Mastering Golf: Why Do We Change Stance Width Across Clubs

If you've ever struggled to find consistency in your swing, you might be overlooking one critical component—your stance width. It's a common misconception that one stance width can handle all clubs, but the truth is, your stance should adapt to the club you're using. Why? Because the stance width influences stability, balance, swing speed, and impact conditions. At Divot Works, we believe if you understand what you're trying to achieve with each club, you'll be able to adjust your stance width for the best result every time. 

Why Stance Width Matters in Golf

Your stance is the foundation of your golf swing. Imagine building a house—without a solid foundation, even the best materials won't hold up. Similarly, a proper stance provides the stability and balance needed to transfer energy efficiently from your swing into the ball. Varying your stance width allows you to optimize rotation, maintain balance, and control your swing path (and therefore impact factors) more effectively for each type of club.

Stance Width Across Your Bag: Comparing Clubs

Every club in your bag is designed with a specific purpose, and each requires a unique setup to perform at its best. The shorter clubs, like wedges and short irons, need precision, while longer clubs like drivers and woods emphasize power and distance. Your stance width should adapt accordingly.

1. Driver: The most aggressive swing, so needs the widest stance for balance. A wider stance also adds increased weight shift, which adds speed and shallows out the swing path, making it easier to hit up on the ball just the right amount. 
2. Fairway Woods: Another energetic swing with a good amount of weight transfer to flatten out the swing path so you can scoop the ball off the faiway without too much turf interaction and a neutral angle of attack. 
3. Long irons: Now we're moving into clubs that require a marginally negative angle of attack (down 2-3°) so we need a slightly narrower stance to create a steeper swing arc to help ensure ball first (then ground) contact. 
4. Mid irons: The mid irons are solidly into the scoring clubs so accuracy and landing angle are the keys. To create the right ball flights to land it softly on the green, we need ball first contact and sufficient spin loft to create the desired ball flight and spin control. We narrow the stance again to reduce the amount of weight shift required, which improves consistency of strike, as well as giving us a steeper swing path and a more negative angle of attack (down 2-6°). 
5. Short irons / Wedges: The finness shots, rarely hit at full speed require the narrowest stance. A wider stance would make the weight transfer required to get onto the front foot near impossible, so we start with a narrow stance and weight already on the front foot. This also creates a steeper swing path which increases the odds of hitting the back of the ball first, ensuring clean contact. 

Comparative Table: Understanding Stance and Swing Dynamics by ClubCommon Mistakes Golfers Make With Stance Width

 

Common Mistakes Golfers Make With Stance Width

Golfers often unknowingly sabotage their swings by using inappropriate stance widths. Here are some common pitfalls:

Too Narrow with Driver and Long Clubs

It can be tempting to use a narrower (shoulder width) stance with the driver to get better rotation, but actually, your body can't fully rotate without getting off balance, robbing your swing of essential energy. A narrow stance with your driver or long irons compromises balance and reduces stability, leading to inconsistent ball striking and a loss of power.

Too Wide with Wedges

Conversely, setting up too wide with short irons and wedges can significantly reduce precision. A wide stance often leads to too much lateral shift and makes the timing of the weight transfer needed for precise control and accuracy more difficult, causing mis-hits and inconsistent distance. 

Structured Drills & Swing Thoughts for Stance Width and Weight Transfer

Incorporating structured drills into your practice routine can significantly enhance your stance awareness and swing mechanics:

Precision Pivot Drill (Short Irons/Wedges)

Take your setup with your feet close together, emphasizing weight slightly forward. Focus on rotating your torso around a steady lower body. This drill promotes accuracy by minimizing unnecessary lateral movement and sway.

Ball Position Ladder Drill (Mid Irons)

Sometimes known as the 'chase drill', start with the ball in the correct position for a mid iron and hit a shot. Then with the same club and same stance, move the ball 1 inch forward and hit the shot. If the shot comes out ok, continue moving the ball 1 inch forward. If you don't strike it well, reload in that same position until you hit a good shot. Then continue moving the ball forward again until you reach your front foot, or can no longer make clean contact.

This drill forces you to move your centre of mass forward to chase these forward ball positions. Move the ball back to the correct position and making that sweet sweet ball-first contact just got a whole lot easier!  

Stable Stride Drill (Long Irons & Fairway Woods)

Begin with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width. Practice transferring your weight smoothly from rear to front foot without losing stability. Focus on not bumping backwards before pushing off the rear foot. Can be done first without hitting a ball, before adding the ball into the mix. This helps you master the stability and controlled weight shift essential for clean, powerful strikes.

Conclusion: Build a Solid Foundation for Every Shot

Adjusting your stance width according to the club you’re using isn't just an advanced technique—it's fundamental. Understanding the nuances between clubs can dramatically boost your game, bringing consistency, accuracy, and confidence to every swing.

At Divot Works, we believe in structured, skill-based practice that genuinely improves your golf game. Put these tips and drills into action, and experience firsthand how adopting proper stance width transforms your performance. 

Ready to transform your game? Explore our structured, skill-based drills specifically focused on stance and ball position to improve your consistency of strike. 

References:

[1] Driver Swing VS Iron Swing – The Key Differences: https://meandmygolf.com/golf-tips/driving-tips/driver-swing-vs-iron-swing/