Fix These 5 Setup Flaws to Transform Your Ball Striking
Golfers spend years chasing swing positions, but the truth is this: your setup determines everything that happens next. Before the club ever moves, your posture, grip, alignment, and balance either set you up for clean, powerful contact—or they force you into compensations that make ball striking inconsistent and frustrating.
This lesson breaks down the five most common setup flaws holding golfers back and the exact adjustments that create immediate improvements in contact, direction, and distance. These are the foundational principles professionals rely on every single shot, and once you understand them, your ball striking transforms fast.
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🎥 Watch the full lesson below!
👉 Watch Jeff Ritter explain the five setup fundamentals that immediately transform your ball striking with cleaner contact, more distance, and better direction.
The Setup: The First Domino in Every Great Golf Swing
Before you think about wrist hinge or release, the setup delegates how your swing will move. A quality setup organizes the body, frees rotation, improves low-point control, and simplifies your entire motion.
Most golfers fight their swings because their setup forces them into compensation mode. Fix the setup, and the swing becomes dramatically easier.
The 5 Setup Mistakes That Hurt Contact, Distance, and Direction
Below are the key problem areas covered in this lesson (with timestamps for quick reference). Each one affects your swing in predictable ways—often without you even realizing it.
1. Incorrect Heel Pad Position
The lead hand influences club face stability and wrist mobility.
Most players grip the club too much in the palm, which restricts hinge and severely limits speed.
Palm-Based Grips Can Lead To:
Locked Wrists
Open Clubface
Poor Compression
Correct Fix:
Place the heel pad on top of the grip so the wrist can hinge freely.
A quick test: With the club in your lead hand, try hinging your wrist to raise the club head off the turf.
If the club head raises only a small amount → grip is in the palm
If you can raise the club head considerably off the turf → heel pad is engaged properly
This instantly improves speed, face control, and overall contact.
2. Feet Too Square
Square feet may feel intuitive, but they block hip rotation for most golfers.
When the hips can’t turn, the shoulders can’t turn, which kills power and distance.
Square Feet May Produce:
Short Backswing
Restricted Motion
Loss of Speed
Correct Fix:
Flare both feet outward slightly. This opens up the hips, allowing a smoother and more powerful turn with less effort.
3. Belt Buckle Set Too Far Back
Your belt buckle reveals your lower-body center. Most golfers set up with it too far back toward the trail leg.
Same As With Lack Of Foot Flare, This Causes:
Locked Hips
Shortened Backswing
Loss of Power
Correct Fix:
Shift your belt buckle/lower center forward so your weight is set to a 60/40 lead-side bias.
This action frees the hips to turn freely.
4. Neutral or Backward Handle Position
A handle set in the middle—or worse, behind center—eliminates shaft lean and leads to inconsistent strikes.
Centered Handle Can Create:
Thin Shots
Fat Shots
Poor Low Point Control
Lack of Compression
Correct Fix:
Position the handle slightly forward, just above your lead heel.
This places the shaft under your lead shoulder, ensuring the club bottoms out after the ball for clean, compressed contact.
5. Trail Arm Position That Forces a Steep Takeaway
If the trail elbow points outward, the takeaway may become compromised often leading to a steep back swing.
This Can Lead To:
Unreasonable Swing Plane
Poor Sequencing
Inconsistent Contact
Correct Fix:
Start with the trail arm in a soft bicep-curl position:
Elbow Pointing More Downward
Arm Sitting Slightly Below The Lead Arm
This organizes the takeaway into a smooth, natural arc that travels from address over the trail shoulder.
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