Proper Golf Stance

How to Position your Feet for Every Club
Perfect Golf Setup – Part 2

Golf StanceNow that you’ve checked your alignment and have yourself pointing in the right direction, the next step is to build a proper golf stance…

A golf stance is made up of several elements – the right width of stance, the right amount of knee flex, the angle of the feet and overall posture. We’ll look at posture in part 6 of this series.

A stance that is too narrow will prevent you from generating a lot of power in your golf swing. It will also make it difficult to keep your balance – which can severely compromise your ball striking.

But I see some golfers go too far the other way…

If your stance is too wide, you’ll find it difficult to shift your body weight during the swing (essential for power, timing and ball striking) and if you do, it will be more of a sway (something we want to avoid).

Watch the proper golf stance video below, or the read the video summary and we’ll move on to the next stage of a great set up:

Proper Golf Stance – Video Summary

  • Golf StanceTo ensure the correct width of your stance, measure the width of your shoulders using a club. Then make sure the insides of your feet are at least this wide apart for all full shots.

  • Use a wider stance for a driver and fairway woodsWiden your stance (insides of feet are 2-3 inches wider than shoulder width) for longer clubs such as fairway woods and the driver.

  • Use a narrower stance for short irons and wedgesReduce your stance width by an inch or two for short irons and wedges. For less than full shots (i.e. pitching and chipping, we don’t need a wide stance). See the pitching and chipping sections for more details.

  • Golf Stance: Don't flare your feet out. A slight left foot flare is acceptableAvoid pointing your toes out at too much of an angle. Your rear foot should be at right angles to the target line. Your front foot can be angled outwards but only slightly.

  • Golf Stance: Flex your knees a little; not too muchKnees should be lightly flexed but not bent.

  • Golf Stance: Position your weight in the middle of your feet and equally between your two feetYour body weight should be spread 50/50 between your toes and heels as well as 50/50 between your left and right foot for most shots.

Visit our Channel Visit our Channel

Follow Us