Feet too wide???

[bucklateral]

Playing in the NW of the country kind of limits your playing time w/ all of the rain. Now that the rain has slowed down I have been able to get back on the course. Since I have been playing again I have developed a bad slice with my driver. I normally have slice issues anyway, but not to the degree that it has been lately.

I was playing the other day with a local course member and he said that my stance was the issue, that my feet were too wide. He had me put my feet together and take a swing with my driver. I was surprised when I hit the ball straight and far. I played the rest of the round this way and I kept hitting the ball really well.

I have started to widen my stance back to what feels normal to me, and when I start to slice I go back and with my feet together and begin to widen them again.

For my situation the guys tip about the feet is working, but why? What does having your feet too wide do to your swing?

[Scott_K]

When my feet are too wide, my lower body feels like it gets a too stiff. I also tend to have more lateral movement swaying instead of turning in the backswing. I'll hit the ball more toward the right when I do this, but will hit it straighter if I turn in the backswing instead of sway.

With my driver, I aim to keep my feet about shoulder width apart. As I go through the irons, it gets continues to get narrow.

[MiniMoe]

As a "Moe" swinger, I like my stance a little wider. I have learned that if my stance is too narrow, my hips spin too much. However, If my stance becomes too wide, I tend to push the ball as my body is "in the way" of my swing. There is a balance. I like my stance to be just wider than shoulder width with my driver... then it get more narrow as the clubs get shorter. Also understand that a golf swing and personal feel does change over time. Some weeks I hit the ball better with a wider stance than normal, and some weeks I hit the ball better with a more narrow stance than normal. The biggest key is to let the swing flow and be willing to change and try something a little different when it's needed. There is an ideological flaw in the thought that everything has to be the same in the set up to be a consistent ball striker. I don't believe that at all. The swing is a combination of correct fundamentals and feel. You have to learn how to adjust when things are not quite right, and not think you are "fixing" a swing flaw, because in a few days or weeks you might need to make another little adjustment that helps produce the desired ball flight and control. You are not "fixing" your swing, you are just going with the flow.