Improve your game with these posture and club tips

Posture: 

“Having good balance and maintaining posture throughout your swing will certainly help guide you to consistency in your ball striking,” said Tim Sawchyn, pro golfer and director of golf and marketing at Candle Lake Golf Resort. “People that are moving all over the place and losing their balance throughout their swing never hit a good shot.”

Sawchyn suggests that those who are looking to improve their connection with the ball should study the angle between their hips and their shoulders, known as the spine angle. Monitoring the spine angle and keeping it consistent throughout ensures that shoulders don’t lift—which results in a topped-out ball—and that hips don’t drop—which causes your club to bottom out.

“Maintaining good posture is like a spoke on a wheel,” said Sawchyn. “Your swing should always stay the same and remain circular around your body. It shouldn’t become egg-shaped—which would cause trouble with your contact.”

Club selection at Candle Lake:

Because the Candle Lake course is not overly long, Sawchyn feels that golfers should look to club selection off their tee shots as the best way to improve their game.

“There’s a number of ‘short-ish’ holes on this course,” said Sawchyn, referring to par-4 holes where the yardage sits at 320, 340 and 360. “So you don’t always have to bang a driver out there. Playing it safe off the tee and keeping your ball in play from the box will usually land you a better score.”

Because hitting with a driver can often make a shot go a little wild, with a better club selection, golfers can ensure they stay out of the trees that border the course.

“Once you get into the trees, you’re not getting out,” said Sawchyn, “unless you hit it sideways.  So pay attention to your tee shot and find a safe landing area—(this) is one of the best pieces of advice I can offer someone here.”