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While body alignment and ball position do not involve advanced physical ability, consistent ball contact does. Many players struggling with consistency will swing too hard. This gets them to stand up out of their posture on the backswing, which makes it difficult to return to a proper position for good contact. Being aware of swing speed and adding balance and strength training will help in stabilizing the spine angle, which will result in more consistent ball contact.
A great exercise for working on swing speed and posture in the gym is the Redcord Golf Swing. Start in a golf posture, facing the Redcord unit with both hands grabbing onto a handle (positioned just below your navel). Maintain tension on the Redcord strap, activate your core muscles and start into the backswing. Focus on staying in your (stable) golf posture. This will be key in assisting with the objective of consistency. Once you are finished with your backswing, start the downswing by initiating the hips, and follow through to your finish. The tension of the strap will assist in promoting good posture, and it will provide a feedback for swing speed. Complete five full repetitions at a slow speed, five at medium speed, and then five at a higher speed. The combination of maintaining posture and practicing swing speed will help with ball contact consistency.
Remember these ABCs:
Angle
Maintaining the proper spine angle is imperative to having control at the point of contact. If a golfer cannot maintain it, the head, shoulders and arms will usually move away from the ball toward impact.
Balance
Having the ability to balance in all planes of motion will ultimately improve a golfer’s changes of maintaining spine angle and making ball contact consistent. Proper balance, then, plays an important role.
Core
Increasing strength and stability within the core musculature will only help in maintaining positions, allowing for efficient energy transfer and warding off injuries that can occur with a repetitive sport.