Proper posture makes for a better golfer. However, it’s easy to forget how to hold your body accordingly when you’re on the golf course. Golf is a sport that requires skill, concentration, a strong core and perfect posture. You’ve always been told to sit up straight – and with good reason. When you slouch, you cannot perform activities properly and put yourself at risk for injury. By golfing with improper posture, you aren’t doing yourself any favours and are ruining your game.

To improve your golf game, try these three small posture changes:

1. 1. Bend at the hips, not at the waist:
      We often refer to the hips and waist interchangeably when discussing movement and posture, but they are very different. The range of motion of the hips combined with gluteal muscle strength are what allow for a perfect weight shift when you transition to your downswing. When you bend from your waist and not your hips, you are limiting the rotation that your hips need to do give your body enough energy to load your back leg and transfer energy to your front leg creating a stable platform to complete your swing. Bending from the hips instead of the waist also gives your swing more power, speed and accuracy, letting you hit the ball farther, faster and exactly where you want it to go.
   2. Don’t bend your middle back:
      Many golfers don’t realize that they’re bending their middle back. Your spine should be as straight as it is when you’re standing upright. Only bend from the hips as mentioned in #1.
   3. Flex the knees slightly:
      Your knees play a large role in your overall posture and your swing. Many golfers bend their knees too much while others don’t bend them at all. Try flexing your knees only slightly so that they are directly over the balls of your feet. In doing so, you are allowing your weight to be evenly distributed to your arches instead of your heals and toes. Your backside should stick out slightly for this posture position to work.

A great way to improve your posture before you hit the links is to practice at home. Stand in front of a mirror and work on your posture. Examine your form every day and eventually it’ll become second nature. Your golf game will improve and you’ll be helping your body perform better.