I see all types of players, from low handicaps to high handicaps.
As you get older and lose flexibility, especially in your shoulders and hips, you can change your stance width to help a bit! A narrow stance helps you get more of a hip and shoulder turn. The reason is that a wider stance restricts your backswing somewhat.
- More stability and balance in a higher-speed swing
- It makes you turn more with your upper body and use your big muscles to get into your trail hip and supporting leg, allowing you to get behind it more
- For players who tend to slide on their backswing or get long with their arm carriage, it will help you control this much better.
- It puts you in an athletic, strong position with a great base so you can swing harder thru impact to the finish
If you are getting older and slower with the club head and are not very flexible, a narrow stance might help. Try narrowing your stance to make it easier to turn. But in many cases, a stance slightly wider than shoulder width with the trail foot 5 degrees open and the lead foot 10-15 degrees open is more athletic and built to generate swing speed. That's why the tour boys set up like that!
Try it out both ways and see which one is a better fit for you! For me, when I start getting narrow, it makes me lazy and not work as hard, so I know to keep it wider and stay athletic!
For more tips, visit Marc Woodcock's Facebook page.
More about Marc:
PGA Golf Professional and Teacher at The Preserve at Oak Meadows and works at Certified Personal Trainer for Golf and Fitness at On The Marc Golf & Fitness. He has a Master's Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from National Louis University.