Golf 101 with Cathy Kim: What is an open golf stance?
Many beginner golfers don't learn the proper language when it comes to lining up their feet until they take their first golf lesson or when they are talking to a more experienced golfer.
When your body is lined up incorrectly, you will either be 'open' or 'closed' to the target. Today, we will be talking about an open golf stance.
Before we dive into the topic at hand, let's get the golf lingo out of the way.
- Square Stance: When your feet are lined up parallel with your ball line and the target.
- Open Stance: When your lead foot (the one closest to the target) is slightly staggered back.
- Closed Stance: When your trail foot (the one furthest from the target) is slightly staggered back. Check for the closed stance post here.
Often times golfers have no idea that they are standing 'open' to the target. When this happens, it is very easy for your golf swing to follow the way of your foot line which creates unnecessary spin on the ball, commonly to the right called a slice spin. Occasionally the ball will spin to the left which is called a hook spin.
Watch my video to see the difference in an open stance and a square stance.
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Cathy is a PGA and LPGA teaching professional and the Director of Instruction at Baltimore Country Club.