I walk down the range at the Buick Classic every year, and I don’t see a Tour pro who doesn’t have a wonderful opportunity, based on his setup, to hit a good shot. I walk down the practice tee with my members and I see hardly anyone with a possibility at a good shot. Yet the first thing that most amateurs do when they come out in the spring after a long winter is grab that driver and whack it. Instead, your spring – and your swing – always should start with attention to grip, stance, posture, ball position, aim and alignment. If it does not start there, you really don’t understand the golf swing. A good setup predicates good golf shots.

Most higher-handicap players have too much knee flex, bend too much from the hips and stand too far from the ball. You need only enough flex to unlock your knees (1). Your buttocks go out, your chest comes slightly forward and your arms hang down from your shoulders. Your chin is up so your head is in line with your spine. Your weight should be evenly balanced on the center of your feet, neither toward the heels or the toes. About 60 percent of your weight is on your right or back foot, by virtue of the fact that your right hand is lower than the left on the club, which tilts your weight toward the right side (just the opposite for lefthanders, of course).

You should feel as if you’re in an athletic position, a springlike effect in your legs, ready to move either way, like a football quarterback (2) under the center, a baseball shortstop getting ready to field a ground ball or a tennis player waiting to receive a serve.

Work on this over the winter with a mirror and the T-Tech aid. Walk in and walk out of your setup position so it becomes ingrained and you eliminate the guessing game, creating a routine that will enable you to set up to the ball correctly when spring finally comes.

Next up: Cure Those Short-Game Woes!

by Tom Patri with Fry Dennis