I bet ninety percent of the golfing population tries to line up their stance parallel to their target line to their target line’s when in fact most would be better off altering their stanceline to better influence the hip’s actions back and through. Now hear this- I said only your stance line, your hips, forearms, and/or shoulders should always remain parallel to your target line unless you are trying to do something special with the ball’s curvature. There are two part to your stance line- the left foot’s fixation, 45 degrees, 20 degrees, or perpendicular to your targetline and the angle of your stance line relative to your target line- the stance can be open, square, or closed depending on what you are trying to do during the swing. In this article we will examine the three left foot fixations and the three stance lines that will alter your hip’s motions during the back and down swings. It is up to you to determine what mix of left foot fixation and stance line alteration best suits your pivot and what you are trying to do within your total swing motion.

Left Foot Fixation- Your left foot has three positions or fixations as compared to your target line- it can be either:

Perpendicular- If your left foot is perpendicular to your target line then you will find that your hips are free to rotate into the backswing without restriction and on the way down you will have the maximum amount of pelvic slide through the ball. This will allow the right shoulder to drop downward more aggressively during the transition and will be most helpful with the steep swing of the short irons, but it is helpful for people who tend to spin-out during the transition from the top

20 Degrees- If you turn your left foot outward 20 degrees (about 2 inches) you will find that it slightly restricts the pelvic rotation to the top and allows some hip slide as well as some pelvic rotation from the top. This is the foot position that most people play their shots from when it comes to this fixation. The twenty-degree position is best for the mid irons where you need a blend of slide and rotation to best suit the flatter shaft angles of the mid irons as compared to the short irons.

45 Degrees- When you turn your left foot outward 45 degrees (about 4 inches) you will feel maximum restriction of the pelvis to the top and this will encourage a much tighter hip turn to the top. This left foot position will give you the maximum rotation of the hips through the ball and is most helpful for the flatter swing of the long irons and woods. With the left foot fixated outward to this degree you will find that your pivot is more aggressive through the impact zone and this will aid in knock-down shots and preventing an over-zealous hip slide through the ball giving you the crazy-legged look of the 1970’s.

So, by now you understand that the left foot’s fixation helps to control the amount of hip turn to the top and the amount of pelvic girdle slide and rotation on the way down; but, if you add the alterations of stance line combinations to this fixation then you will have complete and total control of your hip girdle back and through the ball! It is up to you as to how much you want to alter your fixation and stance line combinations but each little bit will help you do different things within your full swing motion.

Your stance line can be altered in three ways (a compared to your target line):

Open- If your stance line is set open to your target line then you will feel a restriction of your hip turn to the top and the maximum amount of weight displacement and rotation will occur through the impact zone. This position is helpful for the person who tends to overswing to the top, the player with an uncontrolled foundation to the top, as well as the person who tends to stall out through impact with the pivot’s rotation and use the hand and arms to power the ball.

Closed- When you set your stance line closed in relation to your target line you will feel a deeper hip turn to the top which in turn carries the hands arms and club more around your body off the start of the backswing in route to the top. During the downswing this closed stance will inhibit hip girdle motions through the ball which is helpful for the player who’s hips run out from under them during the downswing or for the player who tends to come over the top due to a spin of the hips during the transition thrusting the right shoulder outward too soon in the downswing.

Parallel- If you set your stance line parallel to your target line you will feel a free turn in both directions with ample weight displacing in both directions. This position is usually reserved for the player with normal flexibility and a solid foundation. This stance line will encourage a slide and rotation of the hips from the top so by using this stance line you must have astute control of your foundation so your transition will not be negatively affected.

Now that we have seen the three stance line combinations and the three fixations let me give you some examples of how to integrate these fundamentals:

1) The Over-Flexible Turner- if you imagine a player who spins themselves into the ground on the way to the top allowing the arms, hands, and clubshaft to move too far to the inside off the start of the backswing causing an over the top transition consider this alteration…by moving your left foot outward forty-five degrees and slightly opening your stance line (only) you will restrict the rotation of the pivot to the top and thus the arms, hands, and clubshaft will be less likely to move too far to the inside off the start of the takeaway since the body rotation is slower. This will cause a more on-plane backstroke and a better transition unless you over-roll your left forearm off the start of your takeaway or something radical like that.
2) The Spin-Out From the Top- we have all from time to time allowed the hips to start the downswing thrusting the right shoulder out and over the top…make the transition easier by closing your stance line and placing your left foot perpendicular to the target line to encourage the maximum pelvic slide off the start of the downswing. The deeper rotation to the top and the closed stance along with the right foot will cause the club to drop to the inside easier than before eliminating this flaw.
3) Cut-Off Follow Through- if you are having trouble with your flexibility or extension through the follow through try only webbing your left foot outward between twenty and forty-five degrees. This simple change will allow you to move through the impact zone much easier.
4) Steep Wedges- fat shots from fifty yards and in are a frustrating entity, but if you set your left foot perpendicular to your target line you will find that your clubshaft will come into the ball much more shallow than before allowing you to hit cleaner wedges.

Remember that you can alter your stance line or your left foot fixation, or both! It is up to you and what you are trying to do during the swing…experiment and have fun.