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Glam Monitor

What happens when ball is too far forward in stance?

Author

Daniel Johnson

Updated on August 27, 2026

With the driver, most golfers play the ball too far forward and stand too far away from it. This might feel powerful, but it sets some bad things in motion. The forward ball position shifts the shoulders open to the target, which leads to an out-to-in swing and usually a slice.

What happens if ball is too far back in stance with driver?

Ball too far back. With the ball too far back in your stance, your swing plane will be too steep as you approach impact with the driver. That means you will be prone to hitting the ball high on the face, and your ball flight will likely be too high as your backspin rate will be out of control.

Does having the ball too far forward cause a slice?

Be careful not to play the ball too far forward, however, as this will only exacerbate that slice and lead to even more left-to-right curve. Once you establish ball position, make sure to get your body aligned correctly--in particular, your shoulders. They should be square, or parallel left, of your target line.

How far back in your stance should the golf ball be?

Calvin recommends that each club length you go down you should place the ball about one ball distance back in your stance.

What part of golf ball should you hit?

There is a short and simple answer to the question of what part of the golf ball you should hit. It is the rear, center portion of the ball. That's what will bring you the best result with the most swings.

23 related questions found

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.

Does tee height affect driving distance?

Does Tee Height Effect Driver Distance? The height of your tee effects your swing path into impact, especially with the driver. This, in turn, will have an influence on the spin that the ball will have on it. Teeing the ball up can help vastly reduce the spin on your drives and so increase distance.

Why do I slice with my driver but not my irons?

Honestly, it all comes down to one simple concept: You can't use the exact same swing for both your irons and your driver. Those two types of clubs are designed differently, with different shaft lengths and different lofts. They are made to achieve different goals.

What causes slice in golf?

A slice happens when a sidespin is put on the ball, causing it to curve to the right for a right-handed player and to the left for a left-handed player. Sidespin to the right is caused when the clubface is open (pointed right) relative to the path the club is traveling as the club impacts the ball.

What happens if ball is too far back in stance with irons?

Every golfer's swing is different, of course, but a basic rule of thumb is that the farther up in your stance the ball is, the more you'll hit up on it, while the farther back it is, the more you'll hit down on it.

How far should golf club be away from body?

The club should touch about 1 inch above your kneecap. If this doesn't happen, alter your distance to the golf ball as necessary. Remember not to flex or straighten your leg to get the club resting an inch above the kneecap – you need to move your feet further or closer to the ball.

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.

Should I choke down on my driver?

When a shot comes up that requires the best of your accuracy, but you still want to hit your driver, consider choking down on the grip of the club. Even moving down the grip by just an inch or two can go a long way toward improving your accuracy.

Is it better to tee the ball high or low?

As a rule of thumb, the higher you peg it, the more shallow your swing becomes, since you're forcing yourself to hit up more on the ball. Tee it low and the opposite happens: Your angle of attack gets steeper, because you'll instinctively swing down more on the ball in order to make contact.

What is the correct tee height for driver?

“The highest it should ever be is with half of the ball above the top of the driver,” says Foley. “The lowest is with the top of the ball slightly higher than the top of the club.”

What happens if my driver shaft is too soft?

Incorrect flex

A golfer using a shaft that is too flexible may experience a ball flight that is too high, a ball that spins too much, or a shot pattern that has inconsistent dispersion.

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.