Best Way to Improve Your Golf with Correct Stance

Adopting the correct stance is easier if you have aimed the club head correctly, using the intermediate target as a guide. When the club is properly aimed, the club face is pointing along the target line at the intermediate target. Then place your feet, first the right and then the left, so that they are at right angles to the target line. In other words, a line drawn from your left toe to your right toe would be parallel with the target line.

Because your swing should be shorter the nearer you are to the green, withdraw your left foot from the line to prevent slackness creeping into the swing movement and to allow each part of your body to move in the correct sequence during the swing.

Normally, the longer the swing you intend to take, the wider the distance between your feet and the more weight you have on your right foot when you address the ball.

Always follow the same routine: club head behind the ball and aimed correctly at the intermediate target; then the right foot in position, followed by the left.

For the complete swing movement, with the ball suitably placed, you will find that by ‘softening’ (holding it less tensely) and bending your right elbow, your right shoulder will be lower than your left. This will bring your head and upper body in the correct position behind the ball. Be sure, however, that your body alignment is still correct. Everything – that is feet, knees, hips, shoulders and (equally important) eyeline – should be parallel to the target line. You may turn your head slightly to the right, giving the impression you are looking at the back of the ball with your left eye, but the eyeline must not deviate from the parallel.

Practicing the aim and stance

Place one club on the ground just on the far side of the ball, and another just in front of your feet. Both clubs should be parallel with the target line and when you stand to the ball, your eyes, shoulders, hips and feet should also be parallel to those clubs.

For short irons – a centred ball

Place your feet so that the ball is centred between them. This gives the club head a steeper approach to the ball on the downswing and helps to give the shot height and back-spin.

For the medium/long irons -forward in the stance

Place your feet so that the ball is more forward in the stance (closer to your left foot). This gives the club head a more shallow approach to the ball, making the ball fly further.

For the woods from the tee – inside the left heel

Place your feet so that the ball is just inside the left heel. This causes you to strike the ball on the upswing, after the swing has reached the lowest point of its arc, producing a shot that starts on a low trajectory and results in maximum length.

The different ball positions can be seen easily here. The shorter irons require the ball to be nearer the feet and centred or slightly to the right of centre. As the shaft increases in length, the ball should be increasingly nearer the left foot. As the ball is already in position, you must position your body to the ball, not vice versa!