The Perfect Lie

The "perfect lie" is a very appropriate phrase since it is true no matter how you read it. You can say that golf pro teachers have been lying since they do not emphasize the importance of how the club lies at address but this is very important - even more important than the squareness of the clubface at setup. This is more so for the woods and hybrid clubs. These clubs have a bigger head and on setup, their bottoms must nicely sit on the ground - even if it means that the face is not square to the target. The main reason is it is a prime importance to allow the club to nicely slide along the ground in order to prevent any unneeded twisting that can ruin the shot and direction of the ball. So the other meaning to the "perfect lie" is make sure that the club squats perfectly on the ground.

When addressing the ball, ensure that the club touches and comfortable sits on the ground before gripping the club. It is not advisable to lift the club like Nicklaus - let it stay on the ground until it is brought up by the right hand to initiate the swing. Again, this is a requirement and very important for the woods and hybrid clubs.

Remember also that letting the club sit on the ground may make the club face look like it is no longer square to the target. This is alright. The main important thing is that your shoulders and hips are aligned to the target line. Do the same thing for the irons.