Butch's Basics : Start behind the ball for a powerful coil

Golf Digest, Jan, 2002 by Butch Harmon, Ed Weathers

It takes no athletic ability to set up to the ball properly, but most average players never think of the setup. If you set up improperly, it's almost impossible to make a good swing. If you set up properly, you've got a head start on a good swing. To hit the ball powerfully, you have to get behind the ball and stay behind it. A good setup helps you do that. Here I demonstrate a bad and a good setup. In the bad set-up position (near right), my spine is tilted forward, my right shoulder is higher than my left, and my head is in front of the ball. Most of my weight is on my left side. From here, I'll have to sway to shift my weight--not good--or I'll have a reverse weight shift.

In the good set-up position (far right), my spine tilts away from the target, my right shoulder is lower than my left, and my head is behind the ball. My weight is distributed 50/50 between my feet. From here, a simple turn shifts my weight properly and allows me to coil powerfully behind the ball.