Narrow Vs Wide Stance For Golf – What’s The Better Stance And For Who

Narrow Vs Wide Stance For Golf – What’s Better And For Who

When you set up to hit a golf ball, you must make sure that your golf stance is perfect. If your feet are not in the right place, your grip is off, and your posture is not how it should be, you may as well forget about taking the club back. The golf swing depends highly on the stability of your golf stance.

If you are not consistent and confident with your stance, chances are you are going to struggle to get the golf ball in the air and adequately launched each time. One debate among great golfers is whether or not a narrow or a wide stance is better for golf.

We have done some extensive research, applied our personal opinions and theories, and come up with a definitive guide on the narrow vs. wide stance. If you want to know which is best for your game, keep on reading!

 

 How Wide Your Golf Stance Should Be And Why It’s Important

Most people say that for your golf stance to be perfect, it should be about shoulder width apart. When your feet are shoulder width apart, you can have the perfect combination of flexibility and stability to hit ball long and straight.

However, since golf is never an easy or simple game, your stance width will likely change as you change the club that you have in your hand. When your hitting with a driver, you are going to need a wider stance than when you are hitting with a wedge.

 

How Will The Width Of Your Stance Going To Affect Your Game?

The golf stance can affect a few parts of your game. It can affect the speed of the club, your ability to turn and swing through the ball, and your balance as well.

These factors are going to make or break your day on the golf course.

Not to mention the fact that if you can’t get your feet to feel comfortable and secure, you will have a hard time even taking the club back.

 

 Narrow Vs Wide Golf Stance Overview

Although there are lots of different stance widths, they can be categorized into two main groups the narrow stance and the wide stance.

Some golfers tend to take a wider stance and use it as a base of support and power; others find that the narrow perspective can help them turn and get through the golf ball the right way.

If you wonder which of these is for you, we have broken this down into some more detailed benefits and negatives.

 

Characteristics Of A Narrow Golf Stance

A narrow golf stance is typically one that is slightly more narrow than shoulder width. The standard golf stance is about shoulder width apart with your feet; narrow stance golfers will have their feet even closer than this.

Something you will notice about golfers with a narrow stance is that they tend to stand a bit more upright when they address the golf ball. Something about the feet being closer together can sometimes bring players a bit closer to the ball and increase their spine angle.

 

Benefits Of A Narrow Golf Stance

The main benefit of the narrow golf stance is that a golfer can have a much better rotation.

Since your feet are not all that far apart, you can turn your body back and through the ball quite a bit easier. This type of rotation can also help some golfers start to hit the ball quite a bit straighter.

For some players, the narrow stance allows the golfer to feel a bit more athletic and capable while playing the game.

The ability to turn through the ball, release the club and finish facing the target is something that shouldn’t be taken for granted.

If you cannot get through the ball and finish properly with your club, the narrow stance may be a good thing to consider trying.

 

Disadvantages Of A Narrow Golf Stance

The most obvious disadvantage of the narrow stance is the stability; when your feet are close together, it is hard to get as much stability and balance in your swing.

If you don’t have the stability and balance that you need, it can often result in less club head speed.

If you ever watch a long drive golf contest, chances are you won’t see the players standing with their feet close together.

Depending on your golf game and the natural strengths of your swing, the narrow golf stance can be a great solution. Many players find that when hitting shorter shots around the green, the narrow stance is the only way to go.

 

Characteristics Of A Wide Golf Stance

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.

The wider stance sets players up for a wider arc and, in turn, makes them able to create more clubhead speed. This is why when you see golfers like Bryson Dechambeau teeing up to hit a big drive, his feet are rather far apart.

There are some disadvantages to the wide golf stance that are also worth noting, along with the positives.

 

Benefits Of A Wide Golf Stance

The biggest benefit of the wide golf stance is the stability. When you have a wide base, your lower body is going to be well planted into the ground, and you will have a stable base of support to get the speed that you need.

In addition, golfers often find that they can get a more powerful and wider turn when they have a wider golf stance. For those that tend to have fast hips or fast wrists, this broader turn can slow the tempo down and get the swing working better again.

The benefits of the wide golf stance are going to mostly be focused around the long game; when you look into the short game, you will notice that the benefits are certainly not as apparent.

 

Disadvantages Of A Wide Golf Stance

The main disadvantage of the wide golf stance is going to be in the short game. It is nearly impossible to hit a small chip shot with finesse if your feet are more than shoulder width apart. The stance allows for too much power and too wide of an arc and that will not be necessary.

When you watch the professionals hitting shot around the green, you can see that their feet are very close together. In some instances, the feet will be directly next to each other.

The narrow stance allows for a small swing with plenty of acceleration through the golf ball. This is something that you cannot get when you use a wider stance.

Another problem with the wider golf stance is that it can make it even more difficult to rotate around the ball. If you have a hard time transferring the weight in your golf swing and getting your complete turn back and through the golf ball, tan the wide stance is not for you.

This wider stance is only going to make the process harder and cause more difficulties in your golf game.

 

Who Should Use A Narrow Golf Stance?

Golfers that are struggling to turn through the golf ball are going to benefit from the narrow stance. The narrow stance allows players to quickly rotate their hips and get their arms and body to a complete and full finish.

The narrow stance is something that all golfers should consider when it comes to shorter irons and short games. Without the narrow stance, players could end up having a hard time making clean and crisp contact with the ball.

 

Who Should Use A Wide Golf Stance?

Players that are looking for power are going to benefit significantly from the wide stance. With a wide stance, you can generate quite a bit of power and speed. This is a good thing to consider when hitting from the tee box.

Players that switch to a wide stance are going to have a hard time transferring their weight from the back to the front foot. If you happen to struggle with a slice, don’t choose a wide stance, you will probably make the slice a bit worse by practicing this type of stance in your game.

 

 

 

Narrow Or Wide Stance For Seniors?

Part of becoming a senior golfer means that you are going to have a challenging time getting your body to move the way it used to. Most senior golfers struggle with some lack of mobility in their game. This is entirely understandable and, unfortunately, comes along with the territory of getting older.

The senior golfer should work on playing with a more narrow stance. The stance being narrow will allow for an easier weight transition back, and a more full and complete follow through on the other side of the swing.

Senior golfers can make this transition by starting with their short irons and then trying it for hybrids and woods as well. Senior golfers may still feel the need to take a slightly wider stance with the driver, but it does not need to be as wide as it was prior to narrowing things down.

 

Wide Or Narrow Golf Stance For Women And Juniors?

For women and juniors, you will notice success in both the narrow and wide golf stance. Some juniors do better with a slightly wider stance because they can feel more balanced and in control. Women seem to have an easier time turning and creating a better tempo when the stance is narrow.

Some golfers are going to have to learn via trial and error, which is going to be best for their game. There is certainly no set rule that says that all women golfers are going to do better with a wider stance.

Play around at the driving range with different stance widths and find one that seems to feel right for your game. Try to make the actual distance of the stance somehow so that you can see how it is impacted as you move your feet both in and out.

 

Can A Narrow Or Wide Stance Fix A Slice Or Hook?

If you are slicing the ball, chances are your stance is too wide, and you are not properly transferring your weight and releasing the ball at impact. One of the first things you can try to do is to narrow your stance and see how it helps.

The same can be said for a narrow stance and a hook. With a narrow stance, your swing is going to be more compact, and therefore the club will wrap around your body in a much quicker and easier way. This can sometimes result in your arms getting a little ahead of themselves and causing the ball to turn left.

The stance can be a bit indicator as to whether or not your ball is going to fly straight. If you struggle with either a hook or a slice, it is always a good idea to look at your stance, setup and grip before you make any major swing changes. These are the simplest fixes, but they are also very often the root of the problem.

 

Is Narrow Vs. Wide Stance Better?

Both a narrow and wide stance is going to have their benefits. It is really difficult to say that one is better than the other. The definite decision of narrow or wide stance being better cannot be made for all golfers. The decision instead has to be based on individual player abilities.

If you are looking for speed and distance, the wide stance is the choice. For control and consistency, the narrow stance will win. Almost always, when you are working on your long game you will want to gravitate towards the wider stance and the narrow stance for the short game.

 

Does Swing Speed Affect How Wide Your Stance Should Be?

When you have a faster swing speed, you can stand with a slightly wider golf stance. The speed will help you transfer your weight through the ball and get the desired results that you are looking golf.

Swing speed and stance width are most certainly related. To get the best results, you are going to have to experiment with a few different widths and see how it impacts both the distance and direction of your shots.

 

What Happens If Your Stance Is Too Wide

If your golf stance is too wide, you will likely notice quite a few of your golf shots going high and to the right.

This type of shot happens when your weight transfers to your back foot and then stays there without you being able to transfer it forward again.

The wide golf stance results in players hitting the ball while too much of their weight is on their back foot.

 

What Happens If Your Stance Is Too Narrow?

If your stance is too narrow, you may tend to hit the ball to the left. This is because with your feet being closer together, you will have an easier time wrapping the club around your body.

For a golfer that slices the ball, the narrow stance is a great fix. However, if you happen to hook your golf ball, you will want to widen the stance just a bit.

 

 

Best Stance For Each Club

Narrow Vs. Wide For Driver

With a driver, it is best to stand with your feet a little wider.

The extra stability and the width of the arc are going to help you get much more speed and a golf shaft that goes quite a bit further.

 

Narrow Vs. Wide For Woods

Woods are similar to the driver in that they require more clubhead speed to hit them properly. With woods, it is better to use the wider golf stance.

 

Narrow Vs. Wide For Hybrids

Hybrids are like irons, and it is best to play with a more narrow or slightly more narrow than shoulder width stance.

Hybrids can be the best club in your bag if you play them correctly.

 

Narrow Vs. Wide For Irons

Irons are the heart of your golf game. If you decide to choose a more narrow or wider stance, make sure that you consider the fact that irons need a good amount of speed, and you will want to stay as accurate as possible.

 

Narrow Vs. Wide For Wedges

Wedges need to be played with a narrow stance. The accuracy and control are essential.

 

Conclusion

Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of both the narrow and the wide stance. Making sure that you can see how these are going to impact your game will help you decide which is best for you.

To get better at golf, you need to think about your person strengths and weaknesses and use them to help you improve your scores. The narrow stance and wide stance are essential because it is the way you will start each swing. Find a perfect stance width for your game and embrace it.