Shoulder Alignment - Or Lack of it!

........and it's really starting to wind me up. Let me explain. My usual pre-shot routine is to align the clubface with my intended line and then build the stance around the clubface, my feet are parallel with the target line but somehow I manage to twist the shoulders into a closed position, pointing upto 30 degrees right of the target, as a result it seems that i take the club away on the line of my shoulders and i've now started to hit pushes and fades and sometimes even a big banana slice.

Also, as someone pointed out to me the other day I have my hands quite high at address, with the butt of the club pointing at or above my navel, with the heel of the club a fraction off the turf.

Do any of you kind people have some tips on how I can either alter my pre-shot routine or what I can do to stop myself closing my shoulders, as it's really bugging me.

Happy golfing

Jon

From what you described I think you have an issue with ball position. First it sounds like you need to relax your arms and stand a little further from the ball to bring your club heal back to the ground and lower the butt of the club.

Then I would check to see if your ball position is to far back in your stance. Witht the pre-shot routine you described it sounds that the only time your shoulders would be close is with the ball back in your stance.

Hi Jon,

Your hands problem is due to standing too close to the ball. When you are address let go of your grip with your right hand and let your left arm hang down, if it swings back then move back until it lines up with the grip.

Your closed shoulders may be due to poor posture and balance. Check your weight is evenly placed between the balls and heels of both feet and your knees are evenly flexed. When at address hold your club across your chest and see where it is pointing.

Wild guess, but double check that you have your spine tilted away from the target a bit.......the right shoulder a bit lower than the left shoulder, at address. Without this "tilt" you may be prone to setting up with the shoulders closed.

Thanks Danny Brian and K,

You all seem to have hit on problems that i've experienced at one time or another, a while back I had major issues with having level shoulders at address, my right shoulder was almost never below the left, and in some cases higher than the left!, as a result, Reserve Pivot . Recently I've been trying to work hard on getting my spine titled away from the ball, I try and spend 10 minutes a day setting up in front of a mirror to try and ingrain the feeling of a lower r/h side. The same goes for ball position, if I'm truthful, i'm very lazy when it comes to this, I guess if you were to take an average round I'd say that on 75% of shots I'd play, the ball is in the middle of my stance regardless of the club i'd have in my hands, even a driver or fairway wood, I think this stems from a phase I went through of hitting the ball thin, so subconciously I moved the ball back in my stance to counter-act this, more than likely the wrong choice, more likely it was due to me raising my spine angle on the downswing.

Back to the basics me thinks, GRASP GRASP GRASP.

BTW - has anyone heard of a product called homeswingtrainer, retails in the US for $119 (£60), although i'm trying to justify spending £600 on a explanar at the moment, probably because I'm watching the Masters and they make it look so easy.

Jon