Mastering the Set-Up

Try copying Kitty Tam’s positions for better shots through the bag.

Kitty Tam is one of our top up-and-coming junior girls and competes in many overseas events against some of the best players in Asia. We have worked really hard on Kitty's set-up fundamentals and her ball striking has greatly improved. The strength of Kitty's game is her driving ability and you can see why through her set-up position.

Photo 1: The Driver
The left side is tilted higher than the right with the left arm and club shaft creating a nice straight line. This also puts her in the classic reverse "K" position. The reverse "K" position is important because it enables you to load your right side at the top of the backswing. It also helps to keep your head behind the ball.

Photo 2: The Mid-Iron
When Kitty sets up to the 7-iron a few things change, most notably with the ball and head positions. The ball position moves to just ahead of centre and the head is now more directly on top of the ball. This encourages more of a descending blow into the back of the ball, allowing Kitty to strike down and through the turf.

Photo 3: The Wedge
With a good lie and wedge in hand, Kitty moves the ball back in her stance with her hands and body weight slightly to the left. This ensures a crisp strike. “Trapping” the ball at impact increases spin and lowers the trajectory of the shot.

The Pro’s Tip
Everyone has had rounds where they’re hitting the driver well but struggling with the irons—and vice versa. The reason could be a simple case of incorrect set- up. Try copying Kitty’s positions for better shots through the bag.

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