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When I was at the range he other day I dicovered I had a problem. If I hang my arms down naturally and hold my club it seems to be too close. By that I mean if i take my right hand off and swing it between my body and the end of my club it doesn't go between them. If I bend at the waist more I can get the clearence I need, but I hit like garbage. I was just wondering how far to bend at the waist, or what I can do to fix this situation?Please help!

Don't know what you are doing there. I just took my address postion, and I've got about 6 to 7 inches between the end of the grip and my body. Plenty of room for my hand to fit between the grip and body. Try setting up next to a mirror and check that your butt is sticking out, your back is straight and your arms hanging down from your shoulders. If you do this, how much distance do you have between the end of the grip and your body? Should be plenty of room. As for hitting like garbage, it might be just a matter of getting used to the new address position. Watch the guys on tour next weekend, and see what they are doing and how it differs from what you are doing, and fix what you need to fix to get it correct and comfortable for you.

"Bending at the waist" is a tricky way of putting it...yes, you bend at the waist but be careful not to "hunker"...some (Gary Travis) would disagree that it is imperative for the arms to hang straight down...personally I think it's a crucial fundamental - that and the grip/hands position are the two most important things to hitting the ball solidly (acceleration comes in a strong third). Old school thought is that you should be able to fit your flared open hand between the butt of the club and your crotch...but I don't consider that a hard and fast rule. The main factors are your height vs. club length. If you take an athletic crouch (knees bent, back straight, head up) and let your arms hang naturally and you're gripped down on the club and you find the butt of the club brushing your pockets, then your clubs are too long...be careful changing the length of your clubs as this will also change the club weight and the swing weight. But if you take an athletic crouch (no hunkering), arms hanging straight down, hands in the center of the grip (not necessarily out on the end of the club) and you have clearance but not as much as described above, don't panic! Furyk's barely clears and he seems to do ok...not suggesting you try to emulate him, just saying everyone's setup is unique to them. As OnePutt suggested, it may take a little getting used to. I played for years with my hands too far away from my body which resulted in pull-hooking, inconsistent contact, always wondering where the bottom of my swing was...that all changed when I learned where the hands belong and how to keep the right arm close to the side through the impact zone...the sole of the club sits flat on the ground now and the soul of the clubber is much calmer as a result. Stay with it, jakeman, and good luck.

Shade

Just to clarify, you should bend at the hips, not the waist. The spine needs to be relatively straight with the bend taking place at the hips. The comment to "stick out your butt" is correct as this gets you to bend at the hips while keeping your spine angle correct.

A number of instructors have suggested that with a 5 iron, there should be somewhere between 25 and 30 degrees of bend angle between your spine and a line perpindicular to the ground (approximately a line from the balls of your feet and your hips).

Most of your irons will have a lie angle of 30*, plus or minus 1 or 2 degrees. So if you bend over 30 degrees, the shaft will be at 90* to your spine, and that's about what you should be doing.

short but good thread

I know it's old but I just found this forum the other day. you guys were talking my recent experience.

A few months ago I flat out lost the ability to hit my fairway woods. If I'm 210+ out and I want to hit the green I have to hit them. I tried different things that didn't work, open my stance, close my stance, grip lighter then tighter etc. I finally gave up, didn't shoot for the green and tried to put it in the best position close to the green. There I was, 5'6" 53yrs. old closing out another chapter of youth in my life. Sad, really.

Until that raw windy Nov. day when I had the course to myself . The first hole is 480 par 5. I told myself you are going to hit your fairway woods again. They were a strength once and if you have to stay on this first hole until someone shows up or they close the ******** place you are going to get them back.

I was focused and my drive went 250 with no roll (wet) right down the gut. Got to the ball, took out my 3W and took some practice swings. Horrible. Something wasn't right and I aint swinging at the ball until I figure it out. Then it happened. A voice in my head, Stick Your Butt Out. Yes. My arms became straight. Took a practice swing. Had a little baseball in it. Confidently addresed the ball and Twack.....Pin High. In a trap but pin high. Dropped another ball. Good one. Another. Good one. Another. Butt arms posture. It's Back. Played the rest of the day with a bounce in my step. Aint that old yet.

Since my new mantra butt arms posture, I've stepped up a level not only with the woods but allaround. God, this game is crazy.

Fully agree with bend at hips, back straight and "chin up" (not tucked in to your neck). At address with a driver with your hands "hanging" the distance from your legs to the butt of the club should be about the same as your hands width when it's hanging comfortably and relaxed at your side i.e. fingers neither spread or compressed.