In order to understand the proper golf setup posture and how to properly stick your butt out at address, let’s begin by discussing one of the most common improper golf setup postures – S-POSTURE.
What is S-Posture?
S-Posture is an improper golf setup posture characterized by excessive arching or curvature in a player’s lower back at address. S-Posture can be due to a player’s misunderstanding of how to stick their butt out. It can also be a misconception that the further their butt is sticking out the more ‘athletic’ position they are in. S-Posture may also be due to a physical dysfunction caused by a series of muscle imbalances called a Lower Crossed Syndrome. This is characterized by tight hip flexors and a tight lower back paired with weak abdominals and weak gluteal muscles. Oftentimes, people who sit for prolonged periods of time throughout their day are very susceptible to developing Lower Crossed Syndrome which they take to the golf course and shows up in their golf setup posture.
Why S-Posture is a problem.
This improper golf setup posture puts abnormally high stress on the muscles in the lower back and is the number 3 most common cause of low back pain among golfers.
S-posture also inhibits or deactivates the core muscles from properly engaging due to being in an over-lengthened state at setup. With a potentially inhibited core at a player’s golf setup posture, the ability to maintain correct golf posture and a proper spine angle throughout the backswing becomes very challenging. If a player’s golf posture is lost during the backswing, the lower body will be out of position on the downswing leading to improper timing and sequencing of motion. Improper timing and sequencing of the lower body can then lead to inconsistent ball striking.
How to fix S-Posture at setup and stick your butt out properly.
First, develop an understanding and feel of your proper neutral spine and posture position which I wrote about in my free EBook “Back Pain- The 6 Habits That Can Change Everything” habit number 3.
Secondly, hinging from your hips will allow you to properly stick your butt out at setup without improperly arching your back. TPI research suggests average hip flexion at golf setup is approximately 35 degrees and decreases to approximately 18 degrees at impact.
Lastly, good core strength and proper stabilization in the lumbar spine are important to find and maintain a proper golf posture setup at address. If you are having trouble stabilizing into a correct setup posture in the static, address position, how do you think your ability to maintain a proper posture during the dynamic golf swing will go where the challenge to the core stabilizer muscles is increased?
Discover if you are in S-Posture by looking at your golf setup posture at address in a mirror or by being screened by a TPI-certified professional. Don’t set your golf swing up for failure with a faulty golf setup posture. Contact RobertsPT at 214-998-9904 to learn more about getting your body into the correct golf setup posture!
