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Set Your Stance and Ball Position

A balanced, athletic stance is the platform your swing rotates around. Width and ball position change with the club, but the feel stays the same.

Golfer at address with a mid-iron showing a balanced, shoulder-width athletic stance
Stance roughly shoulder-width for mid-irons, slightly wider for driver, narrower for wedges. Ball position moves forward as the club gets longer — center for short irons, inside the lead heel for the driver.

Step by step

  1. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart for a mid-iron. Go slightly wider for the driver, slightly narrower for wedges and short shots.
  2. Flare both feet outward a few degrees — this frees up your hips to turn.
  3. Distribute your weight evenly, balanced over the balls of your feet (not your heels or toes).
  4. Ball position: center of your stance for short irons, gradually forward as the club gets longer, up to inside your lead heel for the driver.

Check yourself

  • You should feel athletic and ready to move — like a shortstop waiting for a ground ball.
  • You can rock gently and stay balanced; you're not leaning or reaching.
  • Knees have a slight, springy flex — not locked, not deeply bent.

Common mistakes

  • Standing too narrow with longer clubs, which costs you balance and power.
  • Playing the ball too far forward with irons — the single most common setup error.
  • Putting weight on the heels, which pulls you off the ball during the swing.
Go deeper: Posture Basics — Every Full Swing form

A beginner refresher only — not professional instruction. See a PGA pro for swing changes.