Standing over a golf ball takes more than walking up to it and preparing to hit. Your distance from the ball may create a swing path that causes you to slice or hook. Placing the ball too far back or forward in your stance may cause the same problems and affects your ability to control shots and add distance.
Step 1
Stand close enough to the ball to create a straight swing path. Standing too close to the ball will require you to swing from outside of your shoulders to inside them, or a left-to-right swing path. This will cause you to slice. Standing too far away from the ball will cause an inside-to-out swing, causing your ball to hook.
Step 2
Face your target and place the ball equidistant between your front foot and your back foot as your starting point. If you wish to hit longer shots, you will place your ball slightly closer to your front foot so you can shift your weight into your shot. You will also place your ball here for putts to help you finish your stroke with a proper follow through.
Step 3
Place the ball farther back in your stance as you hit shorter shots. Since you do not need to use your legs to generate power on pitches and chips, your goal will be to get the ball in the air, which this stance will help achieve.
Step 4
Spread your legs farther apart for longer shots, and closer together for shorter shots. Standing with your feet farther apart lowers your center of gravity, allowing you to push off the ground more to create extra power on long shots. Standing with your feet closer together will allow you to stand closer to the ball while maintaining your balance during control shots.
Step 5
Move your back foot slightly back under you, with your toes closer to the center of your front foot, to create a closed stance, which will help you shift your weight into the ball on longer shots requiring more power. To control the ball on shorter shots, such as pitches, move your back foot slightly forward to create an open stance. Standing too open or closed can create slices and hooks, so experiment on the driving range before attempting different stances during match play.
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