Where to Position the Ball in Your Golf Stance

Updated January 20, 2022
Golfer at address with the club behind the ball
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    Golfer at address with the club behind the ball
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    stockbusters
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Where you play your ball in your stance is largely determined by your swing shape as well as what golf club you are hitting.

Each Golf Club Varies in Length

If you just look at these clubs - this is a wedge, a 6-iron and a driver - they are very different lengths. This driver is going to have a much bigger arc and I am going to play it in a different place in my stance.

How to Position Feet in Your Golf Stance

If I take these other clubs away and just look at the wedge (I put a club between my legs on the ground so you can see ball position) I do ball position according to my heels, not my toes. Often times people will turn out their toes a little bit in their stance. That would happen maybe if someone had a hip problem and they need to do it for mobility. Most people have the right foot pretty straight and the left foot turned out, but you want the heel spacing to be correct every time depending on where you are playing your ball.

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Foot Position Varies by Golf Club

  1. A wedge I am going to play pretty much in the center, maybe slightly ahead of center depending on how I am moving through the shot.
  2. My 6-iron I am going to play a little more forward in my stance.
  3. Then my driver I am going to play very forward in my stance, inside my left heel and certainly I would have the ball teed up.

Notice that my hands did not change much. They pretty much remained on the inside of my front thigh for each time, it was pretty much my ball that was moving.

Swing Shape - Another Factor in Golf Stance

Now I did mention something about the swing shape and I say that because if you think about a person's swing shape will effect where they are comfortable with the ball. If you are a person who tends to swing very under and out to the right, the bottom of your swing is going to be very back in your stance and you are going to want to have the ball a little behind where it would normally be played. If on the other hand you are someone who is really swinging your arms hard to the left and you are turning through, the bottom of your swing will be more forward in your stance and you may play your ball a little more forward than normal. You are going to play your ball based on your swing shape and the club selection you have chosen.