Do you have the right golfing posture? Maybe. But how often do you check to see if you have been standing correctly?

Most weekend golfers I have come across ignore the significance of a good posture. This leads to a sloppy stance, which becomes a major hurdle to improvement and results in their performance spiralling downwards until they eventually require some serious repair work.

In every sport, sound basics are a must before beginners can make steady progress. In golf, once new players graduate from the practice range to the golf course they get too focused on scoring and pay little attention to the basics. Gradually they lose those much-needed fundamentals.

A proper posture is the key to producing a good swing plane, along with a fluid body turn, power and most of all, balance. Creating sound swing speed without a proper posture is a distant dream. Similarly, your swing will never travel the right path if you do not stand correctly.

How to build good posture?
Step 1: Stand upright. Hold a club across your body, along the tops of your legs, with your palms facing your legs.
Step 2: Push inwards gently with your arm. You will feel the club shaft push your hips out behind you. As you feel this, bend your chest forward to counterbalance. Hold your chin up off your chest. As your rear moves out, add a gentle flex to your knees.
Step 3: Maintain your body in this new position. Take a club, form your grip and drop your arms in front of you until the club head rests on the ground. Let the club fall naturally, do not bend further to help the club down. You're in the right position if your hands are positioned below your chin. Your weight should be on the balls of your feet.

Developing your posture this way might seem too technical but it is in fact a very natural sporting position. If you play tennis, you'll almost certainly come to it naturally when waiting to receive a serve-back straight and at an angle, knees flexed, weight on the balls of your feet. If you at all struggle with the club shaft routine explained above, try imagining that you are waiting for a tennis serve.

Building a correct posture is vital if your goal is to constantly improve your game therefore when you visit the practice range from now on, follow the above drill and repeat it after every five balls. You will find yourself turning better, hitting stronger and more balanced on the follow through. And your swing will start to look great in those first photos from the tee!!

Deepak Acharya is a golf instructor and Golf Director at Gokarna Forest Golf Resort & Spa, Kathmandu. [email protected]