How far should hands be from body in golf setup?
Daniel Johnson
Updated on June 26, 2026
The hands-to-body distance varies depending on the club you are hitting. A good rule of thumb is to have the hands a palm's width from the body for short and middle irons (4 to 6 inches) and a palm's length—from the bottom of the wrist to the tip of your middle finger—for long irons and woods.
Should arms be close to body in golf swing?
Keeping his arms close to his body this way allowed him to swing down on a consistent plane each time. A connected swing is both compact and powerful. The arms never move far from the body, but the swing never feels cramped. The shoulders turn and the arms feel as if they are just riding along.
Where should hands be on driver setup?
HANDS: With driver, set them far enough away from your body for the butt of the grip to sit just outside your toe line. FEET: I like them shoulder-width apart, which gives me stability and freedom to turn. NECK: In line with your spine.
How close should arms be in golf?
Teaching professional Shawn Clement agrees that the player's arms should drop to begin the downswing, but he says they must drop into the right position. Clement advises players to focus on dropping their arms in front of the body, while keeping their hands on the proper swing plane.
Should hands be passive in golf swing?
You want your arms and hands to be very relaxed and passive. That's going to allow the club to release and time the release due to physics on its own, rather than ripping the club back.
20 related questions foundHow far should golf ball be from address?
(For shorter clubs, the ball should stay in line with the logo, but the stance should be narrower, making the ball more centered relative to the body.) As for distance from the ball, the butt of the grip at address should be about six inches from your body.
How high should hands be at address?
At impact, your hands should return to the same place they were at address—no lower (as in closer to your body) and no higher (as in farther away from your body).
Should elbows be tucked in golf swing?
Your right elbow should be consistently tucked throughout the backswing and downswing, because that arm position will help you trace the proper swing path with the club. If you let the right elbow get away from your body early in the swing before trying to recover later on, it will be too late.
Which hand should dominate in the golf swing?
The left-hand dominant golf swing is known to be very powerful, and it will help correct some misses golfers have in their game. If you are a player who wants power and you like the classic methods of pulling the golf club through your swing, then left-hand dominance is the right idea for you.
Should golf club be flat on ground at address?
How should a golf club lie on the ground? The golf club should address the ball with the toe set a few millimetres in the air – the clubhead should never sit flat on the turf. You should be able to fit a small coin under the toe of the club at address, with the heel remaining in contact with the ground.
Should hands be in front of ball with irons?
The grip and hands must be in front of the clubhead and ball. Many amateur golfers believe that the grip and clubhead come back to the position they are in during the setup. The hands and grip must move forward before the clubhead in order to properly compress and control the ball.
Should the golf shaft lean forward at address?
PHOTO PROVIDED In most cases, the butt of the club should point no more than one to two inches ahead of your belt buckle, more to the center is best. More golfers than not, have too much shaft lean at the address position. Leaning the shaft toward the target actually can cause a slice and a low trajectory.
What happens if you stand too far away from golf ball?
Standing too far away and reaching too much for the ball can move too much weight toward your toes and cause you to lose balance on the downswing, resulting in off-center shots. Standing too far away from the ball can also force the club too far inside the ideal swing plane on the backswing.
What is the proper way to set up the golf ball?
At the end of your swing, your hips should be facing the target, and the club should be swung all the way up and over your lead shoulder. All your weight should be on your lead foot (usually left foot). Only the tip of your other foot should be touching the ground.
What happens if I stand too close to the golf ball?
Standing too close to the golf ball will result in incorrect posture, which in turn results in inconsistent hits and inaccurate hits. Standing too close can result in a shank or a slice, depending on the posture of the player.
Can standing too close to the golf ball cause a slice?
Standing too close to the ball causes a loss of posture, reduction in arm extension, loss of balance, loss of speed, toe hits, slices, low hooks and a change in swing path. Always check you setup first when you start hitting errant shots.
Does a wider stance help in golf?
A stance just wider than your shoulders: Gives you a stable platform over which you can turn your upper body. Encourages your hips to stay level throughout the swing; the left hip is likely to drop when your stance is too narrow, causing mis-hit shots.
Is right arm passive in golf swing?
The left hand has a bigger role in the swing than most golfers think. The right arm stays relatively passive in the Rotary Swing, and the right hand needs to remain relaxed.
Should hands be forward when putting?
It is a good idea to set your hands in front of the ball because such a position will usually lead to a clean roll. If your hands are farther back, you can actually hit a mini-chip shot which bounces along the green before it starts to roll.
Should you break your wrists in golf?
There is no 'proper' wrist hinge in golf. Many coaches suggest to start breaking your wrists once you pass parallel in the takeaway, while others advocate a one-piece takeaway and only allowing your wrists to hinge at the top of the backswing. Both methods can produce repeatable, powerful golf swings.