
So, how close should you stand from the golf ball? To know how close you should stand from the golf ball, you should place your club behind the ball and position your feet with a slight knee flex. Then take the club’s grip and lower it onto your leading leg (left leg for a right-handed golfer) so it rests a couple of inches above your knee cap.
What distance should I Stand from the golf ball?
The entire article can be summarized in the following five steps:
- Stand erect with the knees flexed
- With the spine at the right angle, relax your elbows keeping them close to your chest
- Ensure that the tail of the club points above the buckle of your belt
- Bend your body at the hips and ensure the club falls down towards the ball at the normal position
How far should you stand from the golf ball?
The handle rests straight down from the front edge of the shoulders. Successful drivers of the golf ball simply do not reach out for the ball more than this. Yet I see on a daily basis unsuccessful drivers reaching 10, 12, even 15 inches from the thigh.
How far you should stand from the golf ball?
However, you can ensure that you are at the correct distance from the ball using the following tips:
- Let your arms hang down when hitting an iron.
- Once installed in front of the ball, release your grip to see if your arm is relaxed. ...
- If the distance allows your arms to be dangling at address, it is the right distance!
How to find correct distance from the golf ball?
- Address a golf ball in your normal position. Any club will work, driver through lob wedge.
- Carefully place the butt of the grip on your left leg while retaining your address posture. ...
- The club should touch your left leg about two inches above the kneecap. ...
- If it's considerably higher than two inches, you're probably standing too close to the ball. ...

Tip 1 – Club Face
First, take the club and put it out in front of you, hands just above the belt line. This will help you ensure the club face is nice and square.
Tip 2 – Stance Width
Next, make sure that you have the proper stance width in your golf setup. To do this, put your feet close together, straight out from the ball.
Tip 3 – Body Tilt at the Hips
Finally, tilt your body at the hip and simply lower the club down to the ground. Now, the key here is that you are now allowing your body to dictate how close should I stand to the golf ball. Typically, most golfers just set up the club first behind the ball, then take their address position.
RECAP – How Close Should I Stand to the Golf Ball?
If you ever wondered “how close should I stand to the golf ball,” now you have your answer. Simply hold the club in front of you, getting the club face square. Separate the feet, bend at the hips, and see where the golf club lands. If it is behind the ball, you are the right distance.
How to know how close to stand to the ball?
Guideline. "Golf Digest" offers a simple solution for determining how close to stand to the ball. It all begins with taking a good stance at address. Place your feet shoulder-width apart with your knees slightly flexed and a natural bend at your hips. This places you in a balanced, athletic position.
How does standing from the ball affect your swing?
How far you stand from the golf ball at address will affect your swing. Standing too far away can force you to reach out with the club, with your arms completely straight and your elbows locked -- ruining any chance of a nice, easy swing.
Where to put a golf club on the ground?
Place the butt of the club on the tip of your thumb. That space -- from the top of your thumb to your belt buckle -- represents how far your body should be from the end of the club. From that position you can simply place the club on the ground behind the ball to achieve the proper stance.
Who said he rarely sees anyone stand too close to the ball?
Tom Watson, one of golf's all-time greats, told "Golf Digest" that he rarely sees anyone stand too close to the ball. Two other golf legends, Byron Nelson and Johnny Miller, have made similar statements, according to Watson.
What happens when you place your body too close to the ball?
When you place your body too close to the ball at address, you will feel crowded, or ‘stuck.’ Your hands will be in close to your body before the swing begins, and you may feel that you are standing too upright.
How to fade a ball?
Or, you will need to stand a little farther away when the ball is above your feet. You can also use the distance between your feet and the ball as a way to manipulate your ball flight. Standing a little closer usually promotes a fade, while standing a little farther away will encourage a draw. The matter of how far to stand from ...
Should you have your knees flexed?
Along with a straight back position, you should also have your knees flexed at least slightly. With flex in your knees, you will be ready for the dynamic action required to make a golf swing.
Is standing the right distance from the ball important?
It’s actually easy to overlook this one while you are thinking about the various other things you need to manage before hitting a shot. However, standing the right distance from the ball is important, so you’d be wise to pay some attention to this point during an upcoming practice session.
Can you stand too far away from the ball before swinging?
On the other end of the spectrum, some golfers find that they are standing too far away from the ball before the swing begins. While this generally isn’t as much of a problem as standing too close, it still does present challenges.
What happens if you stand too close to the ball?
If you are standing too close to the ball then you will have to keep your weight on your heels too much. Having your weight on heels results in you not being able to fire your lower body efficiently, think about trying to jump from your heels, you can’t get very high.
What are the disadvantages of standing too far from the ball?
The main disadvantages that standing too far from the ball will cause are reduced swing efficiency and poor balance. This will all lead to inconsistencies in your swing and that will make playing more difficult. Put simply, golf is about consistency, the more you can replicate something the better you become.
What happens if you stand too far away from a tennis ball?
When you stand too far away from the ball, one of the major effects is that your arms have to swing at the ball more. You need to reach out to the ball to make contact and so you can’t use your body to generate power properly. This will result in a significant loss of distance.
What is the difference between golf swing and other sports?
The golf swing is a highly dynamic and athletic movement but one of the main differences between golf and other sports is that you play from a standing start. It’s not like playing football where you kick a ball that is rolling, it is a stationary start.
What is position at address in golf?
Put simply, golf is about consistency, the more you can replicate something the better you become. As I’ve already said in this article, your position at address is something that you can have control of. This is the point in your swing that acts as your launchpad, use it to your advantage and get it right.
How does a golf club go around your body?
The further you stand from the ball, the more flat your swing will become. This is logical as you will have started your swing with your hands will be reaching or your body will be overly bent over. This means that the club can only go around your body in a flatter way.
How does standing too close affect your swing?
You Allow Your Body To Be A Greater Part Of Your Swing. Much as standing too far away from the ball will reduce your body’s ability to be a part of your swing, standing too close can have a similar effect. When you are too close, your body can get in the way of your swing and your hands have to “dig out” the shot.
