How Wide Should Your Golf Stance Be?

August 31, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 24 Comments

How wide is your stance in golf? This is a great question for all golfers regardless of their skill level. This important question has rattled around in my head for about a month.

After analyzing my swing (for the first time on video), it was very clear that I had absolutely no lower body movement; I mean none. Additionally, this year I struggled with consistency off the tee, this dramatically increased my frustration while playing my favorite sport . When I mentioned this to my friend Kirk, he said that I have always swung the club this way! Needless to say, I was completely surprised! I maintained a 4 handicap for 10 years and this year it dropped to 2.8! I cannot seem to lower my handicap any further, mostly because of my limited distance and inconsistent play off the tee. Well, now I have my next project as I continue to strive towards being a scratch golfer.

While at the PGA Tour Canada Golf Clinic at Wildfire Invitational this past Wednesday, a young pro noticed my stance woes immediately. He recommended that I widen my stance about two inches with each foot! As I moved my feet out, it felt like I was doing the splits. However, after hitting about 20 balls on the range that day, my new stance started to feel more comfortable.

Curious about my new found knowledge, I started to research the proper distance and location of my feet in my stance. To my surprise, I found that everyone had an opinion and very few were exactly the same. So here is what I found that was consistent among most articles:

Everyone’s stance will adjust according to their physical stature. Being short, tall, stout, thin, or average will have a direct impact on the width of your stance.
The shoulder width rule (your feet shoulder width apart) is an okay guideline, but flexibility will definitely impact your foot position. The more flexible, the wider your stance.
“Basically, what you need to do is find neutral joint alignment. In other words, find where the center of your ankles, center of your knees, and center of your hips stack up over each other.”
“Consequently, the most efficient width of stance should be no wider than shoulder width for most full swing shots, including your driver. With this width you will more likely maintain a dominant rotary force. This will lead to greater club head speed and better dynamic stability.”

Here are a couple of videos that help explain the advantage of a proper stance and how to figure out what is best for you.

After widening my stance, I have suddenly found 10-20 yards off the tee. I am more consistent when hitting my driver just by moving my feet a couple of inches farther apart. Not to suggest this is an easy fix, I still have to hit the range to determine the exact position of my feet, where the ball should be placed in my stance for all my clubs, and build confidence to swing through the ball! I am excited about my new project and will keep you posted as things progress!

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

PGA Tour Canada Golf Clinic for the Canadian Armed Forces

August 29, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 10 Comments

Earlier this week, I had the honor of attending a golf clinic hosted by the PGA Tour Canada for the Canadian Military. Only a day before they were to compete, eight young golfing phenoms spent 1.5 hours sharing their considerable knowledge with Canadian soldiers. For the fifth time this year, the PGA Tour Canada hosted serving members to teach them how to putt, chip and drive a golf ball. It was a day to remember for most of us golfing enthusiasts!

The Wildfire Golf Club is currently hosting a PGA Tour Canada event. Prior to the start on Thursday, Devin Daniels, Wills Smith, Drew Evans, Steve Carney, Adam Cornelson, Greg Machtaler, Peter Campbell and Daniel McCarthy stopped preparing for their professional event to help golfing wannabees improve their game!

Our 1.5 hours was broken into three 30 minute segments. Each segment consisted of putting, iron play and driving. Two of the pros, Drew Evans and Peter Campbell shared their expertise on the putting green. The rest was spread throughout the driving range. The most exciting aspect of the entire event was the close and personal attention each pro gave the player.

I was fortunate to have Drew Evans provide some putting tips. As he watched me putt, he indicated that I had a very good putting stroke. He emphasized the importance of keeping my triangle while putting. When I asked about my view of following through twice as far as the back swing, he indicated that it was a good drill for mid to high handicap players, but for lower handicappers, a smoother even putting stroke is preferred. Lastly, he suggested that I move my hands out from my body about 2 inches to keep my shoulders, wrists and putter head in a straight line…man did that make a positive difference! Thanks Drew I appreciate the help. Here are some other tips by Drew and Peter.

My next station was the driving range. I started with my 7 iron and both Adam Cornelson and Steve Carney liked what I was doing. My follow through was excellent and my contact consistent. The only thing they suggested was that I slow my back swing down to produce a smoother tempo throughout the entire swing. This will have to happen at the range as changing my tempo with my 7 iron will be difficult. I was encouraged to hear that my 7 iron was in pretty good shape.

Moving on to my driver was a slightly different story. I hit my driver 240 yards straight, 7 times out of 10. Of course, being a golfing freak, I asked how to gain 20 more yards. Drew Evans looked at my swing and told me what I already knew…no power was generated from the lower part of my body. To date I have been unable to correct this problem. Drew suggested I widen my stance. At first it felt very uncomfortable, but the results were unmistakable. I immediately gained some distance on my driver with the same consistency.

After hitting about 20 drives, Devin Daniels approached me and suggested I should slow my back swing down. He noticed that when I was trying to hit the ball hard, everything sped up and became out of sync. Additionally, he reminded me that less is more. Something I have said over and over. Swinging at 80% strength is the key to have the ball go farther! Of course it worked and now I have two things to work on at the range.

The entire day was incredible. Everyone who attended the golf clinic was very impressed by the Wildfire Golf Club, the pros knowledge and infinite patience while answering questions and the PGA Tour Canada for continuing to host the Canadian Military! After talking to the PGA Tour Canada staff, I found out that there are opportunities to caddy next year and I think I am going to give it a go!

Thank you PGA Tour Canada for continuing to support the Canadian Armed Forces!

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

Gain the upper hand on your hold of the club

August 28, 2014August 28, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 3 Comments

I do not wear a golf glove and I am not affiliated with FootJoy, however the information about a well fitting glove was worth sharing!

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

Golf AcademyONE

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Breaking 100 Without Quick Fixes

August 26, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 3 Comments

Breaking 100 at anytime is generally the first milestone golfers try to achieve. There are many tips, drills and quick fix programs that guarantee to lower your score with little to no practice….or so they claim. Obviously, there are drills that work very quickly, but others are less effective in the short-haul because they are too advanced for the player.

In earlier articles, I have outlined different ways to break 100 and they are very valuable to any player who dedicates the time to improve. These articles are:

Each post deals with a specific area of the golf game that, if a player focuses their practice time, will gain the greatest results. I am sure you have figured it out by now…. your short game.

Putting 10000 times!

All players, regardless of skill level, have the ability to play better. Even Rory McIlrory will say he “left a couple” on the course after playing a great round of golf. This is nothing new and only reinforces a player’s desire to play better.

On the flip side, when a player does not play well, they generally focus on the area of weakness from that round. Most of the time, I would suggest, it is their short game. Off to the practice range they go with focused intent to putt and or chip until they regain their smooth stroke.

Focused practice is the real key to breaking 100. The rule of thumb is to attempt something about 10,000 times in order to perfect any skill. Golf is no different. The professional golfer will have practiced all skills more than 10,000 times and as a result earn a living from playing golf. As amateurs, it makes sense that success can be drawn from watching the élite and aping their actions.

To break 100, it is important to engage in focused practice. The process is very straight forward: Perform the stroke; Make a small adjustment if required; Repeat the stroke. When making an adjustment, make sure it is not something that completely changes your original stroke. Repeat 10,000 times. This slow process is the key to successfully mastering your short game.

Breaking 100 without quick fixes is the only real method to lower your score. Time, patience, and the desire to improve are the real keys to good golf! This may not be the answer you are looking for, but experience tells us that in golf ‘practice makes permanent‘.

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

The Grateful Golfer!

August 24, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 7 Comments

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

After a week off from golf, I had time to reflect about my season and my golf experiences. I have to say, that I am a grateful golfer! For the past 10 years my game has improved both in score and experience. However, since starting The Grateful Golfer Blog in May 2012, all aspects of my golf game have improved! A year ago, I wrote a blog titled “What is Important in Golf” and that list has not changed. But I have a few new things to be grateful for:

The continued support from my beautiful wife! She keeps me grounded and focused on what is important in life and golf.
The new friends I have met at the Roundel Glen Golf Course. Their positive attitude keeps me motivated!
The awesome golf tips I receive from White Dragon Golf, All About Golf, the Crunchy Golfer, and MindBodyGolf. Also, their continued support for the past two years; they make it fun to talk about golf!
Connecting with hundreds of people from around the world who share the same passion I have for golf!
The support from strangers when things are not going well. The always extend words of encouragement!
Learning how to control my ego – this resulted in fewer errors in course management and lower scores!
How golf continues to teach me things about myself and others! It is a gentlemen’s game and by keeping that philosophy, it has helped shape some of the positive aspects of my life!
For my best scoring season ever! The conversations, tips, hits, drills and positive support from everyone has helped lower my handicap to 2.8. The lowest ever!
The laughs, joys, jokes, and camaraderie I have with my regular golfing group. I look forward to our weekend games and appreciate their company every time!

As you can see, my being grateful is not completely tied to how I score on the golf course. This year, I did play well, but I attribute much of my success to those around me. The have all helped reshape how I approach my golf game and as a result, I have experienced many great things on and off the course. There is no question that Norman Vincent Peale was correct when he said “Change your thoughts and you change your world!”

Thank you to everyone who reads, comments, supports, advises, and passes on my ramblings! Golf is a fantastic sport, but the real treasure is in the connections we make with other golfing fanatics!

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!