I just came across this video and I am one who changed to an open stance. Best decision I ever made. One thing to help others is my stance is open about 20 degrees and my ball position is a bit back but the huge key at address is my shoulders are square to the target line and I take the club a bit inside. It shortens my backswing and makes swing flatter and on downswing I simply let the body hit the ball with passive hands. The uncoiling of the body which obeys the feet line creates a tremendous amount of torque and massive power.
Absolutely well defined and it does exactly this. I too second put the ball a tad back more in stance or what it feels like. I also find more bent knees adds huge importance to this swing and hands like said above are passive. The body makes the swing and its so simple its almost stupid. Takes the flip release out of golf swings
You are so correct about this open setup. I flare my left foot out 15 degrees, and I step back with my left foot about 4 inches, my shoulders are square to the target line, I take the club straight back from the ball by starting the swing with my left shoulder and it will automatically loop to the inside on the downswing, and as I hit the ball my weight is already on my left leg, and the fact that my left hip is back 4 four inches, I do not get stuck, I have a free-flowing effortless swing with more speed. I learned this from Lee Trevino many years ago.
Huge help, I just switched to open stance, at age 65 with an open stance, I’m no longer getting stuck trying to get my hips through the ball, no more getting stuck in double crossing....I was low single digit handicap for 20 yrs.... then didn’t play much raising kids and now getting back at it I have struggled for five years until I opened up my stance this has really helped thank you
100% agree...I found this swing after 20 lessons / 2 years of 2-3 games a week + range...had finally reached a single-digit handicap when last night I am at the range working on my chipping and ...yes, left foot back and ball on back foot for low chip...working on letting hips turn and pulling club through the strike zone...if feels very natural...it was at that moment that I wondered what this set-up would feel like with a pitching wedge...loved it...ok, what about a 9 iron...that will probably not work, wrong...worked great...8, then 7....still felt great...But, I thought...my long irons...NEVER...NEVER NEVER would that work...WRONG...worked great...6 and 5....was so easy to swing...so straight ...so solid...so long....then the moment of truth...would I dare pull out the G425 Max Ping DRIVER....YES...and YES it worked...I am LEE TREVINO's dopplgolferganger!!!
There are certainly worse dopplgolfgangers to be :) Keep at it and i think you will like some our other more recent teaching similar but with enhancements. Easier swing, short swing, steep, shallow etc. Keep at it!
Thanks. I did this on the range thinking it might help, and it did; then I looked for someone who thought it might help those of us with a few yrs and lack a good range of motion. It works.
My playing partner today said he felt i had a closed stance at set up, moved my left foot back like you suggested and played my last three holes 1 under. Great tip from you.
Trevino always mentioned as a great ball striker but Johnny Miller was the Man! When he shot 63 to win his US Open he opened up his stance on a whim during practice and presto!
Played a lot of tennis and ice hockey and I am a pretty reasonable in them but golf totally alluded me for a long time. Once I started to hit from the open stance everything fall into place. Strongly advise to try. It gives me confidence, straight and consistent shots.
@@JohnnyLREACTS Yes, and it works wonders. Sometimes I go back to "parallel" stance but only to prove that it doesn't work. Open stance was the best thing I have done to my golf, particularly in golden years when the spine and back muscles are not the same, it also relieves the left leg knee if you are right hander.
@@NetoperekMordulec Thank you for the reply. Yes I I am right hander (shoot hockey lefty though) and that you say it relieves the left knee is added bonus as my knee bit weak from soccer. I have tried it before with some success. I guess where I am feeling an issue is the backswing feels now sort of cramped and I come in too steep still. When I hit a good shot it's usually pulled left if it doesn't fade so almost feel like I must aim now more right of target. Does this sound familiar to any issues you faced when you transitioned?
@@JohnnyLREACTS I didn't mention that I lead with my left hand because my right is so dominant and as you I always try to aim slightly RIGHT of the centre and the ball is not fading. It is exactly as in your case. Funny thing though - open stance, for some reason, allows me to turn more fully. The other thing - two years ago I changed my grip to 10 finger one and it works much better. All the best.
@@NetoperekMordulec Wow your story is amazing. I also started golf 10 finger (small hands) and was encouraged by a swing instructor to change to Vardon or interlocking. Have been trying the last 2 seasons to make it work with some success but not getting better and feel like was more consistent before with 10 finger. I'm going back to 10 and will just have to learn to control my fight hand wanting to take over..
I just figured this out today at the range. I grew up playing hockey as a lefty (natural righty) and baseball (switch hitter), and golf swing has been the most frustrating swing ever to learn. So, today I decided to open my stance as I would when I play hockey and it worked! To confirm this, I searched "open hockey stance golf swing" on RUclips and came across your video! Voila!!!
Brilliant video, Alex, thank you. I came looking for this sort of thing because a pro at my club got me to move my trail foot back to stop me slicing everything. He discovered that I also had a weak grip. He showed me the difference between a strong, weak and neutral grip. When I changed to a strong grip with the trail foot back I started to hook everything. I have since gone back to neutral grip with the trail foot still back 5 inches for an Iron and 2 inches for a Driver, Fairway Wood or Hybrid. Every thing is now straight but i don't understand why. I am 25 handicap, and it has made such a difference.
ok i had such a hard time with over the top and a steep down swing . Grenade deep divots . well i started to open my stance and it seems like it cured everything as long as i swing slow . if i try to turn through fast it dont work . However i can finally hit my 3 wood strait even from bad lies . open stance is a blessing . it would be nice to see your videos with shot tracer . Thanks bro
I like when he says. There's freedom there. It's true. Opening my stance just feels so much damned easier. People say take the right foot back to encourage draw and help with shoulder turn into backswing, and there is truth to that. But it's actually putting the left foot back (for righties) that allows for the swing on the shoulder line and easier move into the left side to finish the swing.
Great video. I find an added benefit to the open stance is that it shortens my backswing which for me is beneficial because I collapse a bit at the top...
I'm 43 yr old .. 6 hcp. Although I'm 6' 180 lbs .. my hips are not very flexible. I've struggled with early extension, thin shots , poor AOA. I started opening my stance slightly, with ball back a bit more . I'm now compressing the ball so much better . Hitting 7 iron 170 instead of 155. P.W. 135 instead of 120 .
I'm not your age, but I do struggle clearing my hips on the downswing. By opening my stance, I've found out (very happily, by myself on the range) that with an open stance my hips are half way open already !!! I mean, the possible loss in speed caused by a shorter hip turn is compensated by much better ball strike (compression) as well as distance control !!!
good video. I started using this about 2 weeks ago and was having very good results hit the ball crisper and got better distance. Yesterday my striking was not as good and i think its due to some confusion on my part as to ball placement with the open stance,seems i am less comfortable playing the ball towards my front foot especially the longer the club gets. Granted yesterdays weather was less than ideal as temps were about 32 f and a brisk northerly wind.
Another great ball striker, Bubba Watson, hits everything from an open stance, including sharp draws. I'm 70, with a severely Arthritic hip, so I've been hitting off my good right leg (I'm right-handed) and getting shorter and shorter. This tip enables me to turn through without the pain and discomfort. I've been looking for this for a while. Thanks.
i forgot this is what i used to do when younger and was much better lol struggled for past number of years fighting my over the top swing i've always had. finally a few weeks ago i changed my putting stance to open cause i wasn't seeing the line very well. it helped my putting immediately and just felt so much more natural. well dumb me i didn't think about it for my golf swing until a few weeks later. then other day was like why am i fighting this why not just open up and BOOM instantly a huge difference and old familiar free flowing swing came back. i literally laughed on the range at how dumb i was for forgetting about this for so many years, and also how much it improved my distance/accuracy/contact. i went from 260 yd drives to 290 yds. back to what i remembered. no joke. swing feels so much more in control, like there's less to worry about so you can focus on just creating speed and making solid contact. the other weird thing that you would never think, it actually makes it easier for an over the top swinger to hit a draw if needed. i'm not sure the physics of it, but it feels like because my hips are already partly open it's so much easier to swing inside out without worrying about getting hips out of the way. i was open at least 20 degrees and hitting it dead straight not even a fade. TRY IT. if you have had similar struggles like honestly 75% of amateur golfers, i guarantee this will help you. GREAT VIDEO!
ruclips.net/video/xA9NXE6HIEk/видео.html pause this Trevino video at 1:23 mark. he's setup almost exactly as you show. the key to still being able to hit it far is the point about keeping chest/shoulders still square to target, so you naturally have tension at beginning of swing already and it forces a shorter backswing. another common issue with over the top swings, overswinging. if it's good enough for Trevino, it's good enough for me! lol this is not a gimmicky shameful golf tactic. pros use it.
did this last 2 weeks for my two best ever scores, wedges have become deadly accurate and the Driver I've been leaving at home is straight and 270 down the middle, big draws and hooks are now 1 out of 30 shots maybe
I am righty, left eye dominant as well. Gonna give this a try in earnest. Square or closed is just not working for me consistently enough. And I have all the symptoms. Not getting through, etc. I sit a lot, am 41. Need a swing that works for me.
Thanks for the vid, I've made quite a few changes with my swing, RIT release with square stance , but the one thing that kept crept in every now and then was the odd shank. This in turn got me thinking to I need to change this or that with my swing, but the actual solution was just by opening my stance. At the range practising this every strike was pure. Not restricted in any way trying to compensate. Allowed me to focus on the release and with a slightly open set up more freedom in my swing.
Hi Alex... Great video... My question is, what would be the stock shape if we did exactly what is mentioned in the video? Also when i tried it i felt a bit like a loop to take the swing on the target line and then take it further in and finish out. Could i just simply keep an open stance and hit it in to out? Thanks
I’m going to give this a try. I pull mid irons a bit which makes hitting greens from 155 - 180 yds a tough one for me. when I open my stance with short irons and driver I get pretty good results. don’t know why I haven’t thought to do it with mid irons. I’m wondering if the ball flight will be a slight fade or a controlled push. I know one thing I can’t stand seeing the ball hook with any club. I like to get a fade or controlled push. seems more reliable.
Hi Alex. This could be the last piece of the jigsaw for me along with taking up your suggestion of the ten finger grip a few years ago. This morning I was working on my one true weakness, the driver. It’s baffled me for nearly fifty years and this morning (in my isolation) I was working on the driver swing, in my temporarily converted garage, when I decided to work backwards from the impact position. I found that, like you suggested, if I were to swing with and open stance but keep my chest aligned to the target it produced a torque/spring/rotational sensation that allowed me to swing the club at speed more freely to that impact position and with a much shallower plane. I found I could throw the club out and round at a much greater speed than usual and, more importantly, the impact felt phenomenal. The first ball I hit felt like a rocket and not my normal OTT wutzy slice. I remember standing there thinking ‘what have I just done?’ Another thought was that I shouldn’t open my stance, but after a couple more thunderbolts I went into the house and RUclipsd ‘open stance driver swing’. When I saw your video there was an OMG moment. The two most important elements of my swing have been advised and verified by you. Thank you so much and I hope you are staying well in these testing times.
@@jamesedwards3266 He just means he's subscribing to the channel because he makes good content (hit the red button). It's not a golf term mate. And yeah, if ya new to golf give the open stance swing ago. It's a bit unorthodox compared to most traditional teachings but golf's very much a game of experimentation and finding what works for you. I find it works pretty well for me and my knackered back. If you're interested in learning more about the open stance swing then checkout this guys vids. He calls it the eureka swing and goes a bit more in depth about it. Anyway, hope that helps. Good luck with it. Golf's a bastard of a game lol. ruclips.net/video/7tLAWXZsAv4/видео.html
After 3 lumbar fusions (and 23 other orthopedic surgeries) my turn is somewhat restricted and this tweak allows me to get through the ball so much better. I reach my forward turn limit right at or immediately after the ball, so an open lower body gives me that much more release and turn.
Nice video thanks. Quick question on the set up; when you set up square initially, do you then literally just draw your left foot back and/or do you flare the left foot out to the left and then draw back? Also, do you keep the right foot square and have a stack type weight distribution so you keep most weight on your left leg through the backswing? Finally, do you recommend gripping the club with the face slightly open with this swing?
Hi... well I like for most to flare the lead foot anyway. But it's just pulling the leg back a couple of inches. You have to experiment. And depending on the club, the shorter, the more weight on lead side. As for open clubface... There are so many factors that would dictate that answer.... And i can't see what your swing is doing... So just try it and see. Cheers
This is so true and makes feeling that you are swinging through. But when you open your stance please open your front foot also so that your toes pointing little bit right ahead. This way you do not stress your knee or hip. That is a natural stance example to through or kick a ball. And is a right stance to hit golf ball. The classical 90 degree straight feet stance is so wrong.
Great video content! Excuse me for butting in, I am interested in your initial thoughts. Have you researched - Paneevelyn Swinging Clubsman (search on google)? It is a good one of a kind product for revealing an effortless golf swing technique without the hard work. Ive heard some incredible things about it and my best friend Jordan got cool success with it.
Got a back injury a few years back suffer with sciatica opening my stance stopped me coming in steap if anything I’m more flat but with my left hip already cleared I don’t have to force it because if I did I would put myself in a wheel chair .... I’m no athlete like tiger or Rory can’t open my hips like Lewis Hamilton swatting a flys nuts off at 160 mph going round a bend 😂👍
@@slatt33 90* stance isn't wrong. if you got lessons as a kid and learned to drop inside and all the perfect mechanics, it is ideal. but most of us did not grow up on a range and got private lessons. the open stance works better for amateurs who most have an over the top move to some extent. but there's plenty of pros and even HOF golfers who had an open stance.
I was at the range yesterday, practicing cobra one length wedge shots with the gap wedge. Been struggling a bit with them being 7 iron length. So what I did was open my stance pulling my left foot back, toe line middle with right foot. I was amazed at how well I could release through the ball. Been having the odd shank setting up more square so going to try this again with the 5,6 and 7 one length irons to see if I can get the same results. Not sure if it's because the wedges are more lofted that stance needs to be open.
@@TheArtofSimpleGolf Just got back from range practicing with one length 7 and 8 iron, same set up. Not one shank. Dead straight results. I'm sticking with this. Many thanks.
Good advice. Square is too contrived, robotic and un-athletic. I do this with my putting stance too. My inside elbow stays connected to my body and my knee and hips are active and liberated.
100%. did same changed my putting stance to open, instantly felt 10x more natural and so much more fluid. square is so hard to stay consistent, you miss left and right. i would even argue a lot of pros would benefit from this.
Alex, this is crazy. I also am an ex hockey player and have been “stuck”. Was able to play to a 5 handicap but just this morning I decide to try an open stance but still hit a soft draw. Amazing! Came home searched on RUclips and there you are. I have a club tourney this weekend...can’t wait. Great Great lesson and setup strategy...added 5 mph to swing speed on my SC200. At 60 I’m now at 105 mph and hopefully seeing a few more birdies. Thanks Much!
Alex, the tourney for me was a little frustrating. The new open stance worked great on the par 3’s...I won 2 closes to the pin $$. However, the new swing (with extra distance) put me too long on 4 dogleg holes and I ended in the trees with no second shot, and also a lost ball with a re-tee...yikes I shot 10 and 11 over par over the weekend (double my hc.) Not to worry, I like the extra distance just need to change my angles and strategy a little. Thanks again, Alex I’m going down to 0-2 index for 2019! Happy Thanksgiving and I wish you many birdies!!
It sounds like we have you on the right path! We have programs for scoring, breaking 80, putting and shortgame too. To give step by step lessons and drills to help.
I started using this yesterday was getting stuck and hurting in my back was hitting farther with stance open and more accurate might be a change that I need to stay with
When I'm perfectly square to the target, I do flush a lot of shots. When I miss, it's either something weak to the right, or a pull to the left. It seems to me, if I open up a tad, I won't feel so bunched up with myself.
I see some instructors say you have to rotate your feet counter clockwise. This confuses me on the course. I see you are just setting up square and simply dropping lead foot back. Seems to work for you. Any feedback? I've yet to try it your way. Thanks.
Not always.. but I have. Sometimes if just not warmed up enough or not played for a while... And I’ve used this in a few tournaments a few years back when swing was off and just could not get through the ball.
By moving the left foot back in the stance I can improve the impact? Nice :) My problem is that I'm comming to much in to out and get stuck on my right leg in the rotation and drops my right shoulder to much. That makes me hit the balls higher and not so much compress the ball at impact.
I liked this vid even thought it's been around a while it still has some good info, as always. Here is why. From years of slicing the ball many of us have inadvertently closed our stances as well as our clubfaces. We attempted to kill both loft and direction because we didn't want the pain associated with that ball heading high and right. You know, the ol' "round wrecker" as I like to call it. So to summarize, over time, our stances are closed, the clubface is closed and delofted all to prevent the high right miss. Well as I got better I realized it's ok to play a cut. You know the "eliminate one side of the fairway" thing. Sooooooo........just recently I began experimenting. I opened my stance a bit (at least it feels open, in reality it's probably square!), I moved the ball up in my stance, I opened the clubface (in reality it also is probably closer to square than I think). In other words I undid all the bad stuff I got into over the years. So just today on the range I really pulled it together. Bombing the ball. Sometimes with a baby fade sometimes straight (with 5 iron) Even on the mat! Hitting all irons farther and longer than ever with that awesome sound we all love. Now let's see IF I can regain the feel on the course! Always the challenge isn't it? We all suffer the same defeats and victories in this crazy game. I never stop trying to improve. For the record: I'm 59, 5'8', 160lbs, 8.5 index, hit driver 275-280. Cheers everyone. Keep swinging.
Great post good luck to you. It's too cold here now so I will try at an indoor session. I actually tried earlier in the summer the open stance and had some of my best contact but ball kept going left and I was at risk of the odd chunk still. Few tops though.
Will try this, it seems I get restricted at impact and flip the club head left....hitting pulls now and then. But you're not saying aim left, you're just saying open the feet a little more but still swing down the line....so I'll try it.
The Art of Simple Golf weridly, my shoot shape with my irons is more a draw, but I've always struggled with an over the top swing wth my driver. This setup really helped. Thanks!
@@TheArtofSimpleGolf Thank you for answering. I have always battled a duck hook especially with the driver. Your approach to teaching has helped me with my game. So thank you your videos.
Have done this for years, what i like is having a open stance you can swing straight back and straight through and hit a fade every time...as the years have passed that fade keeps the 6, 5, 4 irons in the bag and those "Hook" loving hybrids out.
Looking into this recently. Does the stance become progressively more open as you go up through the bag? I.E. Less open with the wedge than the driver. Or more open with the wedge than the driver?
You don't speak about the grip or shoulders with that setup. Do you weaken the grip to align the club face at the target? Are you setting up with shoulders somewhere between square and open like hips. The instruction seems a bit incomplete if you don't talk about the grip as you do alignment change.
BP Watch videos of Lee Trevino, he was a master at this and arguably one of the best ball strikers and wedge players ever. Key is open hips and stance line, shoulders square to target, ball a little back. Shallow out the club in the downswing and you’ll come from the inside with plenty of room (no getting stuck) with your hips already open a little you can really rotate and clear your left side. Produces great contact and ball flight. Hope this helps!
@@drkside53 Also helps if you tend to sway your hips, much harder to sway hips with an open stance. Also if someone is a bit armsy in the swing, your open stance will allow your left hip to clear before arms come through. I'm using flat swing with open stance hitting on the inside of the ball out to the right. Works great.
Sorry, I’m looking for why an open stance is better. This is kind of about ‘feeling’ and what you do. Isn’t there anyone who can explain the progression from start to finish? Can you make another video that gives me more depth of info? I’m hard to convince. Thanks in advance.
It depends on the person and pulling trail side back may help for drives. There is a video lesson I did a few months back on the two methods to see what works for you. I am not familiar with eureka swing at all.
@@TheArtofSimpleGolf I actually found a few balls further back than normal created some very consistent ball striking for myself. agree with you test out way back and way forward see what feels right.
Golf was meant to be played this way, and it's the most accurate way to play. Definitely more freedom. Maybe this is why in Europe they named it THE OPEN.
@@patricklee780 yep exactly. most the old greats knew this trick. Tiger made everyone think a 90 degree stance was only way to swing. why you see most pros now at 90 degrees. but also why you see more injuries, it creates more tension on everything. that combined with players have a lot more muscle now from lifting weights. Trevino Nickalus Hogan all played well into their 40's/50's very well because their swing was so fluid and less restrictive. it's really a great "secret" to being able to keep your distance well into older age.
Im not a golf guru but this seems completely opposite of what should be true. You open your stance to the left to help the club release to the right of the target. Makes no sense.
Rj Beck it’s to allow those with limited ability to be able to swing through without restrictions. It’s not about focusing on swing path. Just letting gravity and flow occur
You don't open your shoulder line, you still aim shoulders parallel to the line. It just keeps you from getting the club stuck behind you and makes it easier to release. There is NO one way to swing the club. Just look on tour.
I've been playing for 7 years now. This is what i have been doing for about 3 years now and ive broken 80 quite a few times and generally shoot low to mid 80s. im very happy with it. I've learned my body doesn't like the "proper mechanics". Im happy to see that other people are successful with this technique
I just came across this video and I am one who changed to an open stance. Best decision I ever made. One thing to help others is my stance is open about 20 degrees and my ball position is a bit back but the huge key at address is my shoulders are square to the target line and I take the club a bit inside. It shortens my backswing and makes swing flatter and on downswing I simply let the body hit the ball with passive hands. The uncoiling of the body which obeys the feet line creates a tremendous amount of torque and massive power.
Glad to hear it and we have some newer lessons covering this
Absolutely well defined and it does exactly this. I too second put the ball a tad back more in stance or what it feels like. I also find more bent knees adds huge importance to this swing and hands like said above are passive. The body makes the swing and its so simple its almost stupid. Takes the flip release out of golf swings
You are so correct about this open setup. I flare my left foot out 15 degrees, and I step back with my left foot about 4 inches, my shoulders are square to the target line, I take the club straight back from the ball by starting the swing with my left shoulder and it will automatically loop to the inside on the downswing, and as I hit the ball my weight is already on my left leg, and the fact that my left hip is back 4 four inches, I do not get stuck, I have a free-flowing effortless swing with more speed. I learned this from Lee Trevino many years ago.
Huge help, I just switched to open stance, at age 65 with an open stance, I’m no longer getting stuck trying to get my hips through the ball, no more getting stuck in double crossing....I was low single digit handicap for 20 yrs.... then didn’t play much raising kids and now getting back at it I have struggled for five years until I opened up my stance this has really helped thank you
Excellent to hear and thanks heaps for sharing your experience. Keep at it:) we also have some much more recent videos covering this in refinement
100% agree...I found this swing after 20 lessons / 2 years of 2-3 games a week + range...had finally reached a single-digit handicap when last night I am at the range working on my chipping and ...yes, left foot back and ball on back foot for low chip...working on letting hips turn and pulling club through the strike zone...if feels very natural...it was at that moment that I wondered what this set-up would feel like with a pitching wedge...loved it...ok, what about a 9 iron...that will probably not work, wrong...worked great...8, then 7....still felt great...But, I thought...my long irons...NEVER...NEVER NEVER would that work...WRONG...worked great...6 and 5....was so easy to swing...so straight ...so solid...so long....then the moment of truth...would I dare pull out the G425 Max Ping DRIVER....YES...and YES it worked...I am LEE TREVINO's dopplgolferganger!!!
There are certainly worse dopplgolfgangers to be :) Keep at it and i think you will like some our other more recent teaching similar but with enhancements. Easier swing, short swing, steep, shallow etc. Keep at it!
I discovered this on my own recently and found your video to help clarity. Thank you for this!
Excellent
Thanks. I did this on the range thinking it might help, and it did; then I looked for someone who thought it might help those of us with a few yrs and lack a good range of motion. It works.
My playing partner today said he felt i had a closed stance at set up, moved my left foot back like you suggested and played my last three holes 1 under. Great tip from you.
Good stuff and keep trying it i'd say.
Trevino always mentioned as a great ball striker but Johnny Miller was the Man! When he shot 63 to win his US Open he opened up his stance on a whim during practice and presto!
I didn’t know that! Thanks!
Played a lot of tennis and ice hockey and I am a pretty reasonable in them but golf totally alluded me for a long time. Once I started to hit from the open stance everything fall into place. Strongly advise to try. It gives me confidence, straight and consistent shots.
Hi question. Do you still hit with the open stance? I also played a lot of tennis and ice hockey and golf has been a constant struggle.
@@JohnnyLREACTS Yes, and it works wonders. Sometimes I go back to "parallel" stance but only to prove that it doesn't work. Open stance was the best thing I have done to my golf, particularly in golden years when the spine and back muscles are not the same, it also relieves the left leg knee if you are right hander.
@@NetoperekMordulec Thank you for the reply. Yes I I am right hander (shoot hockey lefty though) and that you say it relieves the left knee is added bonus as my knee bit weak from soccer. I have tried it before with some success. I guess where I am feeling an issue is the backswing feels now sort of cramped and I come in too steep still. When I hit a good shot it's usually pulled left if it doesn't fade so almost feel like I must aim now more right of target. Does this sound familiar to any issues you faced when you transitioned?
@@JohnnyLREACTS I didn't mention that I lead with my left hand because my right is so dominant and as you I always try to aim slightly RIGHT of the centre and the ball is not fading. It is exactly as in your case. Funny thing though - open stance, for some reason, allows me to turn more fully. The other thing - two years ago I changed my grip to 10 finger one and it works much better. All the best.
@@NetoperekMordulec Wow your story is amazing. I also started golf 10 finger (small hands) and was encouraged by a swing instructor to change to Vardon or interlocking. Have been trying the last 2 seasons to make it work with some success but not getting better and feel like was more consistent before with 10 finger. I'm going back to 10 and will just have to learn to control my fight hand wanting to take over..
I just figured this out today at the range. I grew up playing hockey as a lefty (natural righty) and baseball (switch hitter), and golf swing has been the most frustrating swing ever to learn. So, today I decided to open my stance as I would when I play hockey and it worked! To confirm this, I searched "open hockey stance golf swing" on RUclips and came across your video! Voila!!!
Never associated it directly with Hockey but it works for sure. Golf improvement relies on you playing your game andusng your golf swing
Brilliant video, Alex, thank you. I came looking for this sort of thing because a pro at my club got me to move my trail foot back to stop me slicing everything. He discovered that I also had a weak grip. He showed me the difference between a strong, weak and neutral grip. When I changed to a strong grip with the trail foot back I started to hook everything. I have since gone back to neutral grip with the trail foot still back 5 inches for an Iron and 2 inches for a Driver, Fairway Wood or Hybrid. Every thing is now straight but i don't understand why. I am 25 handicap, and it has made such a difference.
Excellent! Glad you are with us and helped to reassure. We have more recent lessons here on RUclips covering it too. Keep at it !
@@TheArtofSimpleGolf Thank you, and thanks for the reply.
ok i had such a hard time with over the top and a steep down swing . Grenade deep divots . well i started to open my stance and it seems like it cured everything as long as i swing slow . if i try to turn through fast it dont work . However i can finally hit my 3 wood strait even from bad lies . open stance is a blessing . it would be nice to see your videos with shot tracer . Thanks bro
Try paying attention to more rotation going back and not though the ball.
I’m 26 and didn’t even know I had an open stance, it just feels natural. Just got sub 6 HCP for the first time.
I like when he says. There's freedom there. It's true. Opening my stance just feels so much damned easier. People say take the right foot back to encourage draw and help with shoulder turn into backswing, and there is truth to that. But it's actually putting the left foot back (for righties) that allows for the swing on the shoulder line and easier move into the left side to finish the swing.
Great video. I find an added benefit to the open stance is that it shortens my backswing which for me is beneficial because I collapse a bit at the top...
Yes for sure!
I'm 43 yr old .. 6 hcp. Although I'm 6' 180 lbs .. my hips are not very flexible. I've struggled with early extension, thin shots , poor AOA. I started opening my stance slightly, with ball back a bit more . I'm now compressing the ball so much better . Hitting 7 iron 170 instead of 155. P.W. 135 instead of 120 .
I'm not your age, but I do struggle clearing my hips on the downswing. By opening my stance, I've found out (very happily, by myself on the range) that with an open stance my hips are half way open already !!! I mean, the possible loss in speed caused by a shorter hip turn is compensated by much better ball strike (compression) as well as distance control !!!
good video. I started using this about 2 weeks ago and was having very good results hit the ball crisper and got better distance. Yesterday my striking was not as good and i think its due to some confusion on my part as to ball placement with the open stance,seems i am less comfortable playing the ball towards my front foot especially the longer the club gets.
Granted yesterdays weather was less than ideal as temps were about 32 f and a brisk northerly wind.
Another great ball striker, Bubba Watson, hits everything from an open stance, including sharp draws. I'm 70, with a severely Arthritic hip, so I've been hitting off my good right leg (I'm right-handed) and getting shorter and shorter. This tip enables me to turn through without the pain and discomfort. I've been looking for this for a while. Thanks.
i forgot this is what i used to do when younger and was much better lol struggled for past number of years fighting my over the top swing i've always had. finally a few weeks ago i changed my putting stance to open cause i wasn't seeing the line very well. it helped my putting immediately and just felt so much more natural.
well dumb me i didn't think about it for my golf swing until a few weeks later. then other day was like why am i fighting this why not just open up and BOOM instantly a huge difference and old familiar free flowing swing came back. i literally laughed on the range at how dumb i was for forgetting about this for so many years, and also how much it improved my distance/accuracy/contact.
i went from 260 yd drives to 290 yds. back to what i remembered. no joke. swing feels so much more in control, like there's less to worry about so you can focus on just creating speed and making solid contact.
the other weird thing that you would never think, it actually makes it easier for an over the top swinger to hit a draw if needed. i'm not sure the physics of it, but it feels like because my hips are already partly open it's so much easier to swing inside out without worrying about getting hips out of the way. i was open at least 20 degrees and hitting it dead straight not even a fade.
TRY IT. if you have had similar struggles like honestly 75% of amateur golfers, i guarantee this will help you. GREAT VIDEO!
ruclips.net/video/xA9NXE6HIEk/видео.html
pause this Trevino video at 1:23 mark. he's setup almost exactly as you show. the key to still being able to hit it far is the point about keeping chest/shoulders still square to target, so you naturally have tension at beginning of swing already and it forces a shorter backswing. another common issue with over the top swings, overswinging.
if it's good enough for Trevino, it's good enough for me! lol this is not a gimmicky shameful golf tactic. pros use it.
did this last 2 weeks for my two best ever scores, wedges have become deadly accurate and the Driver I've been leaving at home is straight and 270 down the middle, big draws and hooks are now 1 out of 30 shots maybe
I'm a righty,left eye dominant.Not only did this tip help my swing, it improved my aim accuracy.
Same
I am righty, left eye dominant as well. Gonna give this a try in earnest. Square or closed is just not working for me consistently enough. And I have all the symptoms. Not getting through, etc. I sit a lot, am 41. Need a swing that works for me.
Thanks for the vid, I've made quite a few changes with my swing, RIT release with square stance , but the one thing that kept crept in every now and then was the odd shank. This in turn got me thinking to I need to change this or that with my swing, but the actual solution was just by opening my stance. At the range practising this every strike was pure. Not restricted in any way trying to compensate. Allowed me to focus on the release and with a slightly open set up more freedom in my swing.
It's amazing how much this has helped so many! keep at it;)
Hi Alex... Great video... My question is, what would be the stock shape if we did exactly what is mentioned in the video?
Also when i tried it i felt a bit like a loop to take the swing on the target line and then take it further in and finish out. Could i just simply keep an open stance and hit it in to out?
Thanks
Oh yes indeed! Don’t ever worry about specifics.. it’s how your body and move responds and if you like the result. Keep at it
I found this a fabulous cure to coming across the target line. Thank you.
Great!
This set up pretty much got rid of my hooks and bad pulls. It works for me in away I never would've imagined.
Great! we have a couple of newer lessons on this that might help you too,
I’m going to give this a try. I pull mid irons a bit which makes hitting greens from 155 - 180 yds a tough one for me. when I open my stance with short irons and driver I get pretty good results. don’t know why I haven’t thought to do it with mid irons. I’m wondering if the ball flight will be a slight fade or a controlled push. I know one thing I can’t stand seeing the ball hook with any club. I like to get a fade or controlled push. seems more reliable.
Hi Alex. This could be the last piece of the jigsaw for me along with taking up your suggestion of the ten finger grip a few years ago. This morning I was working on my one true weakness, the driver. It’s baffled me for nearly fifty years and this morning (in my isolation) I was working on the driver swing, in my temporarily converted garage, when I decided to work backwards from the impact position. I found that, like you suggested, if I were to swing with and open stance but keep my chest aligned to the target it produced a torque/spring/rotational sensation that allowed me to swing the club at speed more freely to that impact position and with a much shallower plane. I found I could throw the club out and round at a much greater speed than usual and, more importantly, the impact felt phenomenal. The first ball I hit felt like a rocket and not my normal OTT wutzy slice. I remember standing there thinking ‘what have I just done?’ Another thought was that I shouldn’t open my stance, but after a couple more thunderbolts I went into the house and RUclipsd ‘open stance driver swing’. When I saw your video there was an OMG moment. The two most important elements of my swing have been advised and verified by you. Thank you so much and I hope you are staying well in these testing times.
Alan Gower this was lovely to read! I’m glad you have had such a great result from those simple tweaks! Keep at it sir and keep well. Thanks you!
Before I started watching golf videos I did this naturally and it worked well. Going to try this again and subbing.
What’s subbing? (New to golf)
@@jamesedwards3266 He just means he's subscribing to the channel because he makes good content (hit the red button). It's not a golf term mate. And yeah, if ya new to golf give the open stance swing ago. It's a bit unorthodox compared to most traditional teachings but golf's very much a game of experimentation and finding what works for you. I find it works pretty well for me and my knackered back. If you're interested in learning more about the open stance swing then checkout this guys vids. He calls it the eureka swing and goes a bit more in depth about it. Anyway, hope that helps. Good luck with it. Golf's a bastard of a game lol. ruclips.net/video/7tLAWXZsAv4/видео.html
@@28russ cheers mate, I’ll check it out. 👍👍👍👍🏌🏿♂️🏌🏿♂️🏌🏿♂️🏌🏿♂️
Thank you! Great lesson! That open stance does give you freedom! 😍👏
Yes it does!
After 3 lumbar fusions (and 23 other orthopedic surgeries) my turn is somewhat restricted and this tweak allows me to get through the ball so much better. I reach my forward turn limit right at or immediately after the ball, so an open lower body gives me that much more release and turn.
Great ! we have a couple of newer, recent videos on this subject too that would help.
Nice video thanks. Quick question on the set up; when you set up square initially, do you then literally just draw your left foot back and/or do you flare the left foot out to the left and then draw back? Also, do you keep the right foot square and have a stack type weight distribution so you keep most weight on your left leg through the backswing? Finally, do you recommend gripping the club with the face slightly open with this swing?
Hi... well I like for most to flare the lead foot anyway.
But it's just pulling the leg back a couple of inches.
You have to experiment.
And depending on the club, the shorter, the more weight on lead side.
As for open clubface... There are so many factors that would dictate that answer.... And i can't see what your swing is doing... So just try it and see.
Cheers
This is so true and makes feeling that you are swinging through. But when you open your stance please open your front foot also so that your toes pointing little bit right ahead. This way you do not stress your knee or hip. That is a natural stance example to through or kick a ball. And is a right stance to hit golf ball. The classical 90 degree straight feet stance is so wrong.
Great video content! Excuse me for butting in, I am interested in your initial thoughts. Have you researched - Paneevelyn Swinging Clubsman (search on google)? It is a good one of a kind product for revealing an effortless golf swing technique without the hard work. Ive heard some incredible things about it and my best friend Jordan got cool success with it.
Then why does Ricky Fowler use a 90* stance, if it is so wrong? He is a pro, you know.
Got a back injury a few years back suffer with sciatica opening my stance stopped me coming in steap if anything I’m more flat but with my left hip already cleared I don’t have to force it because if I did I would put myself in a wheel chair .... I’m no athlete like tiger or Rory can’t open my hips like Lewis Hamilton swatting a flys nuts off at 160 mph going round a bend 😂👍
@@slatt33 90* stance isn't wrong. if you got lessons as a kid and learned to drop inside and all the perfect mechanics, it is ideal. but most of us did not grow up on a range and got private lessons. the open stance works better for amateurs who most have an over the top move to some extent. but there's plenty of pros and even HOF golfers who had an open stance.
Alternative to the single plane swing
I was at the range yesterday, practicing cobra one length wedge shots with the gap wedge. Been struggling a bit with them being 7 iron length. So what I did was open my stance pulling my left foot back, toe line middle with right foot. I was amazed at how well I could release through the ball. Been having the odd shank setting up more square so going to try this again with the 5,6 and 7 one length irons to see if I can get the same results. Not sure if it's because the wedges are more lofted that stance needs to be open.
Paul Gallagher your feet do very little for direction. And if it helps you maintain angles, keep space through impact etc.. do it;)
@@TheArtofSimpleGolf Just got back from range practicing with one length 7 and 8 iron, same set up. Not one shank. Dead straight results. I'm sticking with this. Many thanks.
@@PaulGPhotography Fab!! Keep at it:)
Good advice. Square is too contrived, robotic and un-athletic. I do this with my putting stance too. My inside elbow stays connected to my body and my knee and hips are active and liberated.
Yep, easier on the back too.
100%. did same changed my putting stance to open, instantly felt 10x more natural and so much more fluid. square is so hard to stay consistent, you miss left and right. i would even argue a lot of pros would benefit from this.
does the ball move back a bit or stay in the same spot as when doing a train track(parallel stance)???
It depends.. sorry lol.
But you do have to test…
I find most benefit from standing a little closer and a little back but not much.
In another video, you teach a closed stance for seniors. Which stance is best for seniors??
See our latest video. ;)
Great tip. Hard to tell from the video but what is the approximate angle you are open from square? Is 30 degrees what you would call "wide open" ?
Having trouble with the dreaded sh**ks lately. I heard that opening the stance might help, so here’s hoping!
It can indeed. Also just place a leaf or tee peg just outside the ball /club so you are guided to miss it with toe of club
Alex, this is crazy. I also am an ex hockey player and have been “stuck”. Was able to play to a 5 handicap but just this morning I decide to try an open stance but still hit a soft draw. Amazing! Came home searched on RUclips and there you are. I have a club tourney this weekend...can’t wait. Great Great lesson and setup strategy...added 5 mph to swing speed on my SC200. At 60 I’m now at 105 mph and hopefully seeing a few more birdies. Thanks Much!
Brain this is great to hear! Please please let me know how you get on in the comp!
Brian Chapman how did you go?
Alex, the tourney for me was a little frustrating. The new open stance worked great on the par 3’s...I won 2 closes to the pin $$.
However, the new swing (with extra distance) put me too long on 4 dogleg holes and I ended in the trees with no second shot, and also a lost ball with a re-tee...yikes I shot 10 and 11 over par over the weekend (double my hc.)
Not to worry, I like the extra distance just need to change my angles and strategy a little. Thanks again, Alex I’m going down to 0-2 index for 2019! Happy Thanksgiving and I wish you many birdies!!
It sounds like we have you on the right path! We have programs for scoring, breaking 80, putting and shortgame too. To give step by step lessons and drills to help.
great tip, many thanks.
This works for Driver and fairway woods as well?
Oh yes. We have a very recent video on it to to get open and easier swing
I started using this yesterday was getting stuck and hurting in my back was hitting farther with stance open and more accurate might be a change that I need to stay with
In the video you stated it will help from coming of the top. Would a closed stance or a open stance help from coming over the top? Thanks!
To be honest, both can help:) It just depends on other factors of your swing. Try and see how you go
When I'm perfectly square to the target, I do flush a lot of shots. When I miss, it's either something weak to the right, or a pull to the left. It seems to me, if I open up a tad, I won't feel so bunched up with myself.
Exactly, give some time and see how you feel
How far back would u say to put ur left foot?
4-5 inches. We have a new video covering this too.
Does this work for the Driver?
Yes It can indeed!
Are the shoulders open as well or just your stance?
Nope.
I open my stance with the driver and I feel like I can really swing at it. Then I close my stance as I work down my iron and wedges.
Steve Johnson, Eureka Golf Swing.
He might have Been inspired also from John WRIGHT from the Open Stance Academy video posted in 2014 ?!
ruclips.net/video/YlmqgSfmixs/видео.html
Played my best golf like this and got me to single digits 👍
I see some instructors say you have to rotate your feet counter clockwise. This confuses me on the course. I see you are just setting up square and simply dropping lead foot back. Seems to work for you. Any feedback? I've yet to try it your way. Thanks.
Not sure turning both feet counter clockwise makes much sense but maybe I’m misinterpreting
Is this the way YOU set up? Just curious. Thanks for the video!
Not always.. but I have. Sometimes if just not warmed up enough or not played for a while... And I’ve used this in a few tournaments a few years back when swing was off and just could not get through the ball.
Can you still do this on downhill lies?
Yep
By moving the left foot back in the stance I can improve the impact? Nice :) My problem is that I'm comming to much in to out and get stuck on my right leg in the rotation and drops my right shoulder to much. That makes me hit the balls higher and not so much compress the ball at impact.
Try checking your ball position. Further back may be a key.
I liked this vid even thought it's been around a while it still has some good info, as always. Here is why. From years of slicing the ball many of us have inadvertently closed our stances as well as our clubfaces. We attempted to kill both loft and direction because we didn't want the pain associated with that ball heading high and right. You know, the ol' "round wrecker" as I like to call it. So to summarize, over time, our stances are closed, the clubface is closed and delofted all to prevent the high right miss. Well as I got better I realized it's ok to play a cut. You know the "eliminate one side of the fairway" thing. Sooooooo........just recently I began experimenting. I opened my stance a bit (at least it feels open, in reality it's probably square!), I moved the ball up in my stance, I opened the clubface (in reality it also is probably closer to square than I think). In other words I undid all the bad stuff I got into over the years. So just today on the range I really pulled it together. Bombing the ball. Sometimes with a baby fade sometimes straight (with 5 iron) Even on the mat! Hitting all irons farther and longer than ever with that awesome sound we all love. Now let's see IF I can regain the feel on the course! Always the challenge isn't it? We all suffer the same defeats and victories in this crazy game. I never stop trying to improve. For the record: I'm 59, 5'8', 160lbs, 8.5 index, hit driver 275-280. Cheers everyone. Keep swinging.
Great post good luck to you. It's too cold here now so I will try at an indoor session. I actually tried earlier in the summer the open stance and had some of my best contact but ball kept going left and I was at risk of the odd chunk still. Few tops though.
Will try this, it seems I get restricted at impact and flip the club head left....hitting pulls now and then. But you're not saying aim left, you're just saying open the feet a little more but still swing down the line....so I'll try it.
It should help you. Let us know!
Been trying this out this weekend and it's done wonders for my driving.
Great! Give it a go with the other clubs.. maybe a little less open....
The Art of Simple Golf weridly, my shoot shape with my irons is more a draw, but I've always struggled with an over the top swing wth my driver. This setup really helped. Thanks!
Does your ball position then change back?
Yes a little
@@TheArtofSimpleGolf Thank you for answering. I have always battled a duck hook especially with the driver. Your approach to teaching has helped me with my game. So thank you your videos.
Have done this for years, what i like is having a open stance you can swing straight back and straight through and hit a fade every time...as the years have passed that fade keeps the 6, 5, 4 irons in the bag and those "Hook" loving hybrids out.
I just bought the Titleist TS3 and set it flat and flipped the internal weight toward the toe. It’s greatly reduced the “hybrid hookiness”.
Will this work for longer irons/driver?
YES.
Would this help with pulls?
Yes for sure! As a lot of pulls are from over the top and hitting from the top. Plus getting in ones way in throughswing.
Looking into this recently. Does the stance become progressively more open as you go up through the bag? I.E. Less open with the wedge than the driver. Or more open with the wedge than the driver?
Steve Harvey it's actually the opposite
i've found less open with wedge compared to driver, yes. but it's just a feel thing. play around with it, see how open feels "right" for each club.
You don't speak about the grip or shoulders with that setup. Do you weaken the grip to align the club face at the target? Are you setting up with shoulders somewhere between square and open like hips. The instruction seems a bit incomplete if you don't talk about the grip as you do alignment change.
Nothing else alters aside from the leg being a little more out of the way
BP Watch videos of Lee Trevino, he was a master at this and arguably one of the best ball strikers and wedge players ever. Key is open hips and stance line, shoulders square to target, ball a little back. Shallow out the club in the downswing and you’ll come from the inside with plenty of room (no getting stuck) with your hips already open a little you can really rotate and clear your left side. Produces great contact and ball flight. Hope this helps!
@@drkside53
Also helps if you tend to sway your hips, much harder to sway hips with an open stance.
Also if someone is a bit armsy in the swing, your open stance will allow your left hip to clear before arms come through.
I'm using flat swing with open stance hitting on the inside of the ball out to the right. Works great.
Sorry, I’m looking for why an open stance is better. This is kind of about ‘feeling’ and what you do. Isn’t there anyone who can explain the progression from start to finish? Can you make another video that gives me more depth of info? I’m hard to convince. Thanks in advance.
Feel like I get stuck, so a bit more open I'm finding better for me
This is Steve Johnson's 'Eureka' swing isn't it? And I just watched your Best Swing for Seniors video, which says the opposite, stand closed 😭😭😭
It depends on the person and pulling trail side back may help for drives. There is a video lesson I did a few months back on the two methods to see what works for you. I am not familiar with eureka swing at all.
And the ball is placed in your stance where?
No different to normal. Maybe a ball further back. Depends on your swing and strike. Test a few places.
@@TheArtofSimpleGolf I actually found a few balls further back than normal created some very consistent ball striking for myself. agree with you test out way back and way forward see what feels right.
This really helped me off the tee
I like opening up but do not want a fade, even a baby fade.
you wont if upper body and path
Golf was meant to be played this way, and it's the most accurate way to play. Definitely more freedom. Maybe this is why in Europe they named it THE OPEN.
Could be:)
Trevino, Nicklaus, Hogan, just to name a few all did it.
@@patricklee780 yep exactly. most the old greats knew this trick. Tiger made everyone think a 90 degree stance was only way to swing. why you see most pros now at 90 degrees. but also why you see more injuries, it creates more tension on everything. that combined with players have a lot more muscle now from lifting weights. Trevino Nickalus Hogan all played well into their 40's/50's very well because their swing was so fluid and less restrictive. it's really a great "secret" to being able to keep your distance well into older age.
This IS ben Johan secret
I’m not sure this qualifies as "simple golf". In my opinion, of course.
Trevino, Nicklaus, Hogan all did it. Does that tell you something?
@@patricklee780 in Hogan's book he played from a closed stance for his longer clubs. He played from an open stance for his scoring clubs.
Need a dead cat on ur mic bud.
Yep and always try to make sure have them now :)
Im not a golf guru but this seems completely opposite of what should be true. You open your stance to the left to help the club release to the right of the target. Makes no sense.
Rj Beck it’s to allow those with limited ability to be able to swing through without restrictions. It’s not about focusing on swing path. Just letting gravity and flow occur
The Art of Simple Golf thanks for the explanation
You don't open your shoulder line, you still aim shoulders parallel to the line. It just keeps you from getting the club stuck behind you and makes it easier to release. There is NO one way to swing the club. Just look on tour.
You mean all that stuff they tell us about squaring ourselves to the target is just a bunch of hooey?
I've been playing for 7 years now. This is what i have been doing for about 3 years now and ive broken 80 quite a few times and generally shoot low to mid 80s. im very happy with it. I've learned my body doesn't like the "proper mechanics". Im happy to see that other people are successful with this technique
Quit talking and hit the ball already.