Source: Golfmonthly.com
If you are part of the die-hard golfers club, then you’ve had your fair share on the field, and you’ve also probably heard of spine angle.
Our spine is our body’s CENTRAL SUPPORT SYSTEM. It means that our spine functions to allow us to sit, stand, walk, twist, and bend.
And in golf, twisting is very important because it allows YOU to hit balls from a certain angle. All this happens in one entire swing, so you have to fix your spine angle position and posture to ace the game!
What is Spine Angle in Golf Swing
As the word itself suggests, spine angle is the position and posture of your spine DURING and AFTER the address position. It is something that amateur golfers struggle with within their golf swing position.
The spine angle is the angle that your spine creates with the ground.
Here’s what YOU should do to get an accurate picture of what a spine angle looks like.
Observe your fellow golfers on the field and take a look at their body and spine during the backswing and when they make contact with the golf ball during the downswing until they have completed a full swing.
And from the down the line position, take a picture; from there, you can picture or draw a line down their back and on the ground. That would then form a “V,” the original spine angle.
How to Maintain Your Spine Angle
We’ve provided you with a step-by-step guide to properly MAINTAIN your spine angle.
Step 1: Take a Shoulder Width Stance and Grip Your Golf Club
The first step is to maintain spine angle is to work your lower body and upper body. For the lower body, flex your knees and for the upper body, bend forward at your hips while pushing back your rear end.
Avoid rounding up your shoulders when your posture since you want to ensure that your back is tension-free and flat.
Lean your body forward at your hips and hold your arms straight out. Then feel your left arm and hand move toward your right foot and move in the opposite direction.
Next, you want to equally distribute and focus your body weight on both the BALLS of each of your feet — not the toe muscles or heels but the balls of your feet.
Step 2: Do a Backswing
During the beginning of your golf swing, you are going to want to SWING THE GOLF CLUB BACK (backswing) with your arms going first and then your shoulders until you feel your hips rotate.
If you golf swing using your right hand, you should rotate your left shoulder below your chin when swinging the club back.
You also want to maintain flexing both your knees as you swing the club back as you do this. Maintaining this will ensure that your spine angle doesn’t get compromised.
You can STOP your backswing when your left shoulder and left arm is directly UNDER YOUR CHIN. You should also “feel” the push from your hands away from your chest to keep your left arm extended.
Again, keep maintaining the knee flex and distribute your weight EQUALLY on your left and right foot.
Step 3: Turn Your Hips Facing the Target for the Downswing
This step is when you begin your other golf swing, the DOWNSWING, without ruining your spine angle.
In this third step, you want to properly do the downswing by rotating your right shoulder swings under your chin.
Grip the club using the fingers of your left hand; the tighter, the better. You should see two or three knuckles of your left-hand grip.
It would also help keep your chest pointed down toward the ground. After such, you will notice that your left arm and left shoulder will become straight.
Equally, your left foot will become straight as well as you begin to swing for impact.
Step 4: Turn Hips and Shoulders to Face the Target Point
In this final golf swing or the “finish position,” you want your upper body to face the target point.
Your right shoulder must be TILTED SLIGHTLY LOWER than the left during your finish.
If you have properly followed all these steps, you can then SUCCESSFULLY maintain your spine angle during the whole duration of the play.
Drills to Help You Maintain Spine Angle Golf
Here are 4 practice drills you can do to focus and maintain the posture of your spine angle.
#1 The Head Against The Wall Drill
Source: golfdistillery.com
Issues such as fat shots occur when dipping or swaying your head.
The remedy to this is to practice your head position by doing “the head against the wall drill” this will help you monitor and stabilize your head.
A sign that you need this wall exercise:
- Put your head against a wall if you like to move your head sideways or in an up and down motion.
How to Execute the Exercise:
- Cross your arms across your chest
- Practice turning your shoulders back and forth without moving your head.
#2 Butt Against an Item Drill
Source: golf.com
In summary, this drill cures sucking the club too inside, trying to make the inside-to-out swing path that golfers believe will cure the outside-to-in path that causes slices.
This drill is ONLY FOR a downswing and not for a full golf swing. You’ll end up hurting your right arm or left arm in the process of doing so.
How to Execute the Exercise:
In a standing position, back your butt up against the wall, lean forward, then get into a good standing address position and the swing.
It would help if you tried maintaining this during the whole duration of the exercise to achieve a better spine angle.
#3 Wedge Under the Foot Drill
Golfers can relate to a shared experience when they release such a beautiful golf swing — expecting to launch a solid ball-striking only to see that they hit the ground first.
The ball doesn’t even make it straight to the front bunker (yikes). The swing of your club completely missed hitting the ball or had any contact with the ball because of the DREADED SWAY.
How to Execute the Exercise:
First, you take up your set up to the ball, then wedge the wedge of your club under your lead heel.
#4 The Picket Fence Drill
Another exercise to maintain spine angle is the picket fence exercise.
This drill is used to FIGHT early extension in the swing.
To overcome early extension in the swing is through an alignment stick. Vertically place the alignment stick in the ground. After that, check if the rear end is touching the stick.
Furthermore, when doing these drills, you have to imagine a scenario or play you want to execute to help get your head in the game.
How to Execute the Exercise:
Set up a golf ball and imagine a picket fence in front of your lower body. Then allow your arms to fall on the opposite side of the fence. Practice swings and keep your chest down.
Avoid moving forward with your lower body, and don’t hit the fence’s location during the downswing.
Maintain Your Spine Angle: The Importance
Here are the factors on why maintaining your spine angle is ESSENTIAL!
#1 Generate Lead Power Without Inconsistencies
Maintaining your spine angle during golf allows you to swing within a CENTRALIZED POINT (from the address down to the follow-through)
You’ll be able to create and maintain more power if you follow through with the same angle throughout the swing.
#2 Improved Impact
You will IMPROVE your swing and ball impact if you maintain your spine angle.
Why?
Because a proper spine angle from the address position until the finish means that you could create and execute your golf swing properly.
You’ll feel much more comfortable hitting a ball!
Final Thoughts
The tip that you should always keep in mind is the art of SEPARATING your upper body and lower body.
The loss of posture in both the upper body and lower can negatively affect the entire swing sequence, such as timing, balance, rhythm, and spine angle.
Failure in maintaining spine angle in golf STILL leads to inconsistent shot and contact-making.
It doesn’t mean that you have to stop mid-way in every swing that you do. It would help if you got the hang of maintaining your spine angle through constant drill practice.
We hope our tips and tricks helped you maintain your spine angle in golfing! Here’s to better golfing performances!
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