Dom DiJulia on Making Better Contact

Here's a GC video from Golf Channel Academy Lead Coach Dom DiJulia on how to get more consistent contact with the golf ball. He has three setup keys. I'm posting this because he points out some basic relationships that, if you know them, they'll help you keep a clear understanding about how your address affects your setup.

All of these affect your distance from the ball.



Here are Dom's three keys... and the relationships you should learn from them.

• Posture: This one's pretty straightforward. Do you stand tall? You'll stand closer to the ball. Do you bend your knees and back more? You'll stand farther from the ball.
• Arm Hang: This one's pretty straightforward too. Do you stand tall? Your arms will hang closer to your body. Do you bend your knees and back more? Your arms will hang farther from your body.
• Weight Distribution or Balance (Heel/Toe): This one's the tricky one (see below). Do you stand tall? Your weight will be more on your toes. Do you bend your knees and back more? Your weight will be more on your heels.

Now these are just general guidelines , and you may find that your personal preferences vary a bit. That's especially true of that last one -- your heel-toe balance -- because your posture and arm hang can affect your balance in weird ways. I said "see below," so read on.

First, find a comfortable posture and arm hang setup. Then use them to find your most stable heel-toe balance.

Here's how posture can affect heel-toe balance, in more detail:

• More back bend and more knee bend = more weight toward your heels (your butt sticks out more)
• More back bend and less knee bend = more weight toward your heels
• Less back bend and more knee bend = more weight toward your toes
• Less back bend and less knee bend = more weight toward your toes (your butt sticks out less)

In general, more back bend = more heel weight, and less back bend = more toe weight. Back bend is what pushes your butt out. More knee bend puts more weight on the balls of your feet (and thus toward your toes) because it's a more 'athletic' position, like you're going to jump. Ideally, your weight should be on the balls of your feet in any position, but we're talking about how it 'feels' here.

Then arm hang can affect heel-toe balance:

• Hands farther out = weight more toward toes
• Hands closer = weight more toward heels

So if you find how your posture affects your heel-toe balance, then modify it slightly based on your arm hang, you should be able to find a good "balance." (Sorry, couldn't resist.)

Put them all together and you should be able to create a consistent address position, from which to make more consistent contact when you swing.