Stand closer to the ball

[scott1875]

Hi Guys,

New member here so be gentle!

Was out on the course last night and had been struggling with a hook for a few holes.  I started trying different things and realised that if I moved closer to the ball and narrowed my stance all of a sudden I had more control and the hook disappeared.  Any thoughts on the benefits of a narrow more upright stance when addressing the ball?

[GangGreen]

I'm a high handicaper and certainly the last person to be giving advice, but the same thing worked for me recently as well. I was struggling with a low hook for a stretch and standing closer to the ball seemed to correct that (at least for now). I find, though, that it only seems to help with my short-to-mid irons, my long irons are still a bit of a mess.

[Strandly]

I've seen multiple posts or videos that suggest you should have a small draw on your shots.  Almost none of mine do, they fly more or less straight.  The exceptions are my 3 and 4 iron, for some reason they have a nice little draw on them eventhough I don't feel like I do anything different from the other irons.

As far as a narrow, upright stance... my only guess is this is forcing you to come in steeper at the ball and you're getting the clubface squared.  If you stand back you end up reaching at the ball during your swing and yank it hook-style

[Machmood]

Standing closer to the ball forces you to "get your hips out if the way". On your downswing your forced to throw your hips forward to make room for the club to clear. This in turn keeps lag in your hands and basically puts Otner things in line. A closer stance also allows for easier hip turn/rotation . Sound to me tnis is what is happening , or atleast part or it. Did you notice the ball flying higher ?

[saevel25]

Depends on your swing. There are some very good players who stand more upright, some don't. As long as its not hurting your swing, do what works.

[Ernest Jones]

I'm with saevel25. You don't want to be reaching but you don't want to be crowded either, every player needs to find what works for them so it's pretty hard for anyone to give you anything definitive beyond that.

As for a narrower stance, I favor a stance that's a little more narrow than most as I find it makes it easier to transfer my weight properly but again I think this is something that depends on an individuals swing, body type and tendencies.

[dsc123]

I find that standing further promotes a draw and closer promotes a fade.  I think its because if I stand closer, its easier to cut across the ball.