Proper Golf Stance – Perfecting the Art

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What do a batter in baseball, a defensive lineman in football, and a server in tennis all have in common? The answer is that all these positions require a certain "stance" which helps the person in question to perform a certain action.

As much as the stance these players take in their chosen sport can help them perform better, the stance that a golfer uses on the course can play a huge part in their game. Proper footing, body position, and more can all lend itself in helping a golfer to perform better and attain a lower score.

Today we will take a look at the art of the golf stance and help you to improve upon your own while you are out playing, all in the hope of making you a better golfer overall.


perfect golf stance

3 Tips to Perfect your Golf Stance

A proper golf stance can help you keep your balance and give you more mobility throughout the game. Professional golfers can tell the kind of player based on his golf stance and posture.

1. Positioning your golf club first.

The first thing that you do for a proper golf stance is to position your club before the feet. When your standing, your shoulder, hips, and ankle are aligned. From that position, take your grip with your golf clubs parallel to the ground and then hinge from the hips and position your golf clubs behind the ball. With your club behind the golf ball, you can either move your front foot or move back an inch or two. Then slightly bend like you're in the fence with your ankle still aligned.

As you grip your golf clubs, your arms are hanging comfortably, forming a triangle. This will make sure that you are aiming at the target line correctly. After placing your clubhead behind the ball, you can now proceed with your balance.

2. Balance

One of the most important things you should take a look at in your golf stance is balance. Have you seen those professional players on how they planted their foot to the ground as they get ready to hit the ball? Your body weight should be spread on your toes and heels. Keep it even on both feet At the beginning, the width of your golf stance is about shoulder-width apart. For golf clubs like driver and wood, your stance should be slightly wider. For short irons golf clubs, your stance can be an inch or two. As you swing your club, you can slightly shift your body weight on the right foot, depending on the golf clubs you are using.

One thing that can also help your feet stay in place as you swing is your golf shoes. Stable shoes are important when you're hitting a golf ball. The type of shoes should also match the kind of environment in which you are playing. Are the area that you were regularly playing are dry, or it often rains. There are plenty of affordable golf shoes on the market, depending on weather conditions. If you were regularly playing in the area where it often rains, you should have waterproof shoes with spikes or nipple sole.

3. Stop creating too many angles.

After you position your feet, the next thing that you must look for is the angles. Make sure to avoid making a bad angle on your golf setup position. You need to be mindful of this one if you want to have the proper golf stance and avoid poor golf swing. You should bend your knee a little, lightly flexing your knees to engage your legs. Your foot should be positioned going slightly outward. The placement of your foot can affect your flexibility. When your shoulders angle and toes are in line, your body can coil effectively.

You can practice at home in front of the mirror if you would like to see your golf stance. How you stand up, your back alignment with your foot position. Not having proper posture affects your golf stance and is one of the causes of poor shots. If you want to see how much you can pivot, do this exercise. Set on a chair with crisscross hands on your body. Try to pivot your shoulder with at least no hips movement to see your ability to turn.


Do's and Don'ts of the Perfect Golf Stance

We listed the things that you should remember for a proper golf stance position.

Your Body

  • Line up your body with the position of your ball. To do this, take your club in hand and look down on your ball from the length of the club. This will bend your upper torso very slightly towards your ball, depending on club choice.
  • Tense your body up. Try to keep your muscles loose and flexible, to make your golf swing easier.
  • Over-adjust your position after you have addressed the ball. While you will have to move every once in a while depending on the club you are using, you should try to not move constantly. Constant movement and adjustment can have a negative effect on your shots, making them inconsistent and inaccurate.
  • Lean too much towards your ball. You will want to lean in just enough so that your club’s grip is above your waist and is being held at length. Should you choose to lean in more than this or stand further away from your ball, it can sacrifice power and accuracy as a result.

Your Shoulders

  • The alignment of your shoulders up parallel to each other. This means, as you move to face your target, the shoulder of your less-dominant arm should be pointing in the same direction as your target, with the opposite shoulder remaining perfectly aligned with the other, pointing the opposite direction.
  • Holding this type of shoulder positioning helps you when making your swings. Keeping your it parallel, you will be able to maintain a rhythm during your shot, allowing for better accuracy. In addition to this, maintaining the "square-like" position that this provides you help to keep the rest of your upper body in-sync throughout your shot.
  • Lean too much towards your ball. You will want to lean in just enough so that your club’s grip is above your waist and is being held at length. Should you choose to lean in more than this or stand further away from your ball, it can sacrifice power and accuracy as a result.

Your Hands

  • Place your hands in a way where they are slightly ahead of the golf ball. This will help you to line-up your shots by giving you a sort of visual aid, but also will help to keep your shots accurate by keeping your club straight.
  • Pull your hands further away from the ball by either moving them in another direction from the ball. Seeing as your hand and club position go, well, hand-in-hand, moving your hands in any position other than slightly ahead of the ball will cause you to have erratic shots.

Your Knees

  • Bend slightly at the knees while keeping your legs tight. This will keep you from losing your footing while also helping you to transfer weight and make more powerful shots.
  • Keep your knees too loose. This will actually have the opposite effect from above, making your shots weaker and possibly causing you to slip and become inaccurate.

Your Feet

  • Keep your feet straight, having them squared up with your shoulders. Doing so will allow you to more easily transfer weight while following through with your swing, and will help you to maintain balance.
  • Put too much weight on your feet. Try to put just the right amount of pressure onto your feet and legs, as putting too much will make it hard to move fluidly during your shots, and too little will make your shots much weaker than they could be.
chip shot

Conclusion

The golf stance makes up for a large portion of bad golf games. Even if your swing is on point, you put enough muscle into your shot, and the wind favors you, bad posture and positioning can still cause you to come up several feet short of your intended target.

While we can tell you all day of the best possible ways to improve your golf stance, all of this advice would be for nothing if you don't practice these techniques yourself. Practice makes perfect, as they say, so if you want to improve your golf stance and see the benefits that it has on your golf game for yourself, get out there and put these tricks to use!

Denny Putsh
Denny Putsh

With over 25 years experience in the world of golf, I've dedicated a significant portion of my life to appreciating this sport. From my early days swinging a club at 12 years old to now, my passion has only grown. While I avidly follow the PGA Tour, what truly captivates me is the evolution of golf equipment and technology. Over the years, I've familiarized myself with the latest gadgets, training aids, and golf accessories that enhance the golfing experience. My mission is to share this knowledge and enthusiasm with fellow golf aficionados, ensuring they have access to the best insights and recommendations. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned pro, I'm here to guide you through the dynamic world of golf innovation.

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