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which is worse in golf; standing too close to the ball or too far away?

by Hoyt Abbott Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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While standing too far away is a problem we commonly see in high handicappers, standing a fraction too close to the ball close to the ball can be just as detrimental to your game. We even find that some people will be standing too close with their driver and too far away with their irons.

One of the most common faults is standing too close to too far from the ball. Standing too far from the golf ball will result in poor posture, which could result in inconsistent shots and no control over the ball. Standing too far can result in less distance, heel shots, and can cause you to lose balance easily.

Full Answer

Is standing too far from the golf ball bad?

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. Standing too far from the golf ball is even more likely to cause a slice than standing too close to it, and it results in other serious problems as well.

Should you stand or stand when you hit a golf shot?

Unfortunately, there is no perfect place to stand when getting ready to hit a golf shot, as all players are different. Some golfers like the feeling of making an upright swing while standing close to the ball, while others prefer to have more room and like to swing in on a flat plane.

Is your golf swing flatter when you stand close to the ball?

If you move your feet farther away from the ball at address, it is likely that your swing will become flatter. On the other hand, if you stand closer, you’ll probably make a more upright swing.

How important is standing in the right place when playing golf?

Additionally, as with standing too close to the ball, when you’re too far away it can limit your ability to rotate properly through the swing, thus robbing you of both power and accuracy. So, we can see that standing in the right place is important, but how do you make it happen?

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What happens if you stand too close to golf ball?

Standing too close to the golf ball will result in incorrect posture, which in turn results in inconsistent hits and inaccurate hits. Standing too close can result in a shank or a slice, depending on the posture of the player.

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 you stand away from the golf ball?

The ideal distance you stand from the ball is best measured by taking your bottom hand off the club at address and seeing if the butt end of the club is a hand span from your front leg. Checking the separation between the end of the club and your leg will help you swing the club on the proper plane.

Can standing too far from the ball cause a slice?

Does Standing Too Far Away Cause A Slice. It certainly can. As you come in to impact your hands will have to be reaching for the ball this can lead to an inconsistent swing path to impact. This can result in the chances of both slices and hooks depending on the path of the club.

Do most golfers stand too far from the ball?

3:237:24How Close Should You Stand To The Golf Ball? - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo typically when you're farther away you're gonna be using more bigger pieces your body your biggerMoreSo typically when you're farther away you're gonna be using more bigger pieces your body your bigger muscles. You're gonna lose a little bit of speed. Because you're not using the the whip.

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.

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.

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.

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.

How far should a 7 iron go?

Average 7 Iron Distances are following: Beginning golfers- 100 yards (men) or 60 yards (women) Intermediate golfers- 135 yards (men) and 75 yards (women) Advanced golfers- 165 yards (men) or 140 yards (women)

Why do I slice with my driver but not my irons?

The main reason that a driver will slice, but not the irons, is the length of the club. With a golf driver being longer than a golf iron, it is much harder to square the club face and release the club at the proper time. Golfers of all ability levels struggle with this concept.

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 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 is a swing plane?

When you are standing too close to the ball, you will swing with a plane that is too upright. This can tend to cause more of a slice or even shanks.

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.

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.

Can Standing Too Close to the Golf Ball Cause a Slice, Yup

Standing too close to the ball results in a bad posture, balance loss, reduction of arm extension since it does not give you enough space and a change in swing path resulting in a slice. It makes you lose your balance, and your weight is not evenly distributed on the feet, resulting in inconsistency.

How to Correct the Slice

Correcting the slice of your ball is not always easy when you start, especially when you are alone with your problem. The more your golf ball goes slice, the more you try to make it go to the left and the more it turns to the right. It gets worse and worse!

Our Final Thoughts!

Now you know that why standing too close to the ball can cause a slice, a not-so-appreciated shot in golf, often associated with beginners or amateur golfers. But with the right posture and the right distance, you can avoid it. All it takes is more practice until you realize the right stance distance according to your height.

How to hit your first shot in golf?

With your seven iron in hand and a number of golf balls waiting nearby, you are ready to hit your first shot. This first shot should be played with your feet in their usual position. Before you hit the shot, however, reach down and lay another golf club on the ground just in front of your toes.

What happens when you back up a golf club?

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.

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.

What is swing plane?

The swing plane is the path that the shaft of the club takes during the action of hitting a shot. Your initial plane is established at address when you set the head of the club down behind the ball. Then, once the swing begins, you can either attempt to maintain the same swing plane for the entire swinging action, ...

What is the swing path of a golf club?

Basically, your swing path is the path traced by the club head as it moves down through the hitting area. So, if your club head travels directly down the intended target line toward the target, you are said to be swinging perfectly ‘down the line’.

Feedback

speaking from very recent experience, standing too close can also cause you to lift up too early in your follow through since you're trying to create space (thanks again for that tip, monte!).

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I notice that when I stand too close, my hands get too high at address and my spine angle is way too vertical which leads to a turn that is way too flat. On a short note................it is all very bad !!

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Interesting comments. My fault is getting too far from the ball, and this leads me to lose my spine angle and early extend, and has caused hosel rockets in the past.....

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How far should a golf club touch your left leg?

The club should touch your left leg about two inches above the kneecap. (A little higher if you tend to grip down more than an inch.) If it's considerably higher than two inches, you're probably standing too close to the ball. Lower than two inches and you're too far away.

How to address a golf ball?

Any club will work, driver through lob wedge. Carefully place the butt of the grip on your left leg while retaining your address posture. Make sure not to change the position of the clubhead or lock your knees. The club should touch your left leg about two inches above the kneecap.

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 ...

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.

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.

Can you repeat the same shot over and over again?

One of the great challenges in the game of golf is the fact that you can’t just repeat the same swing and shot over and over again. You are going to encounter countless different situations on the course, and successful golfers are able to adapt to those changes.

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.

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