
Why a Wider Stance Can Fix Your Ball Flight
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Stance Width & Posture Keeps The Club Face Square Longer
Read time: 3min
One of the most common mistakes golfers make has nothing to do with grip, takeaway, or even the shaft they’re playing. It starts before the swing — with how you address the golf ball.
A golfer in a recent driver fitting came in wanting a new shaft to fix his drives. But before we even looked at equipment, the root cause was clear during baseline testing: he wasn’t setting up for success. He stood tall and narrow instead of adopting an athletic setup.
When your stance is narrow, you’re not just off balance — you make the swing arc steeper, shrink the time your clubface can be square, and set yourself up for a poor angle of attack (AOA). You’ll often strike the ball high on the face or even slide under it, leaving that dreaded scuff on the crown of your expensive driver.
Narrow Stance = Tall Oval Arc (and Poor AOA)
Think of your swing arc as a shape drawn around your body.
With a narrow stance, your swing arc becomes a tall oval — stretched vertically.
- The club comes in steep, creating a downward angle of attack (AOA).
- A steep AOA makes it very difficult to hit up through the ball.
- Swinging down adds excessive backspin, reducing distance and consistency.
- The face is square for only a split second — unless your timing is perfect, you’ll miss the sweet spot.
With a wider stance, bending slightly at the knees and hips, the oval flattens vertically and becomes more like a circle.
- The swing shallows, and the AOA improves.
- You can now swing through and slightly up on the ball, reducing backspin and optimizing launch.
- The clubface stays square to the target line longer, producing straighter starts and more efficient launch — without those high, spinny fades that rob distance.
Visual: Tall Oval vs. Flatter Circle
Here’s how stance width changes the shape of your swing arc:
Left (red tall oval): Narrow stance → steep arc, downward AOA, short square window (blue line).
Right (green circle): Wide stance → flatter arc, better AOA, longer square window (blue line).
The Athletic Stance
Golf is still a sport, and it requires an athletic motion. A proper stance mirrors the ready position in almost every other sport:
- Football linebacker: wide base, knees bent, weight centered — ready to react.
- Tennis return of serve: planted wide, low, balanced — swing through instead of down.
- Baseball hitter: feet spread, knees flexed, driving through contact with lower-body power.
None of these athletes stand narrow and upright. Why? Because a narrow stance robs you of balance, limits range of motion, shortens the time you can apply force to the ball, and over-relies on your upper body.
Your legs are far stronger than your arms — use them. Golf is no different.
Why This Matters for Distance
It’s not just about hitting straighter — it’s about using your energy efficiently.
When you chop down steeply with a poor AOA, you add backspin. That backspin (and any sidespin) wastes forward energy. Widening your stance fixes both:
- Less spin. A shallower, more upward AOA reduces backspin.
- Better launch. The ball takes off higher with an optimized trajectory.
- More distance. More of your energy goes forward, not wasted in spin.
It’s one of the simplest ways to gain both accuracy and distance — no swing rebuild required.
Quick Self-Check
Next time you’re on the range:
- Set your feet at least shoulder-width apart with the driver.
- Bend slightly at the knees, lowering your center of gravity.
- Bend forward from your belt line — not hunched over.
- Take two practice swings focusing on swinging through the ball, not down on it.
- Step in and repeat that same motion — let the ball simply get in the way.
Notice how much easier it feels to square the clubface and launch the ball cleanly without chopping across it.
The Takeaway
A wider, athletic stance gives you:
- A shallower swing arc (circle, not tall oval)
- A better angle of attack (up through the ball, not down on it)
- A longer “square window” through impact
- Less spin, better launch, and more distance
It’s one of the simplest and most powerful adjustments you can make — before you even touch your equipment.
✅ Want to make your setup and swing work with your equipment? Book a custom fitting — get expert eyes on your stance, path, and shaft together.
🎯 Ready to test the difference a driver or fairway shaft can make? Shop Custom Shafts — built for consistency, forgiveness, and better ball flight.