How to SETUP before you SWING | Legend Tom Watson
In this golf lesson, Tom Watson teaches us the proper setup for a golf shot regarding: posture, aim, alignment, and ball position. Tom Watson explains and demonstrates two methods of aiming (Jack Nicklaus' method and the goal post method) and teaches us two methods on ball positioning. Click the YouTube playlist link below to watch all of Tom Watsons legendary lessons:
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Let's talk about the setup. The setup I like to say is that you're in the guarding position in basketball. If you're in this position right here, like this you can move. I can move this way, I can move this way, I can move back, I can move forward. if you have your feet too wide you can’t move quickly enough. if they're too narrow you move you fall over. if your legs are too straight then you can't move at all. We see all those types of stances in golf too wide, too narrow legs too straight. This is how I like to teach the setup. I start from the ground up, the feet are shoulder width apart, your toes should be slightly open, I think the left toes should be a little bit more open and, the right knee is kicked in like this not out or even straight up like this is kicked in just a little bit like that to help you brace on the inside of your right foot then you have to stick your rear end out. Now let's talk about the back I see too many people do this they're rear end is tucked in and your shoulders are slump like this need to stick the rear end out and upper back has to be straight and not slumped over this way, make sure the upper back is straight your rear and stuck out your knees are flexed and you're on the balls of your feet, not the heels, and not the front of the front of your foot to toes, but on the balls of your feet right there and you also want to continue with your neck you don't want your neck to be bent over this way like this too much because that restriction your backswing. what you want is your neck to be an extension of your spine and keep your chin up like this cannot can't be down like this must be up like this. Now how far do we stand away from the ball? That's the question that most people ask me. I don't know how far to stand away from the bowl we see people out there swinging their arms out here like this, you don't do that. how you doing it is very simple. you take the position I just taught and you lie your arms and let them swing freely and come together. where they come together like this is where you grip the golf club then you move into the ball like that and that is your setup position let's talk about aim and alignment we're talking about aim we're talking about where we're at the ball to start off or body his position to that aim line now this one right here is positioned directly at the hole in this is the parallel line right here which is parallel to that one and this one right here is where I align my knees my hips and my shoulders all parallel to that one in relationship to the ball I set up in here like this and make it swing and hit a shot.problem is that there's no such thing as a straight shot or very rarely a straight shot it's like a putt putt has some sort of break to it and most shots have some sort of curve to them left or right right left could be your natural draw or fade but how about the wind so you're going to have to start your own line not at your target but away from your target to allow for the bend or the break of the ball in the air so I have a natural hook in my swing I have to change my alignment to allow for the start of the ball to go to the right of the Target and then curve back to the Target so I take my stance from the parallel online to slightly to the right like this and I swing to the right of the target and the bald naturally turns right into the hole now Jack Nicklaus who hits the fade he does the opposite instead of him being right on the targetInstead of him being right on the target like this he opens up his body a little bit like this he starts the ball left to the Target and he hits a fade into the hole this is the best way in my opinion to align yourself up to hit your best possible shot Jack necklace he looks at that spot as he's walking up he keeps looking at the spot and he sets his Club head down and aims his Club head first at that spot it looks up at the Target as he's taking his stance he looks as a spot looks at the Target looks at the spot looks at the Target. Here's another method for Aiming I figure out a goal post out there but I am looking down at the Target I see a right limit and a left limit and if I have a slight draw I'll favor to the center to the right center the left so I'll have a zone to hit the ball into rather than a precise Point sometimes it makes it easier to hit onto a green or Fairway