Balance is the most important thing in the swing. To have a solid center, you must bent slightly forward at the waist and your knees must be flexed so you can really feel almost like you are in a linebacker position. You don't feel like you are going to fall over. Your weight is equally distributed. A problem with many amateurs, and you mentioned this as well, is they think about too many mechanics while competing.
Mechanics is an important part of the game, but scoring is the most important part.
The way golf is played now, all the emphasis is now on who can hit it the farthest and the score is irrelevant for amateurs. Before, it was the crafty guys who were hard to beat and those were the ones who enjoyed playing golf as a recreation, not a contest. A lot of problems amateurs have happen before they even hit a shot. I found over the years most golfers who are playing well know they are going to hit the ball well before they hit it. The year before, I signed up for the back clinic because I'm overflexible.