[loubert]

Let us hear (read) some ideas about how SPINE POSITIONS at Address... Face On and Down the Line can influence a golf stroke. Include degree of tilt, bend, posture, etc..

Lagster,

Your question appears to be a solicitation of opinions, so here is mine:

For posture relating to the spine, in golf and in life outside golf, it is in your best interest to learn to maintain what is called "neutral spine." This is crucial to protecting your lower back. In my recovery from back surgery, every physical therapist I've seen (including the golf-specialist PT I am currently seeing), has made this priority number 1.

Here is a link to some descriptions and visuals (see "Club behind the spine" and "Address Posture").

www.athletico.com/services/GolfExerciseTips.pdf

To ground a club properly while maintaining a neutral spine will require a significant forward tilt, As mentioned by EdZ, this is the hallmark of the Hardy* one-plane swing (BTW, Peter J's posture in the Golf Digest excerpt leaves a lot to be desired). The degree of bend will depend on your height, arm length etc. Basically, you want your hands to hang straight down from your shoulders such that your hands are under your chin. Hardy recommends little side bend.

You will need to have a strong core (back and abs) to maintain the neutral spine throughout the swing (the back will want to flex (i.e., "round") on the downswing. However, I think that everyone should have this level of strength if they want to have a happy back for life in general.

Lou


*I reference Hardy here to give proper citation for the information in the context of this post. I am not an advocate of his methods.