Address
The address is the address position — the posture you take up to the ball before the shot.
The address position, also called set-up, is the foundation of every golf shot. You stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, upper body hinged forward from the hips, arms hanging relaxed beneath your shoulders. Your weight is balanced over both feet, roughly fifty-fifty on most shots. Ball position and alignment towards the target also belong to the address position. In the rulebook the ball counts as addressed at the moment you address it, which used to lead to penalty strokes when the ball moved.
In practice the address position decides how repeatable your swings are. An example: with the iron 7 the ball sits in the middle of your stance, hands slightly ahead of the ball, clubface pointing at the target. With the driver the ball moves forward towards the left heel, the stance becomes wider and the shoulder line tilts slightly. These small changes per club group are standard and not a trick. Build the position into your pre-shot routine: first align behind the ball, then step in from the side, set your stance, waggle, swing.
The typical mistake is stepping up at random without checking. Many amateurs aim with their feet to the right or left of the target and compensate for it in the swing — the result is Pull and Push. Another misunderstanding: stiffness brings control. In fact a tense stance blocks rotation — staying loose is better. Check your address position regularly in a mirror or with a stick laid on the ground along your foot line. Five seconds of care before the shot save more strokes than any swing correction afterwards.
FAQ
How often should I check my address position?
Regularly, at least once per practice session and always when shots conspicuously drift in the same direction. The position drifts unnoticed over time, for example through habit or fatigue. An alignment stick on the ground along your foot line or a mirror in the pro shop shows you deviations immediately.
Is it true that a tense stance brings more control?
No, quite the opposite. Tense hands and stiff legs block rotation and cost distance and feel. Looseness with a clear setup beats stiffness: slightly bent knees, hanging arms, calm breathing.
Does the address position also apply when putting?
Basically yes, only with adjusted values: narrower stance, eyes over or slightly inside the ball line, arms almost vertical. The principle remains identical — a repeatable starting position before every shot. You can also find details on a clean setup under set-up.