Playing With an Open Stance

[jfrain2004]

Back playing golf a few months after almost 10 yrs away from it with kids and stuff.   Taking a while to get the sharpness around the green which I know will come but its been the long irons that are hard to nail now and not seeing any week to week improvement ...... till last Sat.   I had been working on my short game with open stance ( about 30deg open ) as I always used for short/medium pitches and I decided why not try this for all shots as not as flexible as in the past.  Was absolutely amazed at the results.  Few yrds given up as ball flying higher for all clubs but man were they straight and solid hits giving consistent distance which is far better than getting 160 one shot and 140 next time.

Any one else started using an open stance?

[boogielicious]

  On 9/3/2021 at 11:12 AM, jfrain2004 said:

Back playing golf a few months after almost 10 yrs away from it with kids and stuff.   Taking a while to get the sharpness around the green which I know will come but its been the long irons that are hard to nail now and not seeing any week to week improvement ...... till last Sat.   I had been working on my short game with open stance ( about 30deg open ) as I always used for short/medium pitches and I decided why not try this for all shots as not as flexible as in the past.  Was absolutely amazed at the results.  Few yrds given up as ball flying higher for all clubs but man were they straight and solid hits giving consistent distance which is far better than getting 160 one shot and 140 next time.

Any one else started using an open stance?

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I play a push with all my full swing shots down to PW. My stance isn’t necessarily open, but my club face is pointed right with respect to my foot line. I aim the face slightly right of target. When executed correctly, it’s a slight push draw that comes back to target. Be careful not too open or close your shoulders too much with respect to your feet though.

There are quite a few PGA Tour players that use this set up with either a fade (Morikawa, DJ or draw Couples, Rory).

[Tim S]

  On 9/3/2021 at 11:12 AM, jfrain2004 said:

Back playing golf a few months after almost 10 yrs away from it with kids and stuff.   Taking a while to get the sharpness around the green which I know will come but its been the long irons that are hard to nail now and not seeing any week to week improvement ...... till last Sat.   I had been working on my short game with open stance ( about 30deg open ) as I always used for short/medium pitches and I decided why not try this for all shots as not as flexible as in the past.  Was absolutely amazed at the results.  Few yrds given up as ball flying higher for all clubs but man were they straight and solid hits giving consistent distance which is far better than getting 160 one shot and 140 next time.

Any one else started using an open stance?

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I "discovered" this, as well...only for me, it was correcting the error of unknowingly aiming to far right.  Even now, I feel as though I have opened my stance, when in fact I'm actually square.  I like it.  Conversely, chipping and pitching with an open stance screws up my mind and my eyes and I can never seem to determine my true ball position.  

[Bo the Golfer]

In regards to ball position with an open stance does it make sense to start square to set the ball position then open up? 

[billchao]

  On 3/28/2022 at 5:24 PM, Bo the Golfer said:

In regards to ball position with an open stance does it make sense to start square to set the ball position then open up? 

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If you set up square to the ball and then open your stance, you’re moving the ball back in your stance a bit.

[Bo the Golfer]

  On 3/28/2022 at 6:42 PM, billchao said:

If you set up square to the ball and then open your stance, you’re moving the ball back in your stance a bit.

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Thank you for clearing that up. 

[p1n9183]

  On 9/3/2021 at 11:12 AM, jfrain2004 said:

Any one else started using an open stance?

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Totally, I aim from 9° left with my driver to 6° left with wedges. I play a fade that carries around 15/20 yards less than a normal draw but it is a LOT more accurate. 

For more distance off the tee learn how to play a draw only with your driver as an extra gear. I aim at the target and play a baby push-draw if the holes rewards the extra distance. 

 

[billchao]

  On 3/29/2022 at 5:21 PM, p1n9183 said:

I play a fade that carries around 15/20 yards less than a normal draw

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Why do people think a draw is longer than a fade? I play a fade, but when I draw the ball it carries about the same distance.

[ChetlovesMer]

  On 3/29/2022 at 6:57 PM, billchao said:

Why do people think a draw is longer than a fade? I play a fade, but when I draw the ball it carries about the same distance.

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I think generally a draw delofts the club, while an open face is also adding loft to the club. 

There are obviously other factors at play however.

[billchao]

  On 3/29/2022 at 7:03 PM, ChetlovesMer said:

I think generally a draw delofts the club, while an open face is also adding loft to the club. 

There are obviously other factors at play however.

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It depends on how it’s hit, but my point is that a draw is not, by definition, a longer shot than a fade. Both shapes can be hit with the same dynamic loft.

[boogielicious]

  On 3/29/2022 at 7:20 PM, billchao said:

It depends on how it’s hit, but my point is that a draw is not, by definition, a longer shot than a fade. Both shapes can be hit with the same dynamic loft.

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And both can be hit into oblivion.😜

[Be Still]

Too funny!

But isn't a fade a cut shot at impact, and a draw typically spins less?  I'm sure there are many who could explain this better.

Edited March 29, 2022 by Noel Daof

[mdl]

  On 3/29/2022 at 11:35 PM, Noel Daof said:

Too funny!

But isn't a fade a cut shot at impact, and a draw typically spins less?  I'm sure there are many who could explain this better.

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Only in the sense that it's common for a draw and fade with the same club to have less and more dynamic loft, respectively. Lower dynamic loft results in less spin, all else equal. But like others have said, with the same club one can play a low or high draw and a low or high fade. In other words, if you take a 4i and hit a bullet fade and a towering draw that have the same spin axis, the bullet fade would have less spin in terms of RPMs. (I don't say move the same distance side to side as lower shots have less spin and less hang time, so would need a more horizontal spin axis to travel the same distance side to side as a high shot with more spin.)

[billchao]

  On 3/29/2022 at 11:08 PM, boogielicious said:

And both can be hit into oblivion.😜

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I wouldn’t know anything about that 🙃

[colin007]

People think draws go farther because most people hit weak slices. In the rare occasion that they line up out to the right mistakenly, then come savagely over the top like they always do, and then magically slam the face shut, hitting a nasty low pull hook that draws a lil, and they actually end up hitting the ball with some force and it flies 20 yards farther than normal, then yeah they think draws fly farther.

Ofc, I do NOT speak from experience.

[iacas]

  On 3/29/2022 at 11:35 PM, Noel Daof said:

Too funny!

But isn't a fade a cut shot at impact, and a draw typically spins less?  I'm sure there are many who could explain this better.

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Draws typically spin less, but most people hit a pull-draw when they "accidentally" hit a draw. You can hit a fade with less spin and lower dynamic loft than a push-draw.

[p1n9183]

  On 3/29/2022 at 6:57 PM, billchao said:

Why do people think a draw is longer than a fade? I play a fade, but when I draw the ball it carries about the same distance.

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Less spin + closed fade = more carry in most cases

Normally people that hit a fade when they miss right is a slice and when they miss left is a straight ball. When they have a big miss right is a big slice and when they miss big left is a double cross, aka the ball turning left instead of right.. basically a draw or hook.
Now think about it, witch one of them is longer? a draw/hook big miss left or a big slice missing right? Of course the big hook is going to go further because you are closing the face so you are making that 7 iron into a 5 iron, and when you hit a big slice you are making that 7 iron into a 9 iron. Also the landing angle and landing spin are going to be lower with a hook so the ball will carry further than a higher/spinner big slice.

If you hit both the same distance is probably because you are changing your swing between them and not just adjusting the face at impact to produce one shape or the other.   

[iacas]

You are both talking past one another.

@billchao knows all that you just said. He’s talking more theoretically.