Setting yourself up correctly over a golf ball is the most important - and often misunderstood - part of the golf swing. Most swing faults can be traced back to a simple mistake made before the club even starts moving. This guide breaks down the four components of a solid setup: your grip, your posture, your alignment, and your ball position. Master these fundamentals, and you’ll build the repeatable foundation you need to hit better, more consistent shots.
Think of your grip as the steering wheel for your golf club, it has an enormous influence on where the clubface points at impact. Get it right, and you're set up for success before you even swing. Get it wrong, and you'll spend your entire swing trying to compensate for an open or a closed clubface. It feels strange at first because holding a golf club isn't quite like holding anything else, but sticking with it is well worth the effort.
First, make sure the clubface is pointing straight at your target. You can use the logo on your grip as a guide or simply ensure the leading edge of the clubface is perfectly vertical.
If you see three or even four knuckles, your grip is likely too “strong” (rotated too far to the right), which often leads to hooks. If you can’t see any knuckles, your grip is likely too “weak” (rotated too far to the left), a common cause of slices.
Now, bring your trail hand to the club, again letting it hang naturally first. Your trail hand palm should face your target.
You have three main options for connecting your hands. I have coached and played with excellent golfers who use all three, so don't get too hung up on this. Just choose what feels most comfortable and secure.
The biggest thing is to feel like your hands are working together as a single unit without excess tension. You want to hold the club with enough pressure to control it, but not so tight that your forearms are rigid. Imagine you're holding a tube of toothpaste and you don't want to squeeze any out.
Your posture is the engine of the golf swing. A good, athletic posture puts you in a balanced position to rotate powerfully and consistently through the ball. Standing up to a golf ball feels strange for a lot of people. You bend at the waist and stick your bottom out, no other sport really asks you to stand quite like this. It can make new players feel self-conscious, but when you see a tour pro, this is exactly what they do. It doesn't look silly - it looks powerful.
Once you’re in this position, you want to feel athletic yet relaxed. Many golfers introduce a lot of tension into their shoulders and arms at address. Take a deep breath and let your arms feel heavy. You’re now in a strong, stable position ready to turn.
Alignment is a common culprit for shots that go offline. Many golfers have a decent swing but start out aimed in the wrong direction and then have to make mid-swing corrections to get the ball back to the target. It's much easier to just aim correctly from the start.
For a middle iron shot, a good rule of thumb is to have your feet set about the same width as your shoulders. This provides a stable base that’s wide enough to keep you balanced, but not so wide that it restricts your ability to turn your hips during the backswing and downswing.
Your weight should feel evenly distributed, 50/50 between your right and left feet. As you move to longer clubs like the driver, you can take a slightly wider stance for more stability to support a bigger swing.
A great way to think about alignment is to picture a set of railroad tracks.
A common fault is aiming the feet correctly but opening the shoulders toward the target. Since the swing follows the path of the shoulders, this often leads to an “over-the-top” move and a slice. Always double-check that your feet, hips, and shoulders are all parallel to each other.
Where you place the ball in your stance changes with every club in your bag. This is because each club is a different length and is designed to strike the ball at a different point in the swing arc. The bottom of your swing arc is roughly in the center of your stance. We want to hit down on the ball with irons and up on the ball with the driver.
Work on these positions one by one. They may feel clinical at first, but with practice, they'll become second nature, allowing you to build a consistent and reliable setup for every shot you face.
Setting yourself up for success is all about building a consistent routine based on these four pillars: a neutral grip, an athletic posture, parallel alignment, and a club-specific ball position. By paying attention to these details before you start your swing, you eliminate guesswork and build a foundation that allows your body to rotate freely and powerfully.
As you work on these fundamentals, getting a second opinion can make a real difference. We designed our app, Caddie AI, to be that on-demand coach in your pocket. Feel something is off with your stance? Not sure how to handle a tough lie on the course? You could get instant feedback and strategic advice to play with more confidence. The goal is to give you clear guidance so you can stop thinking about mechanics and focus on hitting great shots.
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