Where should I stand in my golf swing?
Rachel Ellis
Published Jan 12, 2026
The ideal distance you should stand from the golf ball is one where the butt of the club is pointing at your belt buckle and is about 6 inches away from your thighs. This should be the same for all clubs in the bag. It doesn't matter what club you're using, your arm position should be the same.
What happens if I stand too close to the golf ball?
Standing too close to the golf ball will result in incorrect posture, which in turn results in inconsistent hits and inaccurate hits. Standing too close can result in a shank or a slice, depending on the posture of the player.
What should my stance be for golf?
Your rear foot should be at right angles to the target line. Your front foot can be angled outwards but only slightly. Knees should be lightly flexed but not bent. Your 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.
Where should a 7 iron be in your stance?
As a general rule of thumb to base your ball placement off of your 7 iron should always be placed in the center of your stance. Then, shorter clubs (everything from an 8 iron to pitching wedge) you want to play toward your back foot.
How far should golf ball be from address?
(For shorter clubs, the ball should stay in line with the logo, but the stance should be narrower, making the ball more centered relative to the body.) As for distance from the ball, the butt of the grip at address should be about six inches from your body.
17 related questions foundShould hands be in front of ball with irons?
The grip and hands must be in front of the clubhead and ball. Many amateur golfers believe that the grip and clubhead come back to the position they are in during the setup. The hands and grip must move forward before the clubhead in order to properly compress and control the ball.
Is a wider stance better in golf?
A wide golf stance is typically categorized as a stance where your feet are wider than shoulder width apart. With feet this wide, you can get a lot more stability in your swing, which usually results in faster swing speeds.
How wide should my feet be for golf?
Most golf instructors say the width of your stance will depend on the club you are hitting. For driver, your feet should be slightly wider than shoulder width. For irons and wedges, they should be shoulder width apart. For pitching and chipping, your stance should be slightly narrower than shoulder width.
How far apart should your feet be when hitting irons?
Your feet need to be shoulder width apart, with the weight on the balls of the feet. This will help provide good stability. Stand too narrow and you'll fall over - or subconsciously swing less to stay balanced. Stand too wide, and your body won't be as free to strike the ball powerfully.
Should you stand tall in the golf swing?
Standing tall makes it easy to turn through the shots and easy to turn in the backswing – it suits a lot of golfers. Jason Day and Rory McIlroy have very athletic postures because they work out a lot and this helps them really stand over the ball, but this type of posture might not be for everyone.
How far should you hit a 7 iron?
A standard amateur golfer can hit a 7 iron from 128 yards to 158 yards. The lower range will be for women and senior golfers. To hit the ball over 150 yards in total distance with a 7 iron club, an amateur golfer will have to have a good swing and be physically fit.
How far should a beginner hit a golf ball?
A 9-iron should hit a golf ball 80 to 90 yards for a beginner, 125 to 135 yards for an average player and 135 to 145 yards for a professional player. For each number that the iron decreases, add about 10 to 15 yards to the distance.
Where should a 5 iron be in your stance?
Because you want to make ball-first contact and then have the iron bottom out just in front of the ball, you should play it just under your left pectoral muscle. The width of your stance will become second nature once you continue to keep the ball in the same spot.
Where does Tiger put the ball in his stance?
Woods points to the rear-most golf ball first. “When I set up to a golf ball, if I'm going to hit sand wedge, it's going to be in the middle of my stance,” he says.
Where do you put the ball in your stance for each club?
For each of the longer clubs, place the ball about a half an inch toward your front foot. Place the ball slightly inside the front foot using a driver.
Where should an 8 iron be in your stance?
Ball Position
Play your short irons (wedges, 9-iron, and 8-iron) in the center portion of your stance. These clubs have the most upright lie angles. They must be swung at the steepest angle, and you should take a divot in front of the ball.
Is it better to have a wide or narrow stance in golf?
The widest stance should be taken with your driver, while the narrowest stance should be for putting and chipping. Because not all golfers look the same or have the same height and shoulder width, the stance may be different for each of us.
Do any pro golfers swing out to in?
Craig Stadler, Craig Parry and many other champion golfers swing this way. Bruce Lietzke made a wonderful career on the PGA Tour with an “in-and-over” move.
Should senior golfers use a closed stance?
Senior golfers should also play out of a slightly closed stance. This means your stance will be aligned slightly to the right of your target. This will also increase your backswing turn. The swings that last the longest are the long swings.
Should hands be high or low at address?
At impact, your hands should return to the same place they were at address—no lower (as in closer to your body) and no higher (as in farther away from your body).
Should your hands be ahead of the ball at address?
At address, your hands should be slightly in front of the ball – exactly where you want them to return when you make contact. Also, make sure your left wrist (for a right-handed golfer) is in a relatively flat, firm position.
Can standing too close to the golf ball cause a slice?
Standing too close to the ball causes a loss of posture, reduction in arm extension, loss of balance, loss of speed, toe hits, slices, low hooks and a change in swing path. Always check you setup first when you start hitting errant shots.
Why do pro golfers stand so close to the ball?
Higher Ball Flight
Standing closer to the ball can help golfers that tend to get their swing plane too flat. With flatter swings, you will not get the ball flight you need. Standing close to the ball helps players have a slightly Upright swing path and can help with being able to get the ball to stop on the green.