Start off with your feet shoulder width and point your toes toward the target line. Next, allow the left toe to flare out approximately 30 degrees to the left. The toes on the right foot are normally square and point directly at the target line creating a 90 degree angle.
How far apart should your feet be for a golf swing?
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart like you do in other sports. All these recommendations are misinformation even though the intentions may be good. The setup width should be based on the fundamentals of your anatomy and the fundamentals of what you’re trying to achieve in the golf swing.
What foot do you Put your weight on in a golf swing?
Transfer your weight back to your left foot as you swing down and through the ball to your finish. Finish with your left foot flat and your right heel directly over the toes of your right foot. Your weight should be almost entirely on the left foot at the finish of the golf swing.
Can you stand too narrow in the golf swing?
You can’t stand super narrow because you’re not going to have any stability; you won’t have a good foundation. Your other goal with determing proper stance width has to do with impact. The most important part of the golf swing is getting perfectly stacked on the left side at impact so that you can rotate freely.
Can adjusting the position of your feet improve your golf swing?
Many of these amateur golfers can eliminate poor swings just by making an adjustment in the positioning of their feet. Positioning your feet correctly will promote the proper balance and hip turn throughout the swing.
How does a wider stance affect your swing?
Adopting a wider stance lowers your center of gravity slightly, allowing you to become more stable on your feet as you address the club on the ground and as you execute your swing.
How to assume a wider stance?
Wide Stance. In order to assume a wider stance you will need to position your feet further away from each other that you normally would. Specifically, a good wide stance sees the outside of your shoulders line up with the inside of your feet.
What is a very narrow stance?
Very Narrow Stance. Certain types of shots require a narrower stance still. In order to adopt a very narrow stance you will need to position your feet so that the width of your shoulder dwarfs the distance between them.
What effect does lowering the center of gravity have on a driver?
Another effect of lowering your center of gravity is that it tends to lower the bottom of the swing arc. This in turn can lead to greater odds of hitting fat shots – where the club penetrates the ground before making impact with the ball.
Why should shoulders line up with feet?
Because this is the default athletic position in golf in can be used for most ‘normal’ shots. Erring away from that position is done in order to achieve specific objectives or ...
What does narrowing your stance do?
Narrowing your stance will lead to a higher center of gravity, at least compared to a normal and wide stance. This adjustment will lead you to feel less stable on your feet than you would otherwise. As such, it is best reserved for smaller clubs or for smaller swings and is best avoided for long clubs and wide swings.
How to adopt a narrow stance?
Narrow Stance. In order to adopt a narrow stance you will need to position yourself so that width of your shoulders matches that of your feet. Specifically , you will want to see the outside of your shoulders line up with the outside of your feet.
What is shoulder width stance?
Golfer with a shoulder-width stance. The way you set up your stance can have a direct effect on your golf swing and shot. Amateur golfers too often set up in a position that makes a proper swing difficult to execute. Many of these amateur golfers can eliminate poor swings just by making an adjustment in the positioning of their feet.
How to put a golf club in a shotgun?
Step 1. Grip the club and step up to the ball with your feet together. Square the clubface to your target before taking your stance, then take a shoulder-width stance and position the ball properly. Position the ball 3 to 4 inches inside the left heel (for a right-handed golfer) for a standard iron shot. Position the ball off the inside of the left ...
How to get backswing balance?
Keep your right foot square, or perpendicular to the target line. This will help you rotate the proper amount with your hips on the backswing. Rotating too much with your hips on the backswing can pull you off balance.
How to get weight shift on left foot?
Turn your left foot out toward the target about 20 degrees, relative to the target line. This will allow your hips to turn toward the target at impact and during the follow-through. This will also promote a proper weight shift to your left foot on the follow-through.
Why is my stance width important in golf?
Your stance width needs to allow you to get on your left side at impact to rotate freely and avoid injuries. You don’t see a lot of injuries happening during the golf backswing because there’s not as much force and speed happening. But the downswing can cause issues such as back problems, hip problems, and knee problems.
Which side of the golf swing is the most important?
The most important part of the golf swing is getting perfectly stacked on the left side at impact so that you can rotate freely. This is where some of the highest forces in the golf swing occur on your body, on this left side coming in the downswing and into impact. And so this is where a lot of injuries occur.
How to determine proper stance width?
Determining the proper golf stance width is one of those things in golf instruction that there’s a lot of conflicting information on. You've certainly heard all of these before from various golf instructors: Stand really wide so you can be really stable. Stand really narrow so you can rotate better. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart like ...
How to be more stable in sports?
Stand really wide so you can be really stable. Stand really narrow so you can rotate better. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart like you do in other sports. All these recommendations are misinformation even though the intentions may be good.
What is a wide stance in golf?
In a wide stance, your feet will be furthest apart from each other while still allowing for a full golf swing to be performed comfortably. In that setup, the inside of your feet line up with the outside of your shoulders. Using a wide stance allows for the greatest stability and is normally reserved for shots made using a driver, ...
Why do you use a wide stance?
Using a wide stance allows for the greatest stability and is normally reserved for shots made using a driver , where the clubhead is furthest away from your body. Down on the scale you’ll find the normal stance next. That setup calls for your feet to be as far apart as your shoulders are wide.
How to position yourself for a narrow setup?
You position yourself for such a setup by moving your feet close to one another, almost to the point where they touch each other. Adopting a very narrow setup is normally associated with very delicate shots that are produced using limited swings. Examples for these are short chips a few feet removed from the green.
How to activate lower body during golf swing?
Your feet might be the least of your worries now, but by focusing on a few small tweaks in your heels and toes , you can help activate your lower body throughout your swing. “Foot action determines so many things within the golf swing that it’s almost indescribable,” Jack Nicklaus says.
How does Jack Nicklaus explain the golf swing?
Jack Nicklaus explains how your feet are holding back your swing. Jack Nicklaus breaks down how to fix up your feet throughout your golf swing. One of the most common misconceptions about the golf swing is the importance of the lower body. Sure, your upper body is doing the hard work — striking the ball and pulling the club through ...
What happens if your stance is too narrow?
Conversely, if your stance is too narrow, your lower body becomes way too active — good for the dance floor but not when you’re looking to catch shots solid on the course. An overactive lower body throws off your timing and balance.
What happens if you set up too wide?
Here’s what happens: If you set up too wide at address, you’re going to have a doozy of a time opening your hips through impact and transferring your weight to your lead side , especially if you’re not as flexible or athletic as you used to be.
Should you put your feet in the correct position before starting the club back?
It should never happen in the first place, because let’s be honest: Setting your feet in the correct position before you start the club back is probably the easiest thing you can do in this game. After 30 years of teaching, I’m still amazed how most recreational golfers choose to ignore fundamentals such as stance width.
