Stance IQ

Stance IQ is a golf setup training mat that shows the correct stance width and ball position for each club, matched to your height across six sizes, so you can set up the same way every time you practice. It comes with a chalk pen to record your own positions, a carry bag and online practice guides. Designed and made in New Zealand. NZ patent pending.

You lay the mat down on the range or in your warm-up, set your feet to the stance width marking and the ball to the ball position marking for the club group you're hitting, and repeat until that setup is automatic. The positions are matched to your height, and the writeable rulers let you record your own preferred positions as you refine them. Setting up the same way each time means fewer swing compensations, tighter dispersion and a better strike for each club.

All full swing clubs are covered by six club groups: driver, woods, long irons (including hybrids), mid irons, short irons and wedges. Each group has its own stance width and ball position marking. There is no putter position. To use it with a specific club, set up to its group, e.g. mid iron for a 7 iron, or wedge for a pitching wedge.

Alignment sticks show you where to aim; Stance IQ shows you where to stand and where to put the ball. Sticks are great for target line and swing path, but they don't tell you how wide to stand or where the ball should sit for each club group. Stance IQ gives you those positions, matched to your height, with writeable rulers to record your own. Plenty of golfers use both: sticks for aim, the mat for setup.

Choose by your height using the table below. Stance width and ball position scale with height, so a golfer who is 6'4" needs wider stances than one who is 5'8". Each size is available in either right- or left-handed. Use the Size Guide link next to the size dropdown to select your size and we'll preselect it for you.

They come from a height-based model that we developed based on peer-reviewed golf research and Pro Tour-level data. The research tells us height predicts stance width better than shoulder width or inseam, which is why there are six sizes by height rather than one mat for everyone. The positions are a great starting point and the writeable rulers allow you to further refine your setup to your own game.

The research says it's more important than most golfers expect. One ball-width of ball position change can add 22 feet to 7-iron dispersion and change carry numbers by up to half a club (Kim et al. 2018), and lower-skilled golfers show 42% more stance-width variation than pros (Langdown et al. 2013). A strokes gained estimate puts the cost of that variation at 4.5 to 7 strokes a round for the average golfer. You don't need to fix your swing - Stance IQ removes the setup variation your swing is compensating for.

No. Stance IQ fixes your setup, not your swing. The research is clear that a consistent setup leads to a more consistent swing with fewer compensations through the hips and shoulders (Kim et al. 2021), so many golfers find a surprising share of their "swing" problems were actually setup problems. Use it to find out how much of your inconsistency starts before you move the club.

Ten to fifteen minutes at the start of each range session is a good place to start. Use it in your warm-up as you work through the bag from wedges to driver, then move on to the drills in the online practice guides. Beginners start with the recommended positions; experienced golfers record their own first. Once your setup is automatic, most golfers keep it for warm-ups and check-ins before a round.

No. Line the mat up with your target and it doubles as an alignment aid, but if you play from an open or closed stance the stance width and ball position markings still apply. You can record your own preferred positions on the writeable rulers.

Yes. It lies flat on grass, synthetic range mats and simulator turf, and packs into the included carry bag so it fits in your golf bag. The ball sits just behind the mat, in line with the ball position marking - you don't hit off the mat itself.

Both, used differently. Beginners use it to learn that each club group has its own setup and to build those positions from day one. Intermediate golfers use the drills to tighten dispersion and improve strike. Advanced golfers use it to check and calibrate their setup before a round, which reduces ball position drift (the same way Tour players do with their coaches), and to test how small ball position changes alter flight and shot shape.

Stance IQ is designed and made in New Zealand, the country with the second-most golf courses per capita in the world after Scotland.

The Stance IQ mat in your size, a chalk pen, a quick-start guide, a carry bag and access to the online practice guides. Every mat comes with a 30-day satisfaction guarantee (return it for a full refund if your setup isn't more consistent) and a 1-year manufacturer's warranty. Ships by tracked courier: 3 to 5 days in New Zealand, 6 to 10 days in Australia.

Gently push down on the marker tip to start the flow of ink. It can take 1-2 minutes for the ink to completely fill the tip so keep this gentle pressure until you see the tip fill with colour.

Our money is on the Kiwi, Ryan Fox!