Close the stance at address Pull the right foot back away from the target line, so that if a shaft were laid across the toes, it would point right of the target line. Aim the clubface – The clubface should aim at the intended target line or where the player wants the ball to finish.
Should you close your stance when playing golf?
If a golfer is able to slightly close their stance, they will have no trouble getting the club to turn over and the ball to fly towards the target. Since the closed stance also allows a bit more room for a player to take the club inside and shallow, the plane becomes more conducive to a hook or draw shot.
What is the correct stance for hitting the golf ball?
Your shoulders and your hips will also be on this line. The closes stance can look a bit like you are trying to hit the ball right of the target; however, the target line and clubhead are still pointed straight at the pin.
How to hit a golf ball in the middle?
Generally speaking, with a wedge in your hand, you will play the ball right in the middle of your stance. As you move towards the driver, you will position the ball more towards your front foot. When hitting with a driver, the ball should be on the inside of your front foot when it is teed and ready to hit.
How to hit a driver in golf?
As you move towards the driver, you will position the ball more towards your front foot. When hitting with a driver, the ball should be on the inside of your front foot when it is teed and ready to hit. When you hit a golf shot with an iron or a wedge, you need for there to be a descending blow.
Do any pro golfers use a closed stance?
Arnold Palmer and Sam Snead both set up with a closed stance, and a golfer electing to play this way would be in good company! They are two of the most winning golfers in PGA history! The point is, no one stance is the right stance in golf, and golfers should test them all to find the best one suited to their swing.
Is it OK to have a closed stance in golf?
The closed stance can help golfers that struggle to release the ball actually turn it over as they come through impact. In addition, the closed stance can also lower the ball flight. If the ball flight is a bit lower, you will also sometimes get some extra spin.
How do you fix a closed golf stance?
1:495:51CHANGE YOUR GOLF STANCE FOR SOLID CONTACT - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThe right foot back here. So that the feet are slightly closed yeah. And. So often we see thatMoreThe right foot back here. So that the feet are slightly closed yeah. And. So often we see that people struggle with plain issues piers for when they come over the swing plane. From a square stance.
Does a closed stance help with a slice?
An open stance can cause the golf slice. We recommend a square stance, but if you can't stop slicing your driver you can try a closed stance. A closed stance will promote a swing path that goes inside out and could help you hit straighter shots.
How do I keep my club face closed?
4:086:03HOW TO FIX AN OPEN CLUB FACE AT IMPACT - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo let me show you that little drill again and just notice the end position that I achieve. AndMoreSo let me show you that little drill again and just notice the end position that I achieve. And where the club shaft is relative to my lead arm.
How do you hit a fade with a closed stance?
0:332:39Golf Fade Lesson: How to Properly Setup Your Golf Stance in Order to ...YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd then curve. Back if the ball starts left. And then goes left that means the clubface is closed IMoreAnd then curve. Back if the ball starts left. And then goes left that means the clubface is closed I got to keep the clubface open a little bit more let the ball tell you what the path of your club.
Should my golf stance be open?
Putting with an open stance makes alignment much easier, and it allows you to have a better line to your target. Some golfers will not only set up with an open stance, but they will also look at the hole while they are putting. This method of putting has become quite popular through the years, and it is very effective.
Does an open stance cause a slice?
A slice is strongly associated with an open stance. Indeed, it is very likely that your feet are aligned to the left of the target at address whenever producing slices.
Should putting stance be open?
The open stance makes it easier to feel the left hand going out and down the target line. The forward lean offsets the 4 degrees of loft I recommend for a putter and helps the ball roll smoothly.
Can standing too close to the ball cause a slice?
Standing too close to the golf ball will result in a posture that's too upright, which could result in inconsistent shots and no control over the ball. Standing too close to the ball can result in slices and shanks, which are very common among average players.
Does open shoulders cause a slice?
A slice comes from only one condition: The clubface is open at impact, which puts cut spin on the ball. One of the most common causes of this open clubface is improper rotation of the upper body. On the downswing, the shoulders turn earlier and faster than the arms and club swing.
What swing plane causes a slice?
Plane Is Too Flat Often, beginners have a swing plane that's too flat — when viewed from the side, their club shaft is far too horizontal (or like swinging a baseball bat). As they go through impact, they lack the strength and skill to close the clubface and they send the ball curving on a slice.
Should your golf stance be open?
6:498:37Open your stance for a better hip turn. - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIt's all about where your shoulders are pointing. So if you want to align yourself to a target inMoreIt's all about where your shoulders are pointing. So if you want to align yourself to a target in the future.
What does closed stance mean?
: a stance (as in golf) in which the forward foot is closer to the line of play than the back foot — compare open stance.
Can I play golf with an open stance?
Putting with an open stance makes alignment much easier, and it allows you to have a better line to your target. Some golfers will not only set up with an open stance, but they will also look at the hole while they are putting. This method of putting has become quite popular through the years, and it is very effective.
How much does it cost to close a draw stance?
But, for a draw you want to feel like you have more room to come into the ball from the inside. This small shift will allow you to have enough room to get the ball started to the right of the target. Next, close your stance by dropping your right foot back an inch or two at address.
Should I set up to the ball with a square, open or closed stance?
All are acceptable and the proficient player will use all 3 in a round of golf, depending on the shot shape he wants to execute.
Swing Path
By closing the stance at address, the takeaway and swing path of the club should start inside the target line. This will set the downswing on an in-to-out path. Generally, the shoulders and hips will also be in a closed position which encourages this in-to-out swing through impact.
Clubface
Keeping the clubface square to the actual target line at address and through impact will impart sidespin to the ball and the ball will move from right to left in the air. Commonly known as a draw and a shot that many players have spent their entire golfing careers trying to achieve.
Ball Position
Playing with a closed stance will automatically move the ball slightly further back in the stance. This helps the takeaway and also promotes a draw bias. Experiment with the ball position to find the best position for consistent results.
Ball Flight
The sidespin will move the ball from right to left in the air and should end up on the target line. Initially, the ball will take off to the right of the target, and then curve back to the line where the clubface was pointing at address. This draw spin on the ball creates a penetrating flight, especially in windy conditions.
Trajectory
The clubface at impact from the in-to-out swing path, will not only generate a draw sidespin on the ball but will also determine the trajectory. The more closed the face is at impact, the lower the trajectory will be. Basically, the closed face reduces the loft on the club, resulting in a lower trajectory and ball flight.
Distance
The word all golfers love to hear and talk about. A golf ball hit with a draw bias will penetrate the air better, and will also roll out further on the fairway. Depending on the fairway conditions this can be fairly significant. 10 to 15 meters on the ground means hitting one club less into the green.
Why do you need a closed stance in golf?
Benefits Of A Closed Golf Stance. The benefits of the closed stance are most closely related to the fact that you won’t slice the ball when you are standing close to your target. The closed stance can help golfers that struggle to release the ball actually turn it over as they come through impact. In addition, the closed stance can also lower ...
What are the disadvantages of a closed stance in golf?
One of the disadvantages here is that the closed golf stance can be exaggerated and result in a hook. The hook is a rough shot to recover from and will almost always cause you to have to punch out of the trouble or take a penalty shot.
How does stance affect golf swing?
The stance can impact the alignment, distance, and launch angle of the shots. Depending on how you have your stance, your ball can fly higher or lower, it can fly a long way or lose distance, and you can cause the flight of the ball to go left or right as well. Golfers tend to get a bit too involved in some of their golf swing mechanics.
What does a golf stance mean?
The golf stance sets you up to hit golf shots. If your stance is aiming you left, you will hit the ball left; if it’s aiming you right, you will hit it right. Getting your stance correct can only mean good things for your golf game. When your stance is not right, you are going to have trouble with your takeaway and getting the swing on plane.
What is square stance?
What Is The Square Golf Stance. A square golf stance is the standard golf stance . This is where you stand with your feet, shoulder, hips, and clubface all parallel and all square directly to your target. This is the main stance in golf that all players should be using.
Why is stance important in golf?
The golf stance is such an important feature of the golf game. If your stance is not solid, you are going to end up having a hard time getting the club on the plane and completing a golf swing the way you would like to.
What does a closed stance look like?
The closed stance looks a lot like a golfer with the right foot (right handed golfer) dropped back. This is essentially the same thing but is the feeling that most golfers have when they set up with a closed stance. Their body is closed to the target.
How to swing a golf club from the inside?
For a right-handed golfer, this means the left hip shifts over the lead foot. Raise the lead arm slightly. When you make these changes in your stance , you find it’s easier and more natural to swing the club from the inside.
What happens at the top of a golf swing?
The club face position and lead forearm match the angle and position of your wrist. In other words, there is one, clean line at the top of your swing.
What is the best grip for golf?
Here are the three basic grips you see among golfers. Neutral grip: If you look down at the thumb of your lead hand and see 2 – 2 ½ knuckles from your index and middle fingers, you have a neutral grip. Weak grip: If you look down on your thumb and can’t see any knuckles on the lead hand, you have a weak grip.
What is a slice in golf?
For a right-handed golfer, a slice is a golf shot in which the ball curves to the right. If you’re left-handed, a slice is defined as a leftward curve. A slice is also called a “fade.”.
What does a strong grip look like?
A strong grip results from a clockwise rotation in your wrist. Another way to think of it: in a strong grip, your lead hand looks like it’s revving a motorcycle. Now, none of these grips is necessarily bad. In fact, you see all three grips among the world’s best golfers.
Why is swing speed important?
It’s true that swing speed is essential when you want to add distance to your drives. It’s also true that improving distance is a reliable way to get your scores down. However, when you swing at maximum speed, you lose your ability to control the orientation of your club face.
What angle should a golf club head be?
A 45-degree angle on the clubhead. Both arms parallel to the ground and extended straight. If you hook the ball, you’ll likely notice that your clubhead is rotated to the left at the finish. If you hit a slice, you’ll see the clubhead rotated toward the right. These tips may be a lot to take in at first.
When hitting a golf shot with an iron or wedge, should the ball be on the inside of your front foot?
When you hit a golf shot with an iron or a wedge, you need for there to be a descending blow.
What is the stance of a wedge shot?
The stance for a wedge shot is much more narrow, and the ball may appear closer to the back foot, but it should still be close to the middle of the stance. 4. Balance and Weight Distribution. An essential part of a proper golf stance is making sure that your body weight is distributed correctly.
Why do people have their feet touching when hitting wedge shots?
Many people will have their feet almost touching when they are hitting certain wedge shots around the green. Having some flexibility in the width of your feet while taking your golf stance is quite important . 2. Posture. Having great posture can lead to other positives in your golf swing like swing plane and balance.
Why is posture important in golf?
The most important thing about posture is to ensure you have the proper spine angle and that your arms can hang freely.
Why do you put weight in the center of your golf ball?
Having the weight in the center will help your stance to stay more in control, and it will cause a lot less leaning forwards and backward as you get into the impact position. When you set up to hit a golf ball, it is ok to have just a little more weight on the right leg (for right-handers).
How to get into proper golf posture?
The best way to get yourself into the proper posture is to stand tall, holding the golf club out in front of you.
What happens when your feet are shoulder width apart?
When your feet are shoulder-width apart, your body will have the proper mix of rotational ability and balance. These two factors are most significantly affected by how wide your golf stance is. When your feet are more than shoulder width apart, you will have a lot more balance, but it is difficult to rotate and transfer weight properly.
MelloYello
As someone who's done the same thing I can about guarantee that you've got it coming too far inside on the take-away. That's a problem I have to fight against going back to as well! You don't necessarily have a problem coming over-the-top but you're probably making really hard on yourself not to do that since you've got it too inside.
bmill
Can I ask a question on this? If a slight OTT move is natural or normal or powerful for a golfer, and a closed stance compensates for this, why is this a bad thing to do long term? Is this what Snead did? I know that square to square is philosophically ideal, but I have never heard why this would actually stall someone or cause them to peak at less than potential? Serious question - I struggle with OTT because I tend to want to turn my shoulders hard and out of sync with the rest of my body.
jamie
I'm a low capper but I practice my wedges from a closed stance to encourage covering the ball. Sometimes I get lazy and get too inside and fat my 100yds and in. With closed stance I really have to rotate.
NoTalentLefty
I like to read old posts on topics that I struggle with. This is one. Playing a closed stance on all clubs but some speciality shots like chips and putting. Should I change it? After reading this I’m okay with it.
Any Round of Golf Will Require Basic Shots to be Played to Complete Every Hole
The opening shot on each par 4 or par 5 is mostly played with the driver. Not only is it the longest club in the bag, but it is the most difficult to control. The loft on the driver can vary from 6 degrees up to 12 degrees.
Shots to Improve your Game
The ability to hit different shape shots during play is the key to lowering the handicap and lower scores. Golf courses are designed to challenge the player with every shot, and to meet this challenge requires some advanced skills. Here are the types of shots and a brief description of how to execute them:
How to Hit a Fade?
As with the draw, there are a few basics that encourage a shot with a fade bias.
1. The Punch Shot
This is played mostly when the ball is in the trees with over-hanging branches that block the intended target line. It can be played with any club in the bag, but the main criteria are to keep the ball flight below the tree branches.
2. Stinger
Tiger Woods perfected this shot and often plays it off the tee with a 2 or 3 iron. It is a low fade that stays beneath the wind. A great shot for links courses. The shot is played with the ball set back in the stance and the clubface “hooded” or slightly closed through impact.
3. The Flop Shot
Phil Mickelson is the master of this shot. It is played from a fluffy lie over a greenside bunker or water, to a tight pin position. The shot is played forward in an open stance, with an open face sand wedge or lob wedge. It flies high, and over the hazard with plenty of backspin, and stops quickly.
Final Thoughts
Learning to play a draw or fade is important if the intention is to lower the handicap and improve the all-around game. Doglegs will no longer present problems, and when out of position on a hole, it is a “get out of jail” card. Manufacturing a shot on the course successfully is almost as good as hitting a 300-meter drive!
What are the effects of an open stance on a golf club?
Effects. The first immediate effect of adopting an open stance is that it opens up the clubface relative to the swing line, which will increase the loft of the club . Ultimately this will lead to shots that are higher in altitude than what is normally associated with a given club.
What is an open stance in tennis?
An open stance is one where the toe line – or again the heel line – is not parallel to the target line but will instead cross it behind the ball. In other words, the toe line of an open stance will be aimed at the left of the target.
How to use square stance?
Square stance. In order to adopt a square stance you simply place both feet in a way that the toe line (and even better the heel line) is parallel to the target line. It is indeed better to use the heel line when setting up because that line is undisturbed by foot flaring – if any – which will change the toe line without impacting the stance.
What happens when you close your stance?
The immediate effect of closing your stance is that it closes the clubhead relative to the swing line, which decreases the loft of the club. Ultimately, this leads to balls that fly lower than what the club was designed for. Indeed, while the club is still square to the target line, it is closed relative to the swing line.
How to set up your feet properly?
How to Set Up Properly. You first position your feet for a closed stance by setting up in a normal, square stance. Then it is simply a matter of lifting your left foot from the ground and advancing it forward while rotating around your right foot. Finally, you move your right foot slightly in order for it to rest comfortably on ...
How are feet positioned relative to the ball?
In addition to how feet can be positioned relative to the ball or to each other, the feet can also vary in how they are positioned relative to the target line. The positioning of the feet in relation to the target line is called the stance and there are three main positions, which are explained below.
How to set up for an open stance?
How to Set Up Properly. In order to position yourself properly for an open stance you are best to adopt a square stance first. After adopting a neutral stance you can then move on to making the adjustments which simply involves lifting your left foot from the ground and withdrawing it slightly back . Then it’s simply a matter of rotating your right ...
Why is it important to play wedge shots from an open stance?
Smith advises playing wedge shots from an open stance because “you won’t have time to get your left side out of the way” if you take a short backswing from a normal stance.
How to move your foot back in golf?
Step 1. Assume a normal stance , with both feet in line with the target, then move your front foot back a few inches. The exact distance to move your foot back will depend on your comfort level and swing mechanics. It’s a good idea to do your experimenting at the driving range to determine the foot positioning that works for you.
What is Bubba Watson's stance?
Bubba Watson uses an open stance during the 2010 Ryder Cup. A golf stance is square if your toes are on a line parallel to your target line -- forming what might look line railroad tracks. To open your stance, adjust your feet so the line points farther left (for a righthanded golfer).
