When the golf stance is too wide, you'll typically be pushing off the right side, which will drive your hip into the ball and cause you to lose your spine angle in the downswing.
What are the effects of a wide stance in golf?
The wide stance will cause the player to rotate the hips around the right leg and not allow the transfer of weight. This can cause the centre of the golf swing to be further back than the ball creating fat shots. A third effect a wide stance can have on the swing is the rotation of the shoulders whilst keeping the head still.
Why are golfers with wide feet so far apart?
With feet this wide, you can get a lot more stability in your swing, which usually results in faster swing speeds. The wider stance sets players up for a wider arc and, in turn, makes them able to create more clubhead speed. This is why when you see golfers like Bryson Dechambeau teeing up to hit a big drive, his feet are rather far apart.
How wide should your stance be when hitting golf clubs?
Most golf instructors say the width of your stance will depend on the club you are hitting. For driver, your feet should be slightly wider than shoulder width. For irons and wedges, they should be shoulder width apart.
Is your golf stance perfect?
When you set up to hit a golf ball, you must make sure that your golf stance is perfect. If your feet are not in the right place, your grip is off, and your posture is not how it should be, you may as well forget about taking the club back. The golf swing depends highly on the stability of your golf stance.
What does widening your golf stance do?
A wide golf stance is typically categorized as a stance where your feet are wider than shoulder width apart. With feet this wide, you can get a lot more stability in your swing, which usually results in faster swing speeds.
Is it better to have a wide or narrow stance in golf?
The widest stance should be taken with your driver, while the narrowest stance should be for putting and chipping. Because not all golfers look the same or have the same height and shoulder width, the stance may be different for each of us.
How wide should you golf stance be?
For your starting position, your legs should be shoulder width apart. If you are using a middle iron, this is your stance. Widen your stance for longer clubs such as drivers or woods. For short irons or wedges, bring your stance in by an inch or two.
Should I narrow my golf stance?
Narrowing your stance will allow for a better rotation in the back swing, which in turn will allow you to get your arms more around your body at the top, this will give you more chance of approaching the ball with a path to the right.
How far apart should feet be in golf stance?
shoulder width apart1) Start from the feet up Your feet need to be shoulder width apart, with the weight on the balls of the feet. This will help provide good stability. Stand too narrow and you'll fall over - or subconsciously swing less to stay balanced. Stand too wide, and your body won't be as free to strike the ball powerfully.
What does wide stance mean?
homosexualityNoun. wide stance (plural wide stances) (slang, euphemistic, sometimes humorous) homosexuality (as an attribute of a person)
Where should the ball be in your stance when hitting irons?
The ball should be in the middle of the tracks and you should be standing on the outside of them. The third alignment stick should be laid perpendicular to the other two and placed right around in the center pointing straight at the golf ball. This stick represents where the ball is placed in your stance.
Where should the ball be in your stance?
The simple rule – the longer the club, the further forward (towards your left foot) the ball should be in your stance. For example, when hitting a 3-iron or hybrid, the golf ball should be near your left foot. In contrast, an 8-iron shot would be closer to the middle of your stance.
Where should an 8 iron be in your stance?
centerPlay your short irons (wedges, 9-iron, and 8-iron) in the center portion of your stance. These clubs have the most upright lie angles. They must be swung at the steepest angle, and you should take a divot in front of the ball.
How wide should my iron backswing be?
0:191:55Titleist Tips: The Right Way to Create Width in Your Golf Swing - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIf you don't load at the right time when you keep it wide. And wide and wide and wider wide it's notMoreIf you don't load at the right time when you keep it wide. And wide and wide and wider wide it's not loaded all that's happening is your body's turning.
Why is a wider stance important in golf?
The wider stance can help reduce those that might end up with the issues of the legs being all over the place in the golf swing leading to some inconsistencies in the ball contact (fundamental #1) and the ability to consistently hit a consistent start line and curve (fundamental #2).
What is a wide stance?
A wide stance is when the feet are significantly wider or set outside of the shoulders. There are advantages and disadvantages and much of it comes down to a personal preference and what works for each individual golfer. There have been professional golfers that have used a wide stance, most notably Mo Norman. ...
What was Mo Norman's swing?
One of the greatest ball strikers of all time, Mo Norman, used an extremely wide stance which provided great stability in his golf swing. While he still had a complete turn, he was able to keep his club control and swing path more consistent than maybe anyone in the game of golf.
What is a push draw in golf?
I prefer my stock shot to be a push draw, which is a shot that starts right and surves back towards the target.
What is the ability to strike the ground in the same spot consistently?
Looking at fundamental #1, the ability to strike the ground in the same spot consistently might be aided by the wider stance. For others, they may struggle as the wide stance could move the bottom of the swing back a bit if the weight is not shifted properly.
Is golf a frustrating game?
Golf can be an exhilarating game, but also frustrating at the same time. The wonderful part of this is that it leads us to exploration within the golf swing. Over the past 30 years of playing, I have tried it all. The wide stance has advantages and disadvantages. See more below.
Is golf a game of adjustments?
Golf is a game of adjustments. Everyday you could feel somewhat different. Utilizing your athleticism and finding your game for that day is the key. To think that we are going to find the exact formula that is going to work everyday is maybe a bit misleading.
Is it better to have a wide or narrow stance in golf?
Having a stance that is the correct width for each club will provide optimal results than a stance that is too wide, or too narrow. For this reason, wider is not necessarily ‘better’. A stance that is too wide may restrict rotation, just as a too narrow stance may leave you unbalanced.
How wide should my stance be in golf?
No club is the same when it comes to the width of your stance. It’s important to adjust your set-up position to cater for this. Below, I’ll elaborate further on the correct stance for every club.
What happens if my golf stance is too wide?
A stance that is too wide will likely have a negative impact on your golf swing as it will restrict your hip turn, both in the backswing and downswing.
How does width of stance affect your golf swing?
Typically, a golf stance that is too narrow may lead to an unbalanced or unstable swing – especially when playing a full shot. On the other hand, a stance that is too wide can cause restriction of the hips, which may cause unwanted inefficiencies in your swing.
Final message
When it comes to the width of your stance in the golf swing, it’s important not to overcomplicate things.
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 are the disadvantages of wide stance golf?
The main disadvantage of the wide golf stance is going to be in the short game. It is nearly impossible to hit a small chip shot with finesse if your feet are more than shoulder width apart. The stance allows for too much power and too wide of an arc and that will not be necessary.
How does stance affect golf?
The golf stance can affect a few parts of your game. It can affect the speed of the club, your ability to turn and swing through the ball, and your balance as well. These factors are going to make or break your day on the golf course.
What does it mean when your golf stance is narrow?
Something you will notice about golfers with a narrow stance is that they tend to stand a bit more upright when they address the golf ball. Something about the feet being closer together can sometimes bring players a bit closer to the ball and increase their spine angle.
What is a narrow stance in golf?
A narrow golf stance is typically one that is slightly more narrow than shoulder width. The standard golf stance is about shoulder width apart with your feet; narrow stance golfers will have their feet even closer than this.
Why is a narrow stance better?
The main benefit of the narrow golf stance is that a golfer can have a much better rotation. Since your feet are not all that far apart, you can turn your body back and through the ball quite a bit easier . This type of rotation can also help some golfers start to hit the ball quite a bit straighter.
Why do you have to widen your stance when hooking a golf ball?
This is because with your feet being closer together, you will have an easier time wrapping the club around your body. For a golfer that slices the ball, the narrow stance is a great fix. However, if you happen to hook your golf ball, you will want to widen the stance just a bit.
Why is a narrow stance better for junior golfers?
Some juniors do better with a slightly wider stance because they can feel more balanced and in control. Women seem to have an easier time turning and creating a better tempo when the stance is narrow.
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.
Is it bad to take your ballstriking to new heights?
Another mistake you can easily avoid while taking your ballstriking to new heights is bad stance width. Keep reading to get it right. Making your stance too narrow or too wide at setup can force all sorts of difficult-to-time compensations later in your swing, some of which can become repetitive and take years to undo.