Is spine angle the key to ballstriking?

[shortstop20]

One thing that has always caught my eye while watching videos of the great ballstrikers, Hogan, Moe Norman ,etc. is that their spine angle stays constant throughout the swing.

Seems to me keeping your spine angle throughout the swing would have to be one of, if not the largest factor in being a consistent ballstriker.

Discuss.

[alomar123]

Ohh it is, ask any pro, Tiger has masterd it. I have trouble with it

[shortstop20]

Tiger has masterd it.

I wouldn't say that.

"It's something I've always struggled with"(spine angle), those words are right out of Tiger's mouth. That's not to say that he's a bad ballstriker.

[deronsizemore]

For me, spine angle is probably the most important aspect in my swing.

Seems like these two things always take me a while to get back to normal after a winter layoff. If I can keep my spine angle consistent through impact my ball striking is much better.

It's something that I work on every single day at the range.

[EightBlue]

its the key to consistancy for sure.

[ezmoney5150]

This is my problem also. I probably blow anywhere from 3-5 strokes a round because of this.

My problem stems from my front heel lifting off the ground, which changes my spine angle.

If my heel slightly comes up its a block to the right. If it comes up severe I either skull or top the ball.

I have tried so many things to keep this from happening. I was putting more weight on my front foot. Puting weight on the balls of my feet, all seem to work for a round or two then I'm back mis-hitting balls to the right.

Any tips on how to keep my foot and spine angle down?

[Zeph]

I've never worked on it on my own swing, but it does sound reasonable that it plays a big role. Any small adjustment in the spine angle can result in a fat or thin shot.

[McGolf-Doggie]

I think working on that was definitely one of the things that helped me improve. But balance fore-aft and side to side (avoiding swaying) were also important things I had to improve to get more consistent ball striking. It's a constant quest.

[LongballGer]

Well, Hogan increased his spine angle during the backswing.

I believe though it's just a matter of the right posture at address.

[MeltDownZ]

No.

It's important but no more important than balance, a still head, proper weight shift, or good timing.

Golf doesn't have a key - you've got to get a lot of things right.