Mark Crossfield was one of the first PGA professionals to build a big following on YouTube, and he’s been posting lessons since long before golf YouTube became the industry it is today. His style is straightforward and unpretentious, which suits a topic like posture perfectly.
His video “Golf Lesson | Posture Drill” dates back to October 2010. It’s under four minutes long, and the drill in it is as useful now as it was then.
DE-SHANK isn’t affiliated with Mark Crossfield, and nothing here suggests he endorses our app.
Why posture matters
Crossfield starts by explaining that the way you stand to the ball encourages you to swing on a good plane or a poor one. He describes two common problems:
- golfers who stand quite upright with their backside out, who tend to make an upright, choppy swing
- golfers with low hands and hunched-over backs, who tend to make a rounded swing
Those patterns line up with what Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) describes as S-posture, too much arch, and C-posture, too much rounding.
The drill, step by step
Crossfield’s drill is beautifully simple. Here’s how he describes it:
- Take your grip, stance width and ball position.
- Stand bolt upright. Straight legs, straight back.
- Let your arms rest on your chest with the club out in front of you, parallel to the ground.
- Bend from the waist, keeping your back and legs straight, until the club reaches the ground.
- Relax your knees with a little flex, so you can turn, while keeping your back straight.
That’s it. As he puts it, it gives you a good posture angle to help get your swing on plane.
The hidden benefit: ball distance
Crossfield adds a clever extra. If you’re standing too far from the ball, when you hinge forward the club will land on your side of the ball. So you’ll need to shuffle closer until it lines up. The drill doesn’t just set your posture; it also helps you find the right distance from the ball.
Why repeating it matters
Crossfield makes a point we strongly agree with: by doing it the same way each time, you remove posture as a variable. You’ll get into the same position on every shot, which helps consistency of strike.
All credit for this drill goes to Mark Crossfield.
What golfers can learn
Set-up is a skill you can practise
Most golfers practise swings. Few practise getting into position. Crossfield’s drill makes the set-up a repeatable routine.
Small set-up changes have big knock-on effects
An upright, arched posture and a hunched one produce very different swings. Fixing the start position can fix things you’d blamed on the backswing.
Use it on the course
Crossfield notes you can use the drill on the course too. It takes a few seconds.
Common mistakes with the drill
- Rounding as you hinge. The back should stay straight as you bend from the waist. If it curls, start again.
- Too much knee flex. Crossfield asks for just a little. Bending the knees a lot drops you into a sitting position.
- Rushing it on the course. The drill only takes a few seconds, but each step matters. Do it the same way every time.
How to practise it
- Ten rehearsals without a ball. Follow the steps slowly, every time.
- Ten shots with the drill. Do the full routine before each ball.
- Check from the side. A side-on photo or video will show whether your back is fairly straight.
- Make it automatic. Use it on every shot for a week.
DE-SHANK can help you see whether a better set-up carries into the swing. Our posture change score shows whether you stand up or dip through the shot. Try five swings with your normal set-up and five with Crossfield’s drill, then compare. Our how it works page has tips on camera placement and lighting.
DE-SHANK gives estimates from one camera view. It’s designed for practice feedback, to help you spot habits and track trends.
For more posture advice, browse our Coaching Tips.
Why we like this video
It’s short, honest and completely practical. No gadgets, no jargon, just a routine you can use today. There’s a lot more to explore on Mark Crossfield’s channel.
Browse more profiles in our YouTube Coaches section.
Try DE-SHANK free
See whether a better set-up improves your posture through the swing. Try the free DE-SHANK beta. It’s free during the beta.
