How Far To Stand From The Golf Ball

Knowing how far to stand from the golf ball and then repeating it, every time you hit a shot will undoubtedly help the consistency and accuracy of your ball striking. It is one of the most important fundamentals in the game. Alex Elliott is one of the Golf Monthly Top 50 Coaches and his expert advice has helped players of all handicaps to improve. In the video and article below will provide you with a routine you can use, from 9-iron to driver, so you get this key aspect right every time.

How Far To Stand From The Golf Ball: Step-By-Step Guide

With driver in hand, start by setting the ball on the ground, a couple of metres in front of you. Stand upright with your back straight and your feet around shoulder width apart. Then take your normal golf grip with your arms out in front of you so the shaft of the club is running parallel to the ground (the video with this article reveals exactly how it is done). 

Keeping your legs straight, tilt forwards from the hips so that your upper body is set into the correct golf swing posture. Then slightly bend your knees - the sole of the club should naturally sit on the ground now and your arms should be hanging straight down from your shoulders. From here, keeping your hands the same distance from your thighs, simply shuffle yourself forwards until the club is behind the ball. I find this simple routine really helps golfers get into the right position.

Of course, there are some other checkpoints you can use as well. At address, are your armpits over your toes and is your bum over your heels?

Driver v Iron: How Far To Stand From The Ball

You can run through this same process with every club from 9-iron to driver. Of course your ball position changes for the different clubs and so does your stance width (so remember to factor those elements in) but the distance between your hands and your body remains constant. It is the length of the club shaft that determines how far you are stood from the ball - the longer shafts in your driver and woods will mean that you are stood further from the ball at address.

What Happens If You Stand Too Far From The Ball?

Of the two ways to get this wrong, this one is the most common. Take a photo of yourself at address and if it looks as if you are reaching for the ball (with your hands further stretched out beyond the line of your armpits), you are likely standing too far from it. The negative impact on your swing will almost certainly be seen as soon as you take the club back. In the takeaway, you'll be forced to whip the club away on the inside. From here, you'll be left with no choice but to come over the top in the downswing and for most golfers, this causes a slice. If you stand too far from the ball, you will also likely hit more distance-sapping toe strikes.

What Happens If You Stand Too Close To The Ball? 

Standing too close to the ball will see your hands too close to your thighs at address, creating a feeling that you are cramped at address. As with anything in the golf swing, it is all a chain reaction and if you stand too close, the club is likely to move away on the outside. This can then throw your swing path out or, even more damagingly, can be one of the main shank causes.  

When it comes to how far to stand from the golf ball, running through the simple step-by-step approach above should certainly help. Ultimately, you need to feel that your arms are hanging naturally down from your shoulders at address. If you can do this, it will help your golf swing in a whole host of different ways.