If you ask a dozen different golfers what the single most important first step to a good golf setup is, you might get a dozen different answers - feet shoulder-width apart, bend your knees, stick your bum out. While all of those are part of the process, they aren't the genuine starting point. The real first step, the one that establishes the foundation for consistency and accuracy, is all about the clubface. This guide will show you precisely what that means and how to build a reliable, athletic setup from the ground up, starting with that all-important clubface TKO.
Before you even think about your hands, feet, or posture, you need to know where you want the ball to go. The clubface is your steering wheel, and if it’s not pointed at the target from the very beginning, your body will have to perform strange gymnastics during the swing to correct it. Often, this is the root cause of slices, hooks, and frustrating inconsistency. Getting this right is simple, but it requires discipline.
The entire setup process should be built around one non-negotiable principle: the clubface points at the target. Here’s how to do it correctly every single time.
Once the clubface is aimed perfectly, you can build the rest of your setup around it. You've established your intention for the shot. Everything that follows is simply to support that goal.
With the clubface aimed, it's time to place your hands on the club. Many golfers make the mistake of gripping the club first and then trying to adjust the clubface, which often results in them twisting their hands into an uncomfortable and ineffective position. Instead, let the aimed club dictate your hold.
Your lead hand is the primary controller of the clubface throughout the swing. A neutral and relaxed grip is your best friend here.
A Quick Word of Encouragement: If you're new to this or correcting a long-standing habit, a proper grip will feel weird. It might even feel weak or unnatural. Trust the process. This strangeness is a sign that you're changing, and your hands will adapt with practice.
Your trail hand provides power and support. It should work in partnership with your lead hand, not against it.
Honestly, it doesn’t matter which one you choose. Pick the one that feels most comfortable and secure, allowing your hands to feel like a single, unified unit. Grip pressure is also important, hold it like you would a tube of toothpaste that you don't want to squeeze out - firm enough not to lose control, but light enough to feel the clubhead.
You’ve aimed the clubface and built your grip around it. Now you must form a posture that allows your body to rotate powerfully and in balance.
Standing to a golf ball is not a natural position in life. It's athletic. Think of a shortstop ready for a grounder or a basketball player on defense. They are balanced, engaged, and ready to move.
Most beginners just bend their knees. The correct move is to hinge forward from your hips first, pushing your rear end back as if you were about to sit down in a high chair. This keeps your spine relatively straight, just tilted over the ball. It’s this hip hinge that creates space for your arms to swing freely past your body.
Once you’ve hinged at the hips, your arms should hang straight down naturally from your shoulders. There should be no reaching for the ball and no feeling of being cramped. If your arms hang freely, this indicates your distance from the ball is likely correct.
With an iron, your feet should be about shoulder-width apart. This provides a stable base that’s wide enough to maintain balance but "mobile enough to allow for a full hip turn. Too narrow, and you'll struggle with balance, too wide, and you'll restrict your rotation. Your weight should be balanced 50/50 between your feet and centered over the balls of your feet, not on your heels or toes.
The last piece is where the ball should be in relation to your feet. An incorrect ball position can ruin a perfect setup. A good rule of thumb is to have the ball position move progressively forward in your stance as the club gets longer.
By understanding this progression, you can create a consistent setup routine for every club in your bag.
The first step to a proper golf setup is establishing your target line by aiming the clubface squarely at your target before anything else. From that single point of reference, you can then build a consistent, repeatable grip, a balanced athletic posture, and the correct ball position. Master this sequence, and you'll build the foundation for a much more reliable and powerful golf swing.
As you work on ingraining these setup fundamentals, questions will inevitably pop up on the course. You might feel confident at the range but freeze over a tough lie in the rough. With our tool, Caddie AI, we wanted to give you that 24/7 on-demand support. You can get instant advice on the course for tricky lies just by snapping a photo, ask any question you can think of off the course, and receive simple strategies for every hole. The goal is to remove the uncertainty, so you can focus on building a repeatable, confident setup every single time.
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