Importance of spine angle

All elite golf professionals are able to maintain their posture and spine angle at the top of their backswing and at impact through the ball. Amateurs hit a lot of fat or thin golf shots because they lose their spine angle during the golf swing.

Maintaining your golf posture and spine angle at the top of your backswing and at impact is a critical factor in hitting solid golf shots on the center of the clubface every time. If you want to maintain your spine angle and posture you must have a good setup position, good swing fundamentals, and an excellent range of motion.

Here are four things you must do in order to maintain your spine angle:

• An X factor of around 45 degrees. X factor is the differential between your shoulder turn and your hip turn. For example, a 90-degree shoulder turn and a 45-degree hip turn would create an X factor of 45.
• Keep your left heel on the ground at the top of your backswing.
• Maintain the flex in your right knee at the top of your backswing for a right-handed golfer.
• Avoid vertical or downward movement of the head during the swing until well after impact.

These four things to maintain your spine angle all require an excellent range of motion. During the winter months in the Midwest, we at times do not swing a golf club for three or four months. During this time we lose a great deal of flexibility year after year. The winter is a great time to work on some golf specific stretching exercises that will help you maintain your posture and spine angle come springtime.

A golf specific trainer can help you maintain your range of motion so you can hit solid golf shots. A golfer who tries to turn his or her shoulders 90 degrees with limited hip and core rotational flexibility will lose the flex in his right knee and will raise his head upwards to complete his backswing. Doing this results in a loss of spine angle and will lead to fat or thin golf shots.

Backswing drill to help increase your range of motion and help maintain your spine angle:

• You will need a three-pound dumb bell or a light medicine ball.
• The first set is to take your golf posture with you backside slightly touching a wall.
• Next, in your golf setup, swing back mimicking two-thirds of your backswing, still staying connected to the wall, try to touch the wall with the back of your right hand. (Hold for five seconds)
• Right knee should stay flexed and your right arm should not bend.
• Now do this same drill facing the wall with your forehead slightly touching the wall. As you mimic two-thirds of the backswing the head may slide back up to two inches it should not pull away or move up the wall.

These steps will increase your range of motion and help you maintain your spine angle to insure solid golf shots.

Along with his duties as a PGA Professional at Omaha Country Club, James Kinney is also an associate instructor at Sieckmann Golf Labs, an indoor state of the art golf and golf fitness facitity. Sieckmann uses biomechanic, video anaylsis and other state of the art teaching equipment to teach golf. Three trainers are on staff that work on golf specific exercises. For more information, visit www.sieckmanngolflabs.com.