Stage 1 (Locked and Loaded)
Locked & Loaded — Build a Stable, Athletic Setup
Stage 1 is all about your foundation. Andrew shows you how to build torque-ready posture, engage the lower body, and use simple checkpoints so your setup becomes a weapon, not a guessing game.
In this lesson, Andrew breaks down what “locked and loaded” really means: a setup that lets you capture the ground, move with torque, and maintain shoulder plane without fighting your body. You’ll learn the two key lines to draw on video (shoelace line and heel line), how your knees, pelvis, and shoulder blades should line up, and why neutral spine and subtle knee flex are non-negotiable. By the end, you’ll know exactly how elite players like Tiger, Rory, and Nelly use the ground to hit the gas and the brakes–starting from address.
- Every elite swing starts with a stable foundation. Before the club moves, the setup gives Tiger, Rory, and Nelly stability and total control.
- Use two simple lines on video: a shoelace line off the balls of the feet, and a heel line through the center of the pelvis.
- Your knees stay behind the shoelace line, and that line should also run up through your shoulder blades.
- The heel line should intersect the center of your pelvis—not way behind (on your heels) and not way forward (on your toes).
- Neutral spine is huge: slight forward flex, slight knee bend, and a pelvis that’s not tucked under or excessively arched.
- Dynamic function—being able to hit the gas and brakes—requires an engaged lower body and a strong base.
- Lower-body engagement: feel like your feet are screwing into the ground and your knees are gently “pushing away” from each other.
- You should feel ready to move both directions—not stuck in your heels or teetering on your toes.
- Knees: very slight bend, not a deep “sit.” If you feel like you’re sitting in a chair, you’ve gone too far.
- Spine & pelvis: forward tilt from the hips, neutral spine (not hunched or overly arched), and balanced pelvic tilt.
- Weight distribution: a touch more weight in the lead foot so you can push off it and shift into your trail side, like a QB or pitcher going in-out.
- When you add a ball, let your lead arm hang naturally—you should be able to let the trail arm dangle and touch the grip comfortably.
- Too far on the heels: pelvis pushed back, spine overly flexed, “sitting” too much. From here, you can’t move properly or create athletic rotation.
- Too far on the toes: standing tall, knees pushed past the balls of the feet. You’ll feel like you might fall forward and will lose stability as soon as you start the swing.
- Exaggerated pelvic tilt: lower back arched hard or tucked under (posterior). Both kill neutral spine and reduce your ability to rotate with control.
- Random distance from the ball: if the club is too far, your trail arm hangs under the grip; too close, it hangs above. Neither sets you up for repeatable contact.
- Not using the ground: starting with weight stuck on the trail foot, so you can’t use the in-out pattern great athletes use to start motion.
- The fix: re-establish your two lines, reset neutral spine, feel the feet screw into the ground, lightly favor the lead foot, and use the hanging-arm test for distance.