A common misconception in golf is that you should stand with your knees bent and your arms straight. Chris DeVincentis from Big Oak says that in doing so, “you’re already out of position and your posture is off.”

Knees should be unlocked, but the rest of the bend should come from the hips. From there, your shoulders should be over your toes.

“We have to accommodate the sixty-degree stick,” DeVincentis continues. To do so when swinging, arms should be relaxed and come up over your shoulder, rather than behind your back or in front of your head.

Making these small adjustments to your stance and your swing better allows you to remain on-plane and accurately hit the ball.

Chris DeVincentis has three drills you can practice at home to keep the swing on plane.

One drill involves putting up a pole behind you when practicing your swing. To start, your backside should be touching the pole while you bend at the hips. You’ll want to maintain this good spine angle as you follow through. A good way to see if your posture is incorrect is if the bottom half of your body moves forward and no longer touches the pole by the time you complete your swing.

Over at Big Oak, there is a special tool designed to help track the swing plane of the club. Golfers can stand behind this large metal circle and practice following the length of the circle during their backswing in order to feel the correct plane.

Since most don’t have the specialized equipment at their homes, DeVincentis recommends using something as simple as a garage wall. Begin by standing six to eight inches away from a wall. Again, make sure to use the correct posture. You should be able to swing over your shoulder without hitting the wall. If you do, you would know that you are off-plane.