Developing The Proper Golf Stance
Jack Nicklaus has a simple philosophy about the proper golf stance -
“If you setup correctly, there’s a good chance you’ll hit a reasonable shot, even if you make a mediocre swing. If you setup the ball poorly, you’ll hit a lousy shot even if you make the greatest swing in the world.”
Your stance in golf is also referred to as the address, or set-up. It is the foundation of your golf swing.
When you build a house, you start with the foundations, and it needs to be built well. A proper golf stance is key to creating a good golf swing. If you get it wrong, you will never develop a consistent golf swing.
Don’t worry if you don’t have a good golf swing stance right now. You can learn more in my free report that I will tell you about a bit later.
Developing the correct stance for golf accomplishes three things:
1. Because your posture is correct and feet positioned correctly you will have good balance.
2. Your body will have the ability to coil and uncoil throughout the entire swing.
3. You will have the ability to generate the maximum power from your swing.
So, what’s the best way to develop the proper golf stance?
Balance and Alignment
When you address the ball, your shoulders, hips, knees and feet need to be in the same line as the target line. To get the correct alignment, try laying a club on the ground, pointing towards the target. Then place your toes just off the club, and make sure all everything else is in line with your feet.
Feet Position
For good balance, it is important to have your feet the correct distance apart. As a rule, they should be shoulder width apart for mid irons, 5 centimeters wider for long irons and woods, and 5 centimeters narrower for short irons.
Your back foot should be square to the target. The front foot needs to be pointing slightly towards the target. Around 20 to 40 degrees is ideal. This allows for the correct rotation during the downswing.
Ball Position
The position of the ball in relation to your feet will vary depending on the type of shot and the lie of the ball. Generally, the following is for an average lie on flat ground.
With short irons and wedges, the ball should be in the middle of the stance.
Mid irons should have the ball slightly forward toward the target.
When playing a long iron or fairway wood, the ball should be about 2 balls width toward the target from the center.
For the driver, the ball should be about 3 balls width from center.
Weight Distribution
In order to develop the proper golf stance we need to consider weight distribution. Avoid the tendency to put your weight on your heels or toes, but rather, keep your weight on the balls of each foot.
When playing mid irons, the weight should be distributed evenly on both feet. For short irons, try to put about 60% of your weight on your front foot and with long irons and woods, about 60% weight on your back foot.
As you address the ball, keep your knees slightly flexed and directly over the balls of your feet. Your hands will hang slightly forward of your midline. Your shoulders and arms will form a triangle with your elbows pointing toward your hips.
A great way to develop a correct stance for golf is visit a golf professional. Within a short time they will have those foundations built so that you can build the rest of your swing with confidence.
Learn more about the proper golf stance, and loads more golfing tips in my FREE report. Enter your first name and email address below and grab your copy.
