“Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and said, “Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?” (2 Samuel 7:18, ESV)
Back in my Chicago days, I was fortunate enough to meet a golf pro named Mike Harrigan. He was a member of the athletic club where I was the GM — though his wife used the club far more.
Part of my job was to promote the club, so naturally, I thought of having a golf clinic. I learned that Mike was playing professionally. I asked him if he’d put on the clinic, and he said yes.
Perhaps no one else learned a thing, and perhaps we didn’t sell any memberships; I don’t remember. But I do remember Mike saying, “At least 80% of failed golf shots are caused by a faulty setup.”
What? I thought it was my swing! Maybe, but the odds are that my setup was the real culprit.
Three biggies comprise our setup: posture, grip, and alignment. Or you can think about them as: PGA. Posture is the one far too many amateur golfers ignore.
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My dad wanted me to walk with a book on top of my head and the Bible in it.
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Professional golfers do not ignore their posture. To see that truth, just watch Sam Burns or Minjee Lee set up to a golf ball and stay in their posture.
Personally, I need to work on posture because when I get it right, I hit the ball better.
Our body’s posture towards God is also important. Note the verse above. David probably sat on his heels, which in ancient times was an attitude — a posture — of worship.
Some kneel when they pray, and some stand and raise hands when they sing. Our posture often reflects our attitude, and we don’t even know it.
When you hear something you don’t like, do you take a defiant posture? When you share the good news with someone, is your posture friendly?
My dad wanted me to walk with a book on top of my head and the Bible in it. He said that my physical posture and the posture of my life both need to be straight.
I still need to work on both of those postures, and the good news is that golf reminds me to get it right. I don’t like hitting preventable bad shots on the course, but I hate even more when my life posture is poor.
Get those hips right in golf, kneel before God, and stand up for Jesus. Posture matters.
Prayer: Father, may we be aware of our posture, before others and most especially before you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.