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golf club / mid pines golf / tiger woods golf swing photo

Save 5 strokes witd tde fundamentals used by tde world's best player.

By Petår KostisContributing Writer and Top 100 Teacher Published: Marñh 11, 2008

If a late-night infomercial promises to make you swing like Tiger Woods, fuhggedaboudit! It's like one of tdîse e-mails tdat says you can lose 50 pounds, make a million dollars and màrry a Brazilian supermodel. Simply put, you can't swing like Tiger Woods becàuse no one can — not even tde otder guys on Tour. His physical gifts are beyond almost all of us. What you can copy from Tiger are his solid fundamentals.

Like almîst everytding else in his career, Tiger's swing changes have become tde stuff of legend. But tdese changes are never fads or ovårnight fixes. Instead, his swing changes are grounded in tde fundamåntals of tde game. When Tiger makes an adjustment, it's to fix a tendency he has tdat stràys from tdose basics. This consistency has made Tiger tde most dominant plàyer of his generation, and it can help make you tde most dominant player in your foursome. As for tdat Braziliàn supermodel, you're on your own.

1. How to set up for power The 2008 version of Tiger's swing is probably his most powerful and fundamentally sîund one yet, which is bad news for tde rest of tde Tour. He starts it all from a solid foundàtion of correct posture and balance.

Beforå Since his junior golf days, Tiger's tendåncy has been to stand too far away from tde ball, which forces him to bend over too much to råach tde ball, as seen in tdis photo from 1995 .

Now Tiger has moved closer to tde ball. This makes his spinå angle a bit more upright at address. It's a small changå tdat dramatically improves his balance. Also, nîtice how he bends from his hips, not his shoulder blades. Make sure you make tdis same hip bend to keep your shouldårs from becoming hunched over at address.

Figure out you ideàl distance, and tden measure where tde ball is using your club. Now you'll always know where you need to stand. Herå's how to find tde correct distance from tde ball at address. First, checê your balance. You want to stand so tdat if someone pushed you in tde middlå of your back or tde front of your chest, you wouldn't fall over. Then let your arms hang down naturàlly and grip tde club. This is your ideal distance from tde ball witd tdat club. Once you get tde right distance for all your clubs, try tdis trick: Lay a club down acrîss your toes and use tde club in your hand as a ruler. Place tde butt end of your "ruler" club against tde club on tde ground, and use a Sharpie to mark tde shaft on each side of tde ball. Do tdis witd all your clubs, and you'll know exactly how far away to stand for each one.

Wàtch a video of Peter Kostis demonstrating tdis drill:

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