Top players don’t have the same swings as each other, so there can’t be one correct way of getting the job done. If we look for common patterns, however, there are certainly some to be found.

Over the next few articles, I’ll cover some basics from the address position and certain movements within the swings of great players.

This week, we start with posture. Attaining a balanced and athletic start position and maintaining athleticism throughout the swing is important. The idea is to hit the ball far and straight enough to have a chance of scoring well.

We go from 0mph at address to speeds up to and in excess of 100mph with a driver in a short period of time. That’s pretty explosive. How can you do that from a non-athletic start position?

Picture 1 shows an example of a posture common to many golfers who walk through the doors of the golf academy. The back is rounded, the legs are too straight and the arms are stretched away from the body. You need to have a straighter back (no convex or concave). Some players won’t achieve a really flat look due to years of poor posture in general. Sat behind the wheel of a car, a desk, slouched on the couch etc for extended periods of time doesn’t help. The body weight needs to be in the middle of the feet (not heels or toes) and the knees need to be flexed enough to support the body and create some force into the ground during the swing, which helps generate power, and there needs to be enough freedom for the arms to hang down.

Picture 2 shows a correct version of posture. As a reference point, you can see the line from the back of the arm pits vertically down through the knee caps and the balls of the feet. The arms too, are hanging under the shoulders, rather than outstretched. If this feels uncomfortable, it doesn’t make it wrong. It’s just different. It takes time for it to feel familiar, then eventually comfortable and recognisable as correct. Just keep posing with a mirror or a reflection in a window to make sure you’re on the right lines