Standing too far from the golf ball causes multiple issues, such as loss of speed, slicing, loss of balance, heel hits, an altered swing path, pushes, and hooks. Standing too far from the ball is common among beginner players. A stance that is too far away from the golf ball can be just as bad as a stance that is too close to the ball.
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 close should you stand from the golf ball?
It Starts with Great Posture
- Back Straight. You want to keep your back as straight as possible from your waist on up into your neck. ...
- Knees Flexed. Along with a straight back position, you should also have your knees flexed at least slightly. ...
- Tilt Forward from the Hips. Many golfers go wrong here. ...
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. ...
What happens if you stand too far from ball with driver?
Standing too far away from the ball causes the golfer to overextend the arms or lean in toward the ball, which leads to a loss of balance, a change in the swing path, heel hits, hooks and pushes.
How do I know if I'm standing too far from golf ball?
1. Too Far. As Bova illustrates: Set up to the golf ball and once you're comfortable, let go of the club with your trail hand. If your hand swings closer to your body, that's an indication that you're standing too far away from the ball.
Is it better to stand closer to golf ball?
Stand closer to the ball and allow the hands and butt end of the club to be no further than three inches from the body. The closer the better. Standing too far away from the ball and reaching out will cause a low trajectory, cause a golfer to cast the club, come over the top and hit the ball on the toe of the club.
How far should I stand away from the golf ball?
0:227:24How Close Should You Stand To The Golf Ball? - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAll right so let's go through a step-by-step system here to get the proper spacing from the golfMoreAll right so let's go through a step-by-step system here to get the proper spacing from the golf ball. And and I'll talk about the main points at the end of this the highlights. But let's just go
Why do pros stand so close to golf ball?
Standing close to the ball helps players have a slightly Upright swing path and can help with being able to get the ball to stop on the green. In addition, a higher ball flight helps ensure that you get the ideal distance with each of your shots.
Can a strong grip cause fat shots?
Fat shots. One of the other signs of an overly strong grip is the tendency to hit the ball fat, especially on short iron shots. As mentioned above, a strong grip makes it easy to release the club on the way down, and an early release could cause you to stick the club in the ground behind the ball.
Does standing further away with driver?
Standing too far away with the driver places your shoulders in a bad position and will more likely result in a slice rather than a full drive. Step just slightly closer to the ball and you will notice a significant change in your swing and the impact the driver makes with the ball.
How far away should I stand with my driver?
0:321:47How Close Should You Stand to the Golf Ball? (Golf Driver Drills)YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd your hands are going to be just barely above your belt.MoreAnd your hands are going to be just barely above your belt.
Should you stand tall in the golf swing?
Standing tall makes it easy to turn through the shots and easy to turn in the backswing – it suits a lot of golfers. Jason Day and Rory McIlroy have very athletic postures because they work out a lot and this helps them really stand over the ball, but this type of posture might not be for everyone.
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.
Why do I keep hitting the ground before the ball?
When a player hits the ground before the ball it is generally because their club is attacking the ball from too shallow an angle. Golf coaches refer to this as the "Angle of Approach".
What happens if you move closer to the ball?
If you were to move in closer to the ball, you would have to stand the club up in a steeper position just to form a reasonable stance. If you trace the plane that the shaft has formed at address and continue it through the swing, you will wind up with a relatively steep swing plane.
How to be consistent in golf?
By knowing what type of swing plane you are trying to use, and by repeating that plane over and over again, you can become a more consistent player. If your swing plane is changing from swing to swing, it will be nearly impossible to produce the kinds of reliable results that consistent golfers require.
What is the plane of a golf swing?
Swing plane is important in golf. The plane of your swing refers to the path that the shaft of the club takes during the backswing and downswing. By using the right plane to match up with the rest of the mechanics in your swing, you can set yourself up for solid ball striking shot after shot. On the other hand, if your swing plane is ...
Why do golfers use the swing plane?
Golf teachers often use swing plane to help their students improve, and they will frequently draw lines over top of video recordings of the player’s swing in order to help them understand the concept.
What is a one plane swing?
As the names would indicate, a one-plane swing is one where the player attempts to maintain the same plane throughout the swing from start to finish. On the other hand, a two-plane swing has the golf switch planes during the swinging action, usually at the top as the club begins to move into the downswing.
Why do you need to swing plane in golf?
The reason that you need to be concerned with swing plane in the short game is because of the loft that is on each of your clubs (yes, even your putter has loft). For example, when the toe of the club is up in the air, the loft of the club will cause the face to actually be aimed left of where you are looking. Likewise, if the heel of the club is in the air, the club will be aimed to the right of where you are trying to hit the shot. Setting the club flat on the ground and then swinging along that plane will take these complicating factors out of the equation.
How to set up a flatter golf swing?
It comes down to the angle that the shaft forms with the ground when you set up for your shots. As you back up, the shaft is naturally going to have to lay down in a flatter position. That means you are immediately set up for a flatter overall swing shape. If you were to move in closer to the ball, you would have to stand the club up in a steeper position just to form a reasonable stance. If you trace the plane that the shaft has formed at address and continue it through the swing, you will wind up with a relatively steep swing plane.
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.
How Do I Know If I’m Standing Too Far Away From The Ball?
However, if you are new then you need some checks you can run through to make sure you’re set-up as you should be.
What Are The Benefits Of Standing Closer To The Ball?
However, many golfers out there do stand too far away and it is killing their swings
What Is The Correct Distance To Stand From The Ball?
Well this depends what club you’re using, obviously you’ll stand further from a driver than a wedge. However, with every club, it is important your hands hang naturally as mentioned above and shown in the picture of Joost Luiten below.
Why is standing too far away bad?
As an extension of points three and four, standing too far away can cause you to be too flat on the backswing then cast over the top on the downswing to try and fix this . It results in a very inconsistent presentation of the club to the ball which gives the horribly inconsistent shots.
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.
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.
Why do you stand slightly farther away from the ball?
Standing just slightly farther away from the ball gives you the room to rotate properly during your swing.
Why is standing farther away from the ball better?
Standing farther away from the golf ball helps you get a better hit that is designed for distance.
What arc does a golf swing follow?
Your swing will follow through with the right arc in your downswing and the best impact without throwing you off balance.
Why is it so hard to learn to have a perfect stance?
Learning to have the perfect stance can be a challenge because you can actually adjust your stance to achieve specific functions.
How does standing farther help you swing?
With the proper distance, standing slightly further away, your swing will increase compression and give you more distance when you strike the ball.
What happens when you add a little extra thought to a ball?
It’s driven by instinct and you just stand to hit the ball. But when you add a little extra thought, you may decide to move closer or farther away.
What happens if you stand too far away from a driver?
Your driver is most likely your longest club and it seems to throw people off. Standing too far away with the driver places your shoulders in a bad position and will more likely result in a slice rather than a full drive.
1. Too Far
As Bova illustrates: Set up to the golf ball and once you’re comfortable, let go of the club with your trail hand. If your hand swings closer to your body, that’s an indication that you’re standing too far away from the ball.
2. Too close
The opposite will happen if you’re standing too close to the golf ball. Let go with your trail hand, and it’ll swing out in front of the club.
3. Just Right
And if you’re perfect? You’ll know if you drop your trail hand off the golf club and your hand swings even with the grip, parallel to your body.
What happens if you stand too close to the ball?
You lose balance and swing speed. Depending on the type of club you’re using, your swing speed is reduced considerably if you stand too close to the ball.
How to Achieve the Right Distance from the Golf Ball?
But do you determine the right distance? Getting the right distance neither requires you to measure using a tape, nor is it a matter of guesswork.
How does a short height affect golf swing?
Players with a short height can increase their swing speed and accuracy if they stand closer to the golf ball. Standing too far from the ball can be a disadvantage for them, so moving closer would help.
How does a golfer's handicap affect his swing?
According to pro golfers, a golfer with higher handicaps stands too close or far away from the ball.
How to check if a golf club is on the ground?
After taking a stand, take a final check by removing the lowest hand from your stick, putting it parallel to the ground, and bringing it between your body and the end of the stick. This way, you’ll find out that if you pull apart the fingers lightly, your thumb will brush the groin, while the little finger will brush the tip of the rod. Your body should be one hand off the tip of the rod when the club’s heel is resting squarely on the ground behind the ball.
Is it bad to stand too close to the ball?
Standing too far is as bad as it is to stand too close to the ball. If the ball is too far, you put too much weight on your toes to reach the ball, resulting in loss of balance on the downswing and off-center shots. If the ball is too far away from your body, you will have to stretch to hit it, bringing the arc of your swing too low, resulting in balance loss and, no matter how much force you use to hit the ball, you will end up pushing it to the left
Is it better to swing close or close to the ball?
It is always better to be a little too far than too close to the ball. Standing too close doesn’t allow you enough space to swing and will lead to the following results:
Where does the handle of a golf ball rest?
Here again we see the arms extending out just beyond vertical towards the ball. The handle rests straight down from the front edge of the shoulders.
How far away is a golfer from the butt?
For a golfer who is 6′ and up, this distance usually ends up around 7 inches from thigh to the butt of the club. For golfers around 5’4″-5’10”, it is around 6 inches. And golfers who are 5’2″ and under end up standing around 5 inches away, from thigh to club.
