A golf swing is a complicated motion that requires synergy between your arms, shoulders, and lower body. Each element must perform optimally to deliver a rhythmic swing and maximum power.

In this post, I look at the role of your left arm in the procedure, specific to right-handed golfers. If you are left-handed, simply apply these lessons to your right arm. I will break down the positioning of your left arm during setup, takeaway, downswing, and follow through.

These are tips designed to help you keep your clubface on path and generate increased power on your downswing.

Which Arm Does The Work in a Golf Swing?

Both your arms play a pivotal role in generating optimal on your downswing and keeping your clubhead on path. On your takeaway, your left hand pushes the clubhead back to the top of the backswing. From the top, your right arm becomes the source of power, while the left anchors the club, keeping it on path.

This places you in a prime position to launch from the top of the swing and generate the quantity of power required to produce a long, straight golf shot.

Should Your Left Arm Be Straight in Your Golf Swing?

Yes, your left arm should remain straight in your golf swing. On the backswing, a straight left arm helps your right hand keep the club shaft on plane. If you bend your left elbow, it will be challenging for your right hand to anchor the club and keep it on the intended path.

Conversely, if your left arm is bent on the downswing, it is significantly harder to square the clubface through impact. As a result, you strike the ball with a closed face, sending it hooking into the trees.

Keeping your left arm straight creates the required arc on the backswing to produce an accelerated downswing if you. Furthermore, a straight left arm on the downswing keeps your clubface square through impact for a straight shot.

You can view the below video from golf coach Eric Cogorno to see how to keep your left arm straight throughout your swing:

What Should Your Arms Do During The Swing?

Setup

Once you have set the ball up in your stance, place the clubhead behind it to determine the ideal alignment. At this point, both arms should be straight. This means creating a v-shape from the left and right shoulder down to the grip.

In addition, you employ a slight knee flex for the clubhead to feel a comfortable distance away from you. If it is too far, you will try and reach for the ball leading into impact, leading to a pushed shot.

On the other hand, when the ball is too close, it puts you at risk of hooking your ball.

Backswing

Your left hand pushes the club back on your takeaway while your right arm keeps it on path. PGA Pro Katie Dawkins explains that your arms should make an L-shape, with the club, halfway through the backswing:

This means you should bend your right elbow slightly, making the shape of a lowercase v from your right shoulder to your wrist. In addition, you must maintain a straight left arm. This setup enables you to wind up to the top and produce the momentum needed for a powerful downswing.

Although you need to keep your left arm straight, wrist hinge is vital for producing adequate energy at the top of your backswing and through impact. Plus, it makes it easier to keep your clubhead on path and square your clubface up through contact. Without hinging your wrists, you lose power and increase the difficulty of producing a straight shot.

Downswing

When your clubhead reaches the top of the backswing, your arms switch roles. At this point, your right arm prompts the clubhead downwards, while the left hand keeps the club on line. Your right hand should follow the same path it did on the backswing for optimal velocity and accuracy.

In other words, you need to hinge your right and left wrist halfway through the downswing to straighten your arms for impact. Therefore, your position at impact will replicate that of your setup at address.

Remember that rotation is essential for achieving the desired club path and velocity on your downswing. Failure to induce sufficient rotation leads to a loss of power. It also hampers your ability to square the clubface up at contact. As a result, you experience erratic shot dispersion on top of fewer yards.

Contact

As I mentioned before, your arms need to return to the address position through contact. When that occurs, you know that you executed your swing as intended. Therefore, you should produce a solid straight, and long shot.

However, when you mis-hit your ball, you can feel and hear from the swing feedback that the strike is no good. Therefore, you must get your arms straight through impact to achieve optimal distance and accuracy. Any deviations can reduce clubhead speed and send your ball flying along an unintended path.

If you hinge your wrists at the correct point on your downswing, your clubface should be square and possess sufficient velocity to impart on the ball. This ensures maximum distance and improved shot dispersion.

Follow Through

The force you generated through impact should be sufficient to carry your clubhead upwards towards your left shoulder. This is the ideal finish for a cleanly struck golf shot. Your right hand continues to push the clubhead through and up while the left hand keeps the club on line.

Coaches are typically satisfied when your right elbow is pointed to where your ball lay. In addition, your right hand should sit next to the left side of your shoulder.

Matt Stevens

Matt Callcott-Stevens started playing golf at the age of 4 when Rory Sabattini’s father put a 7-iron and putter in his hand. He has experienced all the highs and lows the game can throw at you and has now settled down as a professional golf writer. He holds a Postgraduate in Sports Marketing and has played golf for 28 years. Current Handicap: 8

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Golf swing mechanics are a complex matter that causes amateurs headaches on the links.

Besides a sturdy grip, there is the matter of upper and lower body rotation, club path, swing plane, and arm position. In this post, I block out the distractions and zero in on what your right arm should be doing in your golf swing.

I have compiled a list of effective drills for right-handers to train your trail arm for optimal results. Your right arm helps you generate lag for accelerated clubhead speed, power, and increased distance.

Quick note: if you are a left-handed golfer, the opposite advice recommended below applies to your game.

The Role of The Right Arm in Your Golf Swing

Address

Golf instructor Steve Sieracki recommends that your right elbow sits approximately 3 inches from your body at address. You must bend your right arm to achieve this position at setup. If your right arm is straight at setup, it reduces your ability to generate wrist hinge, costing your clubhead speed and power:

Backswing

Eric Cogorno explains that a bent right arm is its first pivotal role in the golf swing. Your right hand guides the club on the backswing to keep it on the intended path, while your left hand pushes it up to the top of the swing:

Cogorno suggests bending your right elbow to 90 degrees at the top. His partner Sieracki explains that at this point, your right elbow should sit approximately 3-inches from your upper body. For your right elbow to reach this mark, you need to bend it on the backswing.

This position simplifies your route to the ball from the top of the backswing. This makes it easier for an amateur golfer to keep your clubface square leading into impact for an accurate result.

Downswing

The second core function of the right arm in your swing is to straighten on the downswing. You straighten the arm on the way down and through impact. As a result, you generate lag leading to rapid swing speed, power, and a clean strike.

It’s vital not to straighten your right arm too early in the downswing, as it can weaken your contact. Furthermore, straightening your arm before impact can prevent you from clearing your hips. That can cause you to open or close your clubface to the target, leading to hook and slice shots.

In the video above, Cogorno continues to explain that your right arm should not reach full extension until it is 45 degrees past the impact point. Getting your trail arm to this point shows you have produced sufficient speed and power for a successful shot.

Which Arm Should be Dominant in Your Swing?

Backswing

On your backswing, your lead arm propels your golf club to the top of your swing. As a right-hander, this is your left, our non-dominant side.

Downswing

Now, on the downswing, your right arm is the dominant limb. From the top of your backswing, your dominant side enables you to generate increased power and speed. This boosts your chances of producing a clean strike for accelerated ball speed and maximum distance.

Drills to Help You Use Your Right Arm Correctly in Your Golf Swing

Hand Position Drill

I will start you off with an easy drill that helps you get used to the feel and positioning of your right arm during the swing. Golf coach Chris Ryan suggests letting your right arm hang to approximately waist height:

Face your palm towards your target line, and pause in this position. If you reach this point on your downswing, your club head may hit the turf before the ball. That is why you need to adjust the position of your arms depending on the point of the swing.

Next, rotate the palm of your hand so that it faces directly in front of you. In other words, if you were on the tee box, it would point to one of the markers. At this point, your elbow shifts towards the center line of your body.

Finally, rotate the palm of your hand back towards your target, and press the heel of the palm forward. Therefore, your palm will point towards the ground. Hold this setup and take note of your positioning. This is how you want your right arm at impact to produce a clean, powerful strike.

Dumbbell Drill

Earlier, I explained that your right arm bends on the backswing and straightens on the downswing. It follows the same method as curling dumbbells at the gym. However, instead of building muscle, you use the weight to feel the motion of your right arm on your up and downswing.

Grab a dumbbell that is a comfortable weight, and assume your stance for a routine strike. Hold the dumbbell in your right hand, and cross your left arm across your torso. Take full swings with your right arm and notice how it bends on the backswing and straightens on the downswing through impact.

The additional weight exaggerates the sensation, enabling you to feel when your club shaft is on plane and your arms are operating optimally.

Once this action becomes comfortable, substitute the dumbbell for a lower iron and place a golf ball on the turf. Now, repeat the movements of your dumbbell drill, this time with an actual golf club and ball.

Golf Ball Drill

The golf ball drill is a classic exercise to help you improve the performance of your right arm in the swing. Chris Ryan demonstrates how simple and effective this training is. The ultimate objective is to throw and bounce the ball in front of your tee:

Take a golf ball and place it into your right hand. Now stand over an imaginary ball as if you were about to strike it. Notice that if you threw the ball from this position, you would probably toss it over your left shoulder.

From your address position, take a half backswing, employing optimal hip and shoulder turn. Start your downswing before stopping before impact. Take note of your body position and how your weight has shifted onto your left hip. In addition, your right arm should lag your hips, prompting the generation of optimal velocity.

Repeat the process again, but this time release the golf ball moments before impact. Ideally, the golf ball should fall in front of the tee. If it lands before the tee, you either released it too early, or your arm is too straight.

Overall, this drill enables you to feel the positioning of your right arm during your backswing, downswing, and follow through.

One Handed Shot

A simple drill my high school coach taught me was the one-handed shot. If you are right-handed, grab the club with the same mitt. I suggest a short iron or wedge that is easier to swing. Set up a golf ball and take a few practice swings with the golf club in your right hand.

You only need to take a half or three-quarter swing for this exercise. Once you are comfortable, address the ball and attempt to strike it with your right hand. Naturally, you will hit the ball shorter, but the aim is to concentrate on a clean strike.

Since you do not have the propulsion from the left hand on your backswing, you rely on the control of your right arm and optimal rotation to reach the top of your swing. Furthermore, you are without the left hand to guide your club to the ball, and it is up to the proficiency of your right arm.

If you strike the ground before the ball, it was likely caused by an early straight. This could lead to a fresh air shot or a weak strike. Your ultimate goal is to position your right arm precisely at each point of the swing. Achieving this boosts your ability to strike the ball cleanly.

Half Swing

The half swing drill is designed to help you feel the movement of your right arm on your backswing and downswing. As I explained earlier, your right arm needs to bend on your backswing and straighten on the way down. Your right arm should fully extend once it is 45 degrees past the impact point.

A slow half backswing enables you to feel your right arm bending on the way up. Place a ball on the turf and grab your preferred mid or short iron. Take a step back from the ball and produce three half-practice swings.

Familiarize yourself with the position of your right arm at each point in the swing and address your ball. Induce a slow half swing to combine that with your hip and shoulder rotation, and work on striking the ball cleanly.

I suggest filming yourself to ensure that your arm bends and extends when required. Forget distance for this drill. Focus on correcting your right arm action for cleaner ball striking.

Top Down Drill

The final drill on this list is one I practice frequently at the driving range. I call it the top-down exercise. Basically, I take my backswing, and when I reach the top, I pause for a count of 3. Then I let it rip from the top.

I do this because it offers a clearer insight into the position of my arm and shaft en route to the ball. Slowing it down and taking it from the top makes it easier to identify if I am positioned correctly for impact.

Following Sieracki’s advice, I get my right elbow approximately 3-inches from my body at the top of the swing. From there, my elbow moves 2-inches away from my torso. Finally, it should sit 1-inch from my upper waist, enabling you to produce lag, and accelerated clubhead speed.

Matt Stevens

Matt Callcott-Stevens started playing golf at the age of 4 when Rory Sabattini’s father put a 7-iron and putter in his hand. He has experienced all the highs and lows the game can throw at you and has now settled down as a professional golf writer. He holds a Postgraduate in Sports Marketing and has played golf for 28 years. Current Handicap: 8

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Are you a golfer who shoots a 79 one day and an 89 the next?

If you are, you are not alone. Consistency in golf is one of the most difficult things to nail down, and it’s really a battle all golfers fight.

I was recently speaking with a beginner golfer who mentioned that they had chipping all figured out, and then it was gone completely. Of course, the first thing that came to my mind was that feeling where golf can so quickly take away your confidence and leave you feeling like you are back at square one.

Luckily, some ways to develop consistency in your golf game and become a more accomplished player. You can trust me here – it’s much more enjoyable to shoot 78, 79 than 79, 89!

1. Establish a Strong Pre Shot Routine

If you want to hit consistent golf shots, you will need a pre shot routine.

The pre shot routine is in place so that you can easily repeat your golf swing every time. For a consistent golf game and a repeatable golf swing, try to keep the pre shot routine the same each time.

Depending on what type of golfer you are and how long you have been playing the game, the pre shot routine typically consists of some type of alignment component, a practice swing, and then very often, a mental thought.

More important than what the pre shot routine consists of is the fact that you are doing it!

2. Choose a Grip and Stick To It

The grip is the only connection we have with the golf club.

If your hands are not in a comfortable position, it will have a huge impact on the golf swing. A poor grip can impact the left wrist and then chance the clubface angles through impact.

Problems with the grip will cause inconsistency in the golf game. Grip is something that you must practice and ensure you have full confidence in when you are standing in the address position.

The majority of golfers have the best lock with interlock or overlap grip. Decide if wearing a glove helps you, and be sure to regrip your clubs often to have the most control.

3. Pick a Solid Swing Thought

Think of your golf swing a bit like a science experiment. When you conduct a science experiment, you will only change one variable at a time to see the impact of this variable. Golfers somehow missed this memo!

Golfers love to stand over the ball with 13 swing thoughts, and 11 of those swing thoughts are different from the ones they had with the last swing they took.

How can you be consistent in the swings that you are putting on the ball if you are thinking about something different every single time? The key here is to choose a swing thought that helps you and to stick with it throughout the round.

If you keep changing everything and making adjustment after adjustment, expect some trouble on the golf course that day.

4. Keep The Swing Simple

Do you remember when the stack and tilt golf swing became such a big deal?

I remember well because everyone came out to the range to try and learn how to do this method. The reason so many people wanted the stack and tilt style swing is that it eliminated the slide and extra movement in the golf swing and kept things simple.

To play good golf, you must have a fairly efficient and repeatable swing. It’s hard to be a consistent player if your club comes inside on one swing and heads outside on the next. Take a video of your golf swing and see how your swing could benefit from some simplification.

5. Practice with Alignment Sticks in Place

One of the best drills to work on a more consistent golf swing is to use alignment sticks when you practice.

One of the major issues that players see with consistency is that their hips, knees, and shoulders are not correctly aligned. In addition, the ball position can be a problem at the setup that leads to even more inconsistency.

If you practice with alignment sticks in place, you can pay closer attention to where the ball should be placed between your feet, your overall posture, alignment, and much more. Once you get this down on the driving range, you can take it to the course for increased success.

If you’re looking for a good alignment stick to buy, here’s one I like to recommend:

6. Work on Clubface Angle at Address

When I set up to hit a golf ball, I’m fairly confident as to how the clubface is sitting. I know that it is square. However, through the years, I have realized that this was an acquired skill. It takes time to know exactly what your clubface angle should look like at the address.

One of the best ways to do this is to practice club face angle when you are not out on the course. Use a 90-degree angle like a door jam and set your golf club up against it. This is what the clubface should look like at address.

If you are still standing up there, closing the clubface of your club down at times, and feeling like you need to manipulate those angles, you can’t expect the shots you take to be consistent. Start trusting a square clubface and taking swings that will return you to this square position.

7. Check The Shafts/Weights on Your Equipment

Sometimes inconsistency in the golf swing is caused by problems with equipment. Are your shafts and grips relatively the same for each of your clubs, or do they vary widely? If you have a senior shafted graphite wedge and a stiff shafted driver, that may be difficult to work with.

It’s essential to have your golf clubs made to fit your golf game. When you look inside the bag of many professional golfers, you will notice that their equipment has similar shaft weights and always has the same grip throughout the entire set.

It’s hard to ask a golfer to repeat a swing with two clubs that have different shaft weights or even lengths. These changes in equipment will absolutely impact the ball flight, the speed of the swing, and your ability to produce the same shot over and over again.

8. Get More Physical Strength and Better Balance

Another excellent way to get more consistency in your golf swing is to improve your overall physical strength.

Sometimes golfers start to become inconsistent later in their round and start to hit shots off the heel or toe of the club. Sometimes this is not as much about accuracy and consistency as it is about getting tired.

At the end of your round, if it is hard for you to shift weight from the backswing to the downswing or finish with the club up high, it becomes hard to stay consistent. If you start to implement a bit of a physical health routine, even just adding in more walking, the results will be very beneficial.

9. Practice Your Short Game

You can’t forget the short game when you want to work on consistency in your golf game.

Hitting chip and pitch shots is such a good thing for your full swing as it helps you focus on the impact position and ensures the swing is mechanically sound.

Practicing your short game can also help with rhythm and tempo issues. If you establish a confident tempo in your short game and can then carry that on to the rest of the golf swing, it may be easier to get that impressive timing that the professionals have.

The great thing about increasing the consistency in your short game is that it will also allow you to save those rounds when scoring is not going your way.

10. Develop Proper Weight Balance at Setup

Last but not least is the balance of weight at setup.

Do you know where your weight sits when you set up to hit a golf shot? So many players struggle with whether their weight is too close to their toes or too far back in the heels.

To develop proper weight balance, you want to feel as though the weight is in the balls of your feet, allowing you the ability to turn back and through with ease. If the weight is not balanced, you may end up with swing plane issues and even spine-angle problems in the swing.

Weight balance may seem like a simple thing, but it’s a problem that causes quite a bit of inconsistency in the game. To see what this weight balance can do to your golf swing, we highly recommend experimenting with it at the driving range.

Hit a few shots with the weight on your toes and see what happens, then switch to heels. This little bit of a change brings about big impacts on the golf ball and could be causing some of your inconsistencies on the golf course.

Brittany Olizarowicz

Britt O has been playing golf since the age of 7. Almost 30 years later, she still loves the game, has played competitively on every level, and spent a good portion of her life as a Class A PGA Professional. Britt currently resides in Savannah, GA, with her husband and two young children. Current Handicap: 1

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Shoulder and hip rotation are essential components of your golf swing.

An inadequate turn reduces your clubhead speed and impacts your swing path. Rotation is required from takeaway until impact for optimal results.

Your upper body and hips should rotate through impact until they are open to your target line. Failure to reach this position decelerates your clubhead velocity and leaves the clubface open through contact. As a result, you produce fewer yards and more slices.

In this article, I break down how to clear your hips in a golf swing.

What Clearing Your Hips Means in Golf

Clearing your hips means you get your lower body and shoulders open to the target through impact and follow through. This motion gives you the space to accelerate the clubhead into contact and keep it on plane.

The ultimate goal with clearing your hips through impact is to start your ball on the intended line and generate the prerequisite velocity.

The next time you are at the driving range, try and hit a shot where your hips stop rotating when they are square. In other words, when your hips are square to the ball, cease rotating. You will notice how your arms take over and guide the clubface to the golf ball.

This reduces your clubhead speed drastically and restricts your ability to square the face up at contact. As a result, you produce a weak, inaccurate strike. Now hit another shot, clearing your hips on the downswing, and notice the difference in distance and accuracy.

How to Properly Clear Your Hips: Step-by-Step

Step 1: Alignment

I will start with the basics to ensure you employ the correct address position. This sets you up to produce optimal shoulder and hip turn for more powerful golf shots.

Identify your target, and ensure that your front foot is parallel to the intended landing zone. In addition, your clubface should point directly at the target. This setup ensures that your golf ball starts on your target line for improved accuracy.

Step 2: Ball Position

The position of a ball in the stance impacts a golfer’s angle of attack. This is the difference between striking the ball cleanly and topping it a few yards ahead of you. In addition, ball position can hamper your ability to clear your hips.

If the ball is too far back in your stance for a longer club, you are left with minimal time to clear your hips. That causes you to strike the ball when your hips are square, imploding your clubhead speed. Plus, you have limited time to get your clubface on path for an accurate strike.

Those struggling in this department should review our tips on achieving the perfect stance.

Step 3: Shallow the Club at the Top of the Backswing

Shoulder and hip turn on the backswing is a breeze for most amateurs. However, the implosion starts at the top of the backswing. Players tend to prompt the hip turn too early in their downswing, sending the club over the top. An inside path is the only route to the ball from that position.

An inside path typically causes the clubface to stay open to the target at impact, prompting left to right sidespin. The outcome is numerous and lower clubhead speed.

Top Speed Golf provides a simple exercise to overcome this challenge. If you are right-handed, they suggest that your left elbow points directly ahead at the top of the backswing. It is easy to shallow out the golf club shaft from this point to transition to your downswing:

Shallowing out the club from the top of your backswing helps keep the shaft on plane and the clubhead on path. In addition, you accelerate your swing speed with increased wrist hinge achieved from this motion.

Step 4: Shoulders and Hips Rotate In Sync

Clay Ballard explains that your shoulder and hips must work in sync to achieve maximum clubhead speed and square face at contact. However, many amateurs lose their rhythm and tempo on the downswing.

Because we are constantly reminded to clear our hips on the downswing, it is the first motion that springs to mind. This causes golfers to activate their hips immediately from the top, separating the upper and lower body.

Ballard suggests that this brings the hips square early in the downswing and keeps them there through impact. That requires your shoulders and club to try and catch up, leading to a disjointed strike.

The reason for this jerk reaction from your upper body is that the muscles are stretched compared to the lower body. Therefore, it needs to play catch up and obliterates your rhythm,

You overcome this disparity by feeling the rotation of your upper and lower body working in unison.

A trick I use when I feel the disconnect is to stop at the top of my backswing. I don’t suggest doing this on the golf course, as it will impact your clubhead speed. However, this position allows me to feel the transition and flexibility of my body. It makes it easy to determine if one part is separated from the other.

When you reach the top of your backswing, pause, then start turning your hips and shoulders.

Step 5: Open Your Hips to the Target

The previous 4 steps built up to this point. Clearing your hips on the downswing. The momentum you generate from your lower and upper body rotation thrusts the clubface down and towards your ball for a powerful strike.

Since your clubhead lags behind your hips and shoulders, you must continue rotating through the upswing. This provides sufficient momentum to keep your club on plane and accelerating through impact.

When you stop rotating and keep your hips square at contact, you rely on your arms to guide the club into the ball. Naturally, this slows down your swing speed and may cause you to leave your clubface open to the target at impact.

Clay Ballard suggests that the shoulders and rib cage of PGA Tour players are open to the target by 20 degrees through impact. Optimizing their rotation on the downswing helps them swing faster and boost the consistency of their shots:

I have a basic exercise that you can do to help you improve clearing your hips through impact. Address the golf ball with your club in hand, and set up as if you are hitting your shot.

Next, start your takeaway and step back with your trail foot. That is your right foot for right-handers and left for lefties. The movement helps you feel the rotation of your upper and lower body on your backswing. Pause in this position, and take a step forward as you follow through. Do not hit the ball yet.

Repeat this process for five repetitions, and feel how your weight transfers from front to back and back to front. You will feel increased power and control from takeaway to impact.

Finally, employ your standard swing without taking a step back. The motion of clearing your hips through the downswing should be more natural at this point, allowing you to optimize clubhead speed and square face at contact.

Matt Stevens

Matt Callcott-Stevens started playing golf at the age of 4 when Rory Sabattini’s father put a 7-iron and putter in his hand. He has experienced all the highs and lows the game can throw at you and has now settled down as a professional golf writer. He holds a Postgraduate in Sports Marketing and has played golf for 28 years. Current Handicap: 8

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Remember when you were new to the game of golf, and it was nearly impossible to get your feet, and clubface squared and have all parts of the body working together?

Who would have thought that after just a bit of experience in the game, you would go back to these alternative stances with your feet open or closed?

The open stance golf swing can be a tremendous tool for players when it’s done right. The key here is making sure you understand what an open stance is, how to get into an open stance position, and the impact it has on ball flight.

Keep reading – we have the answers you need to give this a try on the range today.

What is an Open Stance Golf Swing

An open stance golf swing is one where your toes are going to be aimed left of your target while your clubface stays square down the target line. With an open stance golf swing, your toes and heels are still on the same parallel line, but they are no longer parallel to your clubface. What this looks like is a golfer with their hips and toe line aimed to the left of the target.

The key to making a proper open stance golf swing is the swing plane. Once your feet are on this path being aimed left of the target, the swing plane is still the same as if the feet were in the center of your stance.

Therefore the swing plane and path will match what the clubface is doing, not what the feet are doing. As you can imagine, this will have an impact on the ball flight, spin, and overall distance of the shot.

The open stance swing has both positives and negatives. One of the reasons I like players to learn the open stance swing is that it can be helpful in fixing issues that you may have on the golf course or getting you out of trouble.

Pros of Having an Open Stance in Your Golf Swing

The main positive to hitting a golf shot with an open stance swing and swing path is a higher ball flight. However, in addition to this higher ball flight there are benefits to being able to work the ball and to help players that struggle with rotation in their swing.

Higher Ball Flight

When your left foot and right foot are aimed to the left of the target line, the result to the clubface is that it will be slightly open in relation to your stance. The open clubface results in a higher ball flight.

Some golfers that struggle with getting the golf ball up in the air can greatly benefit from this higher ball flight as it can help with getting the ball to stop on the green. I also know that a higher ball flight (within reason) typically leads to a better distance than a low and penetrating ball flight.

Softer Landing On Approach Shots

Approach shots to the green are all about hitting it close. At some point in your golf career, you likely realized that getting the ball on the green is not enough. You need to be close enough to make a putt. One way to ensure you can attack pins is to have a higher overall flight with a bit more spin on the ball.

Think about the angle that many of your approach shots land on the green. Are they coming in high, dropping down, and stopping? Or are they scooting across the green like a line drive to center field? The ability to change ball flight and prepare for this softer landing is essential.

Easy Way To Hit A Fade

The draw and fade equation tends to get over complicated. Players worry about changing their grip, adjusting their swing path, and all sorts of other mental tricks to try and get the ball to turn just a few yards. Many great players will open their stance a bit and watch the ball fade.

The open stance promotes a more outside swing path, and with the feet aimed to the left of the target, the result will be a high fade. Don’t feel the need to make this game any more complicated than it is!

Can Help Senior Golfers With Rotational Issues

If you are starting to feel hip pain or pressure when you swing through the golf ball, chances are the left foot is making things difficult for you. As we age, our flexibility decreases, and so does our power. The result is a move that tries to create power with a less flexible body, and the many golfers end up in pain.

Sometimes by opening the stance just a bit, we make it much easier to swing through the ball, transfer weight and look straight down the fairway at our target. For players that struggle to get to the left side or don’t feel comfortable turning with speed, the open stance is a game changer.

Cons of Having an Open Stance in Your Golf Swing

Like all things in golf, if you make a slight change, there are possibilities for negatives as well. The square stance is where most players like to play, and that is because the golf ball tends to perform best from this position. Here are a few downsides to the open stance, all of which can be controlled by the degree to which you open your stance.

Can Promote a Slice or Fade Spin

The outside-in swing path created by a player who sets up with an open stance has also been known to promote a slice or a fade. For many golfers, this is a great thing, but if you exaggerate this move in any way, expect that your face angle could be a bit too extreme, and the slices and fades can get out of control.

Loss In Distance

Another one of the disadvantages to the open stance golf swing is a slight loss in the distance. Sometimes with the open face angle and the setup to the left of the target, the shots can be a few yards shorter. With a closed stance and clubface that is slightly shut down, there is more topspin on the ball, increasing the amount of roll and distance.

Ball Will Be Subject To Wind

High ball flight is great until you are into the wind. If you are playing golf on a windy day, opening the stance and increasing the ball flight is likely not your best decision. Instead, learn how to play a closed stance as well as an open, and then you are prepared for any situation.

Can Cause Swing Plane Issues

Golfers with an open stance tend to struggle with where the golf club should come around in the backswing. Sometimes the club gets a bit too far outside the target line, which is difficult to recover from. I’ve said it before, but it’s worth mentioning again that adjustments to the golf swing, like an open stance, should be subtle. Don’t go crazy with this; it’s not going to help you.

Other Types of Stances

In addition to the open stance, there are two other types of stances in golf. We wish we could tell you that learning one will be enough. If you want your game to stall at a certain point and not progress to lower handicap, then you may stick with just a square stance.

However, great players will work hard to add tools to their golf bags. These tools are not necessarily golf clubs; instead, they are shots that can be hit using the equipment you already have.

Square

A square stance is a standard golf stance where your feet, hips, shoulders, and clubface are all square to the target line. With a square stance, you set yourself up for a perfect swing plane and for a high ball flight, and a straight golf shot.

Of course, the square stance will not guarantee that you hit a golf ball straight, but it certainly gives you the best chance. However, each golfer has some unique features to their game, and sometimes even with a square stance, the ball will go left or right.

Closed

The closed stance is essentially the opposite of an open stance. With the closed stance, your golf club still stays square to the target, but your feet are going to be aimed right of the target. The closed stance can result in shots that go left of the target as the swing plane is typically a little more inside out.

One of the best fixes for a golfer that is struggling with a slice is to close down their stance and see if it helps straighten the ball flight out. The clubface closes slightly, and the path encourages you to release the golf club.

Which Type of Golf Stance Is Best?

Wouldn’t it be great if there was one type of golf stance that you could learn as a beginner and have that take you throughout your entire golf career? Unfortunately, golf is never that simple.

The square stance is the one you will use the most often. However, once you have the square stance down, it’s time to start looking at the open stance and closed stance as additions to your game. The learning curve on these stance options is short, and you can pick up this skill in one afternoon on the range.

My best tip is to start very subtly. Do not overdo the motion in any way, as it will likely cause a shot that you are not going to favor. Simply start with a slight turn of the toes towards the left and see how this impacts your flight. Chances are you will hit some shots that you have not been able to hit in the past.

Brittany Olizarowicz

Britt O has been playing golf since the age of 7. Almost 30 years later, she still loves the game, has played competitively on every level, and spent a good portion of her life as a Class A PGA Professional. Britt currently resides in Savannah, GA, with her husband and two young children. Current Handicap: 1

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When you want to get full distance from your golf shots, you need to be able to swing through the ball with power. The swing should feel free and unobstructed.

However, there are times when players feel as though they are getting stuck on the downswing. This feeling is frustrating. It makes you lose power, and sometimes it will even increase dispersion rates in your golf shots.

If you’re getting stuck in your golf swing, try these four steps to start swinging freely again.

What Does Getting Stuck in Your Golf Swing Mean?

Getting stuck in your golf swing is a common swing flaw in which you feel as though the club can’t get through the ball. It feels almost as if on the way down, there is nowhere for the club to go, and your arm doesn’tt fall into place the way it should.

You may hear golfers talking about dropping the golf ball into the slot on the downswing. This is something that helps to get the downswing on track.

Getting stuck may be something you feel when taking practice swings or when hitting full length shots. The results of getting stuck could end up with shanks, chunks, blocked shots, and more. Obviously, it’s best to get rid of this issue as soon as possible.

3 Common Reasons You Could Be Getting Stuck in Your Golf Swing

There are 3 common reasons you could be getting stuck in your golf swing. They include standing too close to the ball, poor transfer of weight, and a swing plane that is too upright.

Standing Too Close

Standing too close to the ball is a very common reason for feeling stuck in your swing. When you’re close to the ball, there is nowhere for your club to go, and you may struggle to release the club.

Many golfers make the mistake of standing too far from their golf shots but standing too close can be just as much of a problem for some.

Remember that as a club gets longer, there are times that you will have to stand further from the ball. If you’re standing the same distance from the ball with your pitching wedge as your driver, that is a problem.

Always adjust based on the length of the club you have in your hand and find a spot that is more comfortable.

Poor Weight Transfer

One of the causes that I have seen the most often in golfers getting stuck in their golf swing is they don’t correctly transfer their weight. If the weight does not make its way back onto the right leg, it will have a hard time getting to the left leg as you go through impact.

The result is a player feeling as though they are loaded up on their right side with nowhere to go. Players struggle to get that push forward, and then the club and the weight feel as though they are lagging behind.

Ask yourself where you should be when you finish a swing. The answer is finished with your weight forward on the left side. However, most golfers are leaning backward, barely trying to maintain balance.

Too Upright of a Swing Plane

Another common cause and something that you don’t see too many pro golfers doing is an upright swing that creates an issue with the club being stuck behind. When the club is more upright, sometimes there is no room for a golfer’s elbow to fit in to release the club.

These feelings of getting stuck typically release in a slice-type golf shot.

4 Tips to Help You Stop Getting Stuck in Your Swing

Now that we have identified why you get stuck in your golf swing let’s look at a few of the ways you can ensure that you stop getting stuck. The good news is that these tips can make this process considerably easier than you might think, and you shouldn’t have a hard time getting it done.

Stand Further from The Ball

The first way to ensure that you’re not getting stuck in your swing is to make sure you have enough room for your arms to swing. Sometimes you get stuck simply because there is a lack of space to swing through the golf ball.

Of course, there is a fine line between standing too far from the ball and standing too close. Try to make sure your arms are hanging freely down your sides. Don’t feel as though your hands are too close to your thigh, and don’t reach out to extend your arms too far.

Standing further from the ball means that you will be able to cast the club out just a bit more too. If you have had a hard time with the swing inside out, this can certainly help.

If you start to lose balance and feel as though you have to bend over to reach the ball, chances are you’re standing much too far from the golf ball, and you need to move up.

Start The Swing With a Weight Transfer

So many of golfers’ swing flaws are because of how they start their golf swing. If your swing does not get started the right way, it’s very hard to recover and start swinging correctly. Therefore you must ensure that you start your back with a weight transfer back to the right foot.

This is not difficult to accomplish if you take a low and slow takeaway. The club moving back low and slowly helps the weight transfer onto the right foot, making it considerably easier to get the weight onto the left side.

When you swing properly with the correct position of the weight to start, you have a much lower chance of getting stuck on the right side (for right-handed golfers).

One of my favorite drills to help focus on weight transfer and ensure that it is more efficient is to swing with my legs completely together. Standing with the legs together teaches you how to get more balanced and simplified in your swing; in the end, this will translate into the regular swing when you’re ready.

Shallow Things Out a Bit

A shallow golf swing can undoubtedly lead to some issues.

However, for the most part, shallow golf swings are really good for a draw style ball flight and a much easier time getting distance. In addition, when you swing more shallow, you help to get that space in your downswing for the club to fit.

One of the best ways to determine if your swing is too shallow is to take a video of the swing with a camera. When you take a video, ensure it is a down the line view. Ensure your alignment is correct and your spin angle is good.

Once these are in place, take a look at the actual swing plane.

The swing plane that is too upright could cause you to get stuck. The shallower swing plane involves a more rounded move around your body. Play around with this to see how it impacts your ball flight and whether or not you have done too much, and it causes you to start hooking the ball.

Don’t Close The Stance Down

Another great tip is to open up your stance and setup a little bit. So many players make the mistake of closing things down. Their shoulders, hips, and even their feet will be closed off to the target.

When this happens, players will notice that the club can swing back just fine, but once it is back there, the room to swing through is significantly impacted.

The best way to do this is to start by opening up your lower body a bit. Take your feet and your hips, and just turn them slightly left of the target.

Remember that a slight move to the left is all it will take in golf. There is no need to exaggerate this movement; it won’t help you!

If you find this creates some space in the swing for you to swing down the target line, you may want to check your shoulder position as well to ensure that it is properly aligned. Take some practice swings with this more open stance first and see if it is easier to get the club face angle you’re looking for.

Brittany Olizarowicz

Britt O has been playing golf since the age of 7. Almost 30 years later, she still loves the game, has played competitively on every level, and spent a good portion of her life as a Class A PGA Professional. Britt currently resides in Savannah, GA, with her husband and two young children. Current Handicap: 1

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I compare the feeling to hitting a mini driver off the deck for the first time. It seemed like I was about to drive the ball into the ground, but the soles on modern mini drivers make them almost as easy as a 3-wood to hit from the deck.

Working with Cobra fitter Andrew Lusty, we started with the 7-iron, as most iron fittings do, and it didn’t take us long to see how effortlessly I could hit the new 3DP MB while getting similar numbers to my gamer. We also dialed in a shaft change and a flatter lie angle that has virtually eliminated the left side of the golf course for me.

Still, as small as the 3DP MBs look to me, I couldn’t wrap my head around playing the line’s long irons.

That’s when Andrew offered me stock 4- and 5-irons to hit to see if I could hit the intended ball speeds. These were softer and shorter shafts than what I’m spec’d for, but the idea is if you can hit designated ball speeds and peak height windows with stock setups, you should easily be able to with the proper specs.

I was shocked when it took me just one swing to flush the stock MB 5-iron: 141 mph, 110 feet in the air. Exactly the numbers we were looking for.

We broke the set with the 4-iron because I was only able to muster around 141-143 mph out of the MB 4-iron, short of the required 5 mph ball-speed gap. Past the 5-iron was clearly my point of diminishing returns. Switching to the 3DP Tour 4-iron, the feeling of effortlessness returned.

Specs
Cobra 3DP MB 5-iron
Shaft: Nippon N.S.Pro Modus3 Tour 120 X
Length: +.5″ (38.75″ EOG)
Lie: 2˚ Flat (59)
Loft: 26.9˚
Swingweight: D2.5

Cobra 3DP MB Custom Irons

The 3DP MB iron combines the looks and feel of a traditional forged muscle back with the forgiveness of a cavity back iron. The most forgiving blade on the market, the MB has captivated Tour players by checking all the boxes and exceeding expectations with its exceptional stability and feel.
FORGIVING MUSCLE BACK BLADE SHAPE
A slightly revised shape from the KING MB inspired by feedback from PGA Tour player Max Homa, the MB features a thinned topline and enhanced offset. The internal 3D printed lattice and heel, toe and hosel tungsten increases MOI for stability, and positions the CG perfectly centered and lower than the KING MB to promote higher launch.
EXTREME FORGIVENESS MEETS SOFT FEEL
The 3D printed internal lattice structure not only optimizes weight savings, but also provides the stiffness and strength to support the face and fine-tune the acoustics of each iron to produce the most appealing impact sound and feel.
TUNGSTEN WEIGHTING
The discretionary weight savings from the 3D printed lattice allowed for up to 55g of tungsten to be positioned low in the heel, toe and hosel resulting in the perfect blend of a compact blade shape with a low CG and high MOI that mirrors a game improvement iron.

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Welcome to Play Smart, a regular GOLF.com game-improvement column that will help you become a smarter, better golfer.

I’ve become pretty militant about my practice routine this winter. In the past, I’ve gone to the simulator maybe once a week to get some hacks in, but this year, I decided to up the intensity. Each week since November, I’ve made it my goal to hit balls at least three days a week. That may not sound like a ton, but when you’re in NYC, it’s quite the commitment.

This has been great for learning about my golf swing. Whereas I once relied entirely on feel to build my swing, I now have a much better grasp of technique — and how certain movements impact my ball striking.

One of the most important things I’ve learned is that the way I start the swing is fairly flawed. As I begin my takeaway, I typically rotate my trail hip back too quickly. Instructor Justin Kraft posted a great video illustrating this flaw recently, which you can see below.

This is a flaw that afflicts lots of golfers and can lead to all sorts of issues. When I do this, the club has a tendency to get sucked a bit inside, and then once I get to P3 (lead arm parallel to the ground) I can’t turn back with my hips any more. To compensate, I have to lift my hands to the top of the swing. From there, I have a hard time delivering the clubhead with the correct attack angle and have an inconsistent low point, both of which are crucial for consistent ball striking.

So, what’s the fix? It all starts with the sequence in which you turn to the top of the backswing.

As Justin explains in the video above, you need to focus on rotating the chest away from the target first and then turn the hips back. If you do that, you’ll start your swing with the correct sequence and be in a much better position to deliver a solid strike on the ball.

Divot Board

The Divot Board is a revolutionary golf training aid that gives golfers instant feedback on every swing. By showing exactly where your club contacts the ground, the Divot Board makes it easy to spot errors and correct them on the spot. Whether you’re practicing indoors or outdoors, this tool helps you improve ball striking, swing path, and low-point control. With consistent use, the Divot Board builds muscle memory so you can strike the ball cleaner, hit straighter shots, and lower your scores.
Instant Feedback for Faster LearningResearch shows that immediate feedback can accelerate learning by 50–70%. The Divot Board provides real-time feedback on your swing so you can make quick adjustments and refine your technique instantly.
Improve ConsistencyDid you know 70–80% of golfers struggle with inconsistent contact? The Divot Board reveals exactly where your club struck the surface, helping you identify flaws and build a repeatable, reliable swing.
Train AnywhereCompact and portable, the Divot Board can be used at home, on the driving range, or even in the office. Its high-quality construction ensures durability through countless practice sessions. Proudly designed and assembled in the USA.
Using a Divot Board consistently will transform your practice routine. It’s the easiest way to gain awareness, develop better ball striking, and see results faster.

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