should be 90* to your body.

Jim, does that mean that for your setup, the clubshaft is always pointing at the center of the body, rather than towards the left hip...

Doesn't that increase the natural loft of the club?
Also, doesn't that effectively make the hands too far behind the ball for the longer irons and woods?

 

[Brian Manzella]

...does that mean that for your setup, the clubshaft is always pointing at the center of the body, rather than towards the left hip??

Yes.

It is called MID BODY HANDS and was Homer Kelley's--and today's PGA TOUR player's--preffred address hand positioning.

It woks SOOOOOooooo much better for most people, than the TERRIBLE LOOKING forward hand position it is silly.

But, if it works for you, push 'em way up there.

As far as why MID BODY is better, here is a short list of reasons:

1. Right Forearm and Clubshaft are more in-line making taking the club back on plane much easier.

2. The Golfer sees more of a 90 degree angle of the shaft and the target line, making set-up and AIM easier.

3. Hands are where they should always be---mid body--at impact, the body is WAY FORWARD and AROUND and THAT takes the hands up there 'with 'em' for proper impact alignments. At address the hands should be mid-body as well.

4. Ben Doyle says golf is mainly "Stressing the shaft and walloping the ball." Stress the shaft is easier from Mid-Body address because the change of direction is usually more pronounced.




Doesn't that increase the natural loft of the club?
Also, doesn't that effectively make the hands too far behind the ball for the longer irons and woods

 

[Spike]

"Doesn't that increase the natural loft of the club?"

No. You can only increase the loft if the shaft is behind mid body, the left wrist is bent too much or turned.

"Also, doesn't that effectively make the hands too far behind the ball for the longer irons and woods"

No. The design of the club along with the address tilt takes care of ball postion.

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

I rest my case:

 

[KOC]

Thanks all expert! I tried yesterday night for short and long clubs, distance from ball was by on mean wrong in such a way setting up.

 

[puttmad]

....

I rest my case:

But that shows exactly what I was saying.
The hands are behind the ball and the club is lofted at address.

So you guys say this position is easier to recover to a good impact position than setting up with your hands further towards the real impact position?

Tiger doesn't seem to recover it as consistently these days though, or does he address the ball differently now with his "new" swing?....

 

[GolfVn]

I think it helps in taking the club back on plane, a good back swing is the first step towards good impact you think?
Now with impact fix hands, what about your body? Is it in impact position as well or not?

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

But that shows exactly what I was saying.
The hands are behind the ball and the club is lofted at address.

So you guys say this position is easier to recover to a good impact position than setting up with your hands further towards the real impact position?

Tiger doesn't seem to recover it as consistently these days though, or does he address the ball differently now with his "new" swing?....

Very few players play with a non mid-body hand position. Almost all of them do, now SOME will start then and do a small foward lean (not to real impact though) to start their swing. However only some players do.

But it is much easier to stay on plane throughout the swing with mid-body hands. The further foward your hands are the more inside the club will want to go, so the only way to counter act that is to do a very deliberate "pick-up" of the club to make sure it stays on plane.