By Ken Martin, PGA, Director of Instruction

The article regarding lead shoulder position spawned a number of queries regarding the proper distance to stand from the golf ball to optimize the single plane swing. While this is a common topic of discussion, its importance is worth revisiting as this weeks focus.

The primary purpose of the single plane setup is to position your arms at address in the relative extension they will reach during your swing through impact. This position is simple to attain with the following steps:

With your Natural Hold on the club, raise your arms to hold the club parallel to the ground as pictured below.

Be sure your lead arm is fully extended and slightly higher than your trail arm as in the pictures above. This is a subtle but important alignment to attain as it is the precursor to establishing this natural alignment through impact.

Next, lower your arms until you feel the underside of your upper lead arm rest on top of your chest. As you can see in the pictures below, this will position your lead shoulder slightly in front of your chest as was described in the last article.

From here, you can bend at your hips to lower the club to the ground, flex your knees and widen your stance to hip width.

Notice how the lead shoulder is still visible from this downline view. With your upper arms on top of and in front of your chest, you will have established the proper distance to the ball. You can use these guidelines for every club in your bag when preparing for a full shot.

The pictures in this article are stills taken from the Quick Start Video available for free viewing. Watch this video for further clarity relative to your setup and other details to refining your single plane swing.

Keep it simple!

Ken 

Ken Martin was certified in February 1995 and is a PGA member.  Ken teaches in West Palm Beach, Florida. Ken's personal motto on the golf course is: "Experience and Enjoy".  Send comments to kmartin@naturalgolf.com