Building a good golf stance
Published 21/08/2009 14:31:45 in Golf Tips
A good stance is vitally important for a solid and consistent swing. Think of it as the foundation that your golf shots are built on. If your foundations are weak, chances are your shot will be too.
Alignment of feet
Imagine yourself standing on a railtrack. Your feet are at the edge of one rail and your ball is at the other. The key here is to emphasise the stance should be square and paralell.
If your feet point left, there's a chance you'll hit the ball inside-to-out - curling right. If your feet point right, there's a chance the ball will curl outside-to-in - coming left.
Whilst more advanced golfers can control their stance to hit fade or draw shots, as a beginner you should always aim to be square.
Point your feet where you want the ball to go - it's that simple.
Width of stance
You should stand about shoulder-width apart for most shots, depending on the length of the club.
For driver and bigger clubs: slightly more than shoulder width. This means you're getting enough room to let the club swing whilst retaining balance.
For wedge and shorter clubs: narrow the stance a little (never too drastically) as the club is now a lot shorter.
You will be able to tell if your stance is too wide or narrow by the balance you have. If you feel like you're going to fall over, widen the stance.
Eventually you will pick up a good feel for how far your feet should be. Experiment on the driving range and it will become second nature.
Ball position in stance
Your ball should be somewhere between in line with your left heel and bang in the middle of your stance. Why the variation? For the same reasons as in the width of your stance. Let us explain.
For driver and longer clubs: ball should be in line with your left heel to allow maximum loft on the club
For wedge and shorter clubs: back towards the middle of the stance.
Stance tips
- Try to get someone to assess your stance - the position of your feet, shoulders, the distance from your ball etc.
- Film your swing if you can - it's often difficult to see where you're aiming and perhaps your friends aren't qualified to comment on your stance.
- Find a stance that's comfortable for you - everyone's bodies are different and our biomechanics are unique.