Golf Swing Tempo (Part II)

This Golf Tips A2Z article discusses the proper stance for your golf swing tempo. Many of the principles of the basic golf stance for the full swing are fairly universal.

However, the positioning of your feet (open, nuetral, or closed) and the width of your feet partially depend on your swing tempo. How they relate to your tempo is explained below.

Match your tempo with your golf stance and it is time to dance. And when I say dance I mean go low.

Foot Position....... Open, Closed or Nuetral?

One school of thought says that you should align your feet to the target line for every shot, just like you do your chest, shoulders, and eyes.

The second school of thought says your feet should be 1) slightly open for short irons, 2) nuetral for middle length clubs and 3) slightly closed for long irons and woods.

The basic stance article was the wrong place to explain why both the schools of thought are correct for different golfers, however, this is the right place.

It Depends On Your Golf Swing Tempo

SIMPLE FACT - It is more difficult to rotate a longer club back to square during the downswing than it is to rotate a shorter club back to square.

As a result, some golfers find that they rotate their short irons too quickly (hooking the ball), their mid iron just right, and their long irons and woods a little too slow (slicing the ball).

• The first school of thought is the answer for their foot position. The open golf stance stops them from hooking their short irons and the closed stance stops them from slicing their long irons and woods.

Other golfers are able to adjust naturally and square up all of their clubs with the same arm rotation tempo. For these golfers, aligning the feet neutral (parallel with the target line) for all of their shot is ideal.

What About Foot Width?

(Depends on Your Tempo Also)

General Foot Width Rule: Your heels should be a shoulders' width apart. A little wider for long irons and woods is okay. A little more narrow for short irons is okay, as well.

• However, if your swing tempo is a slower tempo, you can afford to sacrifice foot width where a person of similar build, but with a quicker tempo, could not. You may choose to do so to turn easier on the backswing and follow through.

• Quicker tempos require a wider golf stance for additional stability. After all, it is more difficult to keep your balance the faster your tempo is.