Benefits of Golf Wide Stance – Everything You Need To Know

by

Well, you must have seen a lot of golf players each having his approach towards a game, in different aspects. However, some of these are really noticeable and will leave you wondering with a simple question in mind, “Why?”. One such apparent difference is the stance of different players.  Here in this guide, we talk about Golf Wide Stance Benefits.

Some prefer keeping their legs close to their shoulders, others prefer to keep them wide. To examine closely, we get a notice that each stance has its advantages and disadvantages. However, if you are particularly interested in golf-wide stance benefits, then this article is just dedicated to you. 

Golf Wide Stance Benefits

Here we will be specifically talking about what an “actual” wide stance is, why players use it, and its advantages and disadvantages relating to players’ personal preferences. 

So let’s get into it! 

What is a wide stance, and the modern perspective

With advancements in every game in the past decade, golf remains no exception. From clubs to balls, and from balls to the technique of the players, everything has gone through a drastic set of modifications, and for every good reason.

These tiny little, drastic changes have unlocked new pathways to learning and controlling your golf rounds with every tenacity. One of those many modifications is the use of a wide stance. 

Although the thing remains a hot topic of debate among the experts, it has pretty shown its bright impacts over the career of many players, with really persistent benefits. They seem to be more accurate, have more control over their game, and also, have significantly reduced the number of handicap scores.

However, some results have shown that it immensely reduces the ability of a player to hit a draw, and has proven to be reducing the overall distance. The advantages and disadvantages are alike, therefore the question is, what is a wide stance? The following simple definition will help you understand its core meaning:

“A wide golf stance is referred to the address style where the feet are significantly placed wider or outside the shoulder, however, the amount of width remains as per the personal preference of the player”

Are there any pros using a wide stance?

We don’t see a lot of golf players to be using wide stances in the current scenes, but one of the best players of all time, who debatably had the best accuracy the sport has ever seen, was Mo Norman. Experts have constantly been relating his capability to hit each shot with sheer accuracy to his peculiar stance, which since then has been remaining a practice among various budding golfers.

Although the number of pro players with such a stance remains limited to Tiger Woods, Jimmy Walker, and Phil Mickelson,  who knows if we see another great player with the same style?

What are the benefits?

Well, the benefits of a wide stance, as said before, remain a matter of great debate, but many players “getting old” have been utilizing this technique to have more control over their game. The notable advantages of the stance, as per the player’s opinion are: 

  • Having a more stable base with more control as you hit the ball.
  • Limits over-rotation as you play the shot, another “control” aspect. 
  • Keeps the legs calm and quiet during the downswing, with great balance.

But then another question arises in mind, that is, How? Well, let’s explain it in terms of some basic fundamentals of the game, that are:

  • To control the bottom of the swing.
  • To control the curve of the ball.
  • To have enough power for more distance.

In the below-given advantages, we will keep these three factors in check. So let’s not wait anymore:

  • Benefit #1: Stable base

Well, if I had to give you a straight answer, I would suggest you have a little research about one of the greatest strikers of all time, the Late Mo Norman, a big name in the gold arena with a lot of achievements at his neck. However, that wouldn’t be clear enough, as the benefits remain highly personal. 

Therefore, in a general sense, I will give you a fact based on physics. So, consider yourself as a building. Now following the rules of basic physics, the stronger the base, the stronger will be the overall balance and integrity of the building.

This means, with a wider stance, you provide your body a bit of extra support to stand upon, therefore maintaining your overall balance and accuracy. This practice remains highly beneficial to high handicappers who have relatively more accuracy problems. 

On the contrary, a short stance remains a highly personal choice and will benefit relatively skilled players. 

  • Benefit #2: Reduced Rotation

To be honest, it’s a benefit that is the total opposite of the ubiquitous phrase “Something for nothing”. As the number of rotations decreases, the ability to center the ball increases by a huge margin, providing you with more control over your game. However, this greatly damages the ability to hit great distances. So as long you have enough strength in your arms or are ready to sacrifice some distance, this will benefit you. But still, calling it a benefit is more often a preference! 

  • Benefit #3: Stable legs

If you have been noticing your legs a bit tingling and affecting the straight trajectories of your ball as you play the shot, a wider stance might benefit you greatly as it keeps the legs stable and quiet throughout the swing. However, this benefit can be distributed among different stances from a general perspective.

Some might find it in a completely narrow stance, for others, maybe other stances work out better. Again, it’s where you find your comfort, not everyone will rip off huge benefits from a single playing style. 

Conclusion

Well, If I had to conclude it in simple words, the advantages and disadvantages of the stance are relatively equal and are somehow confusing, since you must sacrifice one fundamental of the game for the other. So in the end, it all comes down to you, and what you would love to have in your game in particular. After all, what’s bad in utilizing the technique?

Read More

Leave a Comment