At address, the head should be positioned between the feet whether you are hitting a driver or an iron. (Andrew Rice/WorldGolf.com)

Improve your body position, improve your golf swing

By Andrew Rice,
Contributor

So many golfers get their bodies out of position, either before the swing starts or in the backswing, that it makes it virtually impossible for them to get into a proper impact position and compress the golf ball.

Here are four keys to work on to help get that good "squeeze" on the ball:
 
1. At address, the head should be positioned between the feet whether you are hitting a driver or an iron. Too much spine tilt, and you cannot ever get back to the ball.

2. In the backswing, stay centered over the ball while you wind into your right side (as a right hander). The back leg should not move laterally! It can straighten, but there should be no lateral movement in the hips or knee going back.

3. From this coiled position, you are now ready to let the body fire "down" into the hit. As the hips drive forward, the weight shifts well onto the front foot, and the golf club can be delivered to the ball in a descending blow.

4. A great drill to get the sense of the correct body pivot in the backswing is to position your back foot up against a wall, and then place a basketball between your head and the wall. Crossing your arms across your chest pivot into the backswing, absorb the feeling you have in your body. This is where you need to be.

So remember, in order to strike the ball with compression, you must position your body correctly throughout the swing. It starts at address, stays centered from there and drives into impact.

I hope this helps you hit better golf shots.

July 1, 2009

Prior to accepting his current position as Director of Instruction at Berkeley Hall in Bluffton, S.C., Andrew Rice spent six years working for David Leadbetter as a senior instructor at the Junior Golf Academy in Florida. He has coached PGA, LPGA and Champions Tour golfers along with multiple USGA champions. His first book - "It's All About Impact - The Winners of 165 Majors Prove It!" - was published in the fall of 2009.