Instruction
How changing your stance can unlock more distance
Ground Reaction Forces (GRF) continue to be a hot topic in golf instruction. We know that many of the longest hitters in the game use the ground more dynamically than the regular weekend golfer to create more distance. So can something as simple as how you address the golf ball going to influence how dynamic your GRFs are and how much distance you can create? The simple answer, absolutely, and maybe it is a less disruptive way of trying to unlock more distance.
I think we’ve all had the question of how far away should we be standing away from the golf ball. With measuring devices like BodiTrak and Swing Catalyst, there are some fun patterns for golfers consider and potentially apply to add power to their golf swings. So let’s take a look at some of these findings and discuss how they might help you create more power in your game.
For this article. I identified GRF data about the three different distances that a golfer can stand away from the golf ball:
- Stock stance: This is the instinctive distance golfers use to stand next to the golf ball and successfully hit it.
- Standing farther away from the ball: I have measured all of my students for this research when the golf ball is placed a distance of approximately two golf balls farther away from their body. This posture has them tending to tilt more from their hips and become more toe-oriented in their setup.
- Standing closer to the ball: I have measured all of my students for this research when the golf ball is placed a distance of approximately two balls closer to their body. This posture has them tending to stand a little taller and becoming more heel-oriented for their setup.
What I found was that no matter what their swing style was, most golfers saw a significant bump in their GRFs (how much harder they press off the ground) when they stood either closer to or farther away from the golf ball.
So why does this happen? Let’s start off with standing farther away from the golf ball.
When golfers are farther away from the golf ball, most of them use more hip hinge to be able to reach the golf ball. More hip hinge means that their swing circle (the arc that they swing the golf club upon) just got closer to the ground. Almost every athlete that I measure resolves the problem of being closer to the ground with their swing circle by jumping away from the golf ball and ground, or trying to raise their swing circle so they do not hit the turf before they hit the golf ball. This is an extremely athletic motion that takes place in the downswing that has golfers pressing harder off the ground earlier than normal in their downswing sequence to better ensure they hit the golf ball first.
Let’s look now at the golfers that are standing closer to the golf ball at address. These golfers also tend to press harder off the ground earlier in the downswing sequence. The reason is similar. When golfers stand closer to the golf ball, their swing circle gets closer to the golf ball. When their swing circle is closer than normal to the golf ball, they naturally try to find a dynamic way to get farther away from the golf ball (instinctively, golfers want to ensure ensure that their hosel does not hit a…. well, we won’t grace that evil word in this article)
So let’s take a look at three different golfers and note how differently they respond to the task of hitting a golf ball from different setup positions.
Golfer 1
If you want a deeper look into our first golfer’s Swing DNA, like Center of Pressure, GRF’s and lateral playing characteristics click here. Or if you want the simple version, note that this golfer is right-handed, tall, skinny and wants to hit the golf ball farther.
Left photo is Stock Ball Position. Center Photo is 2-Balls Away. Right Photo is 2-Balls Closer. Note how the different ball positions change the amount of hip hinge the player must use to address the ball. Also, note how the player’s feet always start from the same position on the BodiTrak Mat.
We measured this specific position, which is close to where most hitters maximize GRFs. Note how the GRFs for this golfer’s stock ball position is 94 percent of his body weight. That percentage increases to 105 percent with the ball farther away from his body and to 106 percent with the ball closer to his body. That’s an increase of more than 10 percent of this golfer’s body weight.
Golfer 2
If you want a deeper look into our second golfer’s Swing DNA, click here. Or if you want the simplified version, this golfer is left handed and slightly thicker than Player 1. He plays golf for a living on multiple professional tours around the world.
Left photo is Stock Ball Position. Center Photo is 2-Balls Away, and Right Photo is 2-Balls Closer. Note how the different ball positions change the amount of hip hinge the player must use to address the ball. Also, note how the player’s feet always start from the same position on the BodiTrak Mat.
We measured this specific position of our golfer’s motion, which is close to where most hitters maximize GRFs. Note how the GRF’s for this golfer’s stock ball position are 72 percent of his body weight. That percentage increases to 144 percent with the ball farther away and 112 percent with the ball closer to his body. That’s an increase of 72 percent of this golfer’s body weight when the ball is farther away, and an increase of 40 percent when the golf ball is closer to his body.
Golfer 3
If you want a deeper look into our third golfer’s Swing DNA, click here. Or if you want the simplified version, he is right handed, shorter than our first player and models his golf swing after Justin Thomas.
Left photo is Stock Ball Position. Center Photo is 2-Balls Away, and Right Photo is 2-Balls Closer. Note how the different ball positions change the amount of hip hinge the player must use to address the ball. Also, note how the player’s feet always start from the same position on the BodiTrak Mat.
We measured this specific position of our golfer’s motion, which is close to where most hitters maximize GRFs. Note how the GRF’s for this golfer’s stock ball position are 72 percent of his body weight. That percentage increases to 172 percent with the ball farther away and 168 percent with the ball closer to his body. That’s an increase of 100 percent of his body weight when he is farther away from the ball, and 98 percent of his body weight when the golf ball is closer to his body.
So what can we take away from this article?
Three different body types, three different skill levels and three different individuals with very different Swing DNAs increased their GRF’s by simply moving closer to or farther away from the golf ball. Therefore, experimenting with ball position might be a simpler, less disruptive key to help you unlock some undiscovered distance in your game… solely by altering your setup. Experiment with this information or go find your trusted PGA Teaching Professional to help you unlock how your golf swing can improve with this information. Good luck!
There may be no more painful affliction in golf than the “yips” – those uncontrollable and maddening little nervous twitches that prevent you from making a decent stroke on short putts. If you’ve never had them, consider yourself very fortunate (or possibly just very young). But I can assure you that when your most treacherous and feared golf shot is not the 195 yard approach over water with a quartering headwind…not the extra tight fairway with water left and sand right…not the soft bunker shot to a downhill pin with water on the other side…No, when your most feared shot is the remaining 2- 4-foot putt after hitting a great approach, recovery or lag putt, it makes the game almost painful.
And I’ve been fighting the yips (again) for a while now. It’s a recurring nightmare that has haunted me most of my adult life. I even had the yips when I was in my 20s, but I’ve beat them into submission off and on most of my adult life. But just recently, that nasty virus came to life once again. My lag putting has been very good, but when I get over one of those “you should make this” length putts, the entire nervous system seems to go haywire. I make great practice strokes, and then the most pitiful short-stroke or jab at the ball you can imagine. Sheesh.
But I’m a traditionalist, and do not look toward the long putter, belly putter, cross-hand, claw or other variation as the solution. My approach is to beat those damn yips into submission some other way. Here’s what I’m doing that is working pretty well, and I offer it to all of you who might have a similar affliction on the greens.
When you are over a short putt, forget the practice strokes…you want your natural eye-hand coordination to be unhindered by mechanics. Address your putt and take a good look at the hole, and back to the putter to ensure good alignment. Lighten your right hand grip on the putter and make sure that only the fingertips are in contact with the grip, to prevent you from getting to tight.
Then, take a long, long look at the hole to fill your entire mind and senses with the target. When you bring your head/eyes back to the ball, try to make a smooth, immediate move right into your backstroke — not even a second pause — and then let your hands and putter track right back together right back to where you were looking — the HOLE! Seeing the putter make contact with the ball, preferably even the forward edge of the ball – the side near the hole.
For me, this is working, but I am asking all of you to chime in with your own “home remedies” for the most aggravating and senseless of all golf maladies. It never hurts to have more to fall back on!
Over the last couple of decades, golf has become much more science-based. We measure swing speed, smash factor, angle of attack, strokes gained, and many other metrics that can really help golfers improve. But I often wonder if the advancement of golf’s “hard” sciences comes at the expense of the “soft” sciences.
Take, for example, golf instruction. Good golf instruction requires understanding swing mechanics and ball flight. But let’s take that as a given for PGA instructors. The other factors that make an instructor effective can be evaluated by social science, rather than launch monitors.
If you are a recreational golfer looking for a golf instructor, here are my top three points to consider.
1. Cultural mindset
What is “cultural mindset? To social scientists, it means whether a culture of genius or a culture of learning exists. In a golf instruction context, that may mean whether the teacher communicates a message that golf ability is something innate (you either have it or you don’t), or whether golf ability is something that can be learned. You want the latter!
It may sound obvious to suggest that you find a golf instructor who thinks you can improve, but my research suggests that it isn’t a given. In a large sample study of golf instructors, I found that when it came to recreational golfers, there was a wide range of belief systems. Some instructors strongly believed recreational golfers could improve through lessons. while others strongly believed they could not. And those beliefs manifested in the instructor’s feedback given to a student and the culture created for players.
2. Coping and self-modeling can beat role-modeling
Swing analysis technology is often preloaded with swings of PGA and LPGA Tour players. The swings of elite players are intended to be used for comparative purposes with golfers taking lessons. What social science tells us is that for novice and non-expert golfers, comparing swings to tour professionals can have the opposite effect of that intended. If you fit into the novice or non-expert category of golfer, you will learn more and be more motivated to change if you see yourself making a ‘better’ swing (self-modeling) or seeing your swing compared to a similar other (a coping model). Stay away from instructors who want to compare your swing with that of a tour player.
3. Learning theory basics
It is not a sexy selling point, but learning is a process, and that process is incremental – particularly for recreational adult players. Social science helps us understand this element of golf instruction. A good instructor will take learning slowly. He or she will give you just about enough information that challenges you, but is still manageable. The artful instructor will take time to decide what that one or two learning points are before jumping in to make full-scale swing changes. If the instructor moves too fast, you will probably leave the lesson with an arm’s length of swing thoughts and not really know which to focus on.
As an instructor, I develop a priority list of changes I want to make in a player’s technique. We then patiently and gradually work through that list. Beware of instructors who give you more than you can chew.
So if you are in the market for golf instruction, I encourage you to look beyond the X’s and O’s to find the right match!
Most pros take months, even years, to win their first tournament. Lottie Woad needed exactly four days.
The 21-year-old from Surrey shot 21-under 267 at Dundonald Links to win the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open by three shots — in her very first event as a professional. She’s only the third player in LPGA history to accomplish this feat, joining Rose Zhang (2023) and Beverly Hanson (1951).
But here’s what caught my attention as a coach: Woad didn’t win through miraculous putting or bombing 300-yard drives. She won through relentless precision and unshakeable composure. After watching her performance unfold, I’m convinced every golfer — from weekend warriors to scratch players — can steal pages from her playbook.
Precision Beats Power (And It’s Not Even Close)
Forget the driving contests. Woad proved that finding greens matters more than finding distance.
What Woad did:
• Hit it straight, hit it solid, give yourself chances
• Aimed for the fat parts of greens instead of chasing pins
• Let her putting do the talking after hitting safe targets
• As she said, “Everyone was chasing me today, and managed to maintain the lead and played really nicely down the stretch and hit a lot of good shots”
Why most golfers mess this up:
• They see a pin tucked behind a bunker and grab one more club to “go right at it”
• Distance becomes more important than accuracy
• They try to be heroic instead of smart
ACTION ITEM: For your next 10 rounds, aim for the center of every green regardless of pin position. Track your greens in regulation and watch your scores drop before your swing changes.
The Putter That Stayed Cool Under Fire
Woad started the final round two shots clear and immediately applied pressure with birdies at the 2nd and 3rd holes. When South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim mounted a charge and reached 20-under with a birdie at the 14th, Woad didn’t panic.
How she responded to pressure:
• Fired back with consecutive birdies at the 13th and 14th
• Watched Kim stumble with back-to-back bogeys
• Capped it with her fifth birdie of the day at the par-5 18th
• Stayed patient when others pressed, pressed when others cracked
What amateurs do wrong:
• Get conservative when they should be aggressive
• Try to force magic when steady play would win
• Panic when someone else makes a move
ACTION ITEM: Practice your 3-6 foot putts for 15 minutes after every range session. Woad’s putting wasn’t spectacular—it was reliable. Make the putts you should make.
Course Management 101: Play Your Game, Not the Course’s Game
Woad admitted she couldn’t see many scoreboards during the final round, but it didn’t matter. She stuck to her game plan regardless of what others were doing.
Her mental approach:
• Focused on her process, not the competition
• Drew on past pressure situations (Augusta National Women’s Amateur win)
• As she said, “That was the biggest tournament I played in at the time and was kind of my big win. So definitely felt the pressure of it more there, and I felt like all those experiences helped me with this”
Her physical execution:
• 270-yard drives (nothing flashy)
• Methodical iron play
• Steady putting
• Everything effective, nothing spectacular
ACTION ITEM: Create a yardage book for your home course. Know your distances to every pin, every hazard, every landing area. Stick to your plan no matter what your playing partners are doing.
Mental Toughness Isn’t Born, It’s Built
The most impressive part of Woad’s win? She genuinely didn’t expect it: “I definitely wasn’t expecting to win my first event as a pro, but I knew I was playing well, and I was hoping to contend.”
Her winning mindset:
• Didn’t put winning pressure on herself
• Focused on playing well and contending
• Made winning a byproduct of a good process
• Built confidence through recent experiences:
- Won the Women’s Irish Open as an amateur
- Missed a playoff by one shot at the Evian Championship
- Each experience prepared her for the next
What this means for you:
• Stop trying to shoot career rounds every time you tee up
• Focus on executing your pre-shot routine
• Commit to every shot
• Stay present in the moment
ACTION ITEM: Before each round, set process goals instead of score goals. Example: “I will take three practice swings before every shot” or “I will pick a specific target for every shot.” Let your score be the result, not the focus.
The Real Lesson
Woad collected $300,000 for her first professional victory, but the real prize was proving that fundamentals still work at golf’s highest level. She didn’t reinvent the game — she simply executed the basics better than everyone else that week.
The fundamentals that won:
• Hit more fairways
• Find more greens
• Make the putts you should make
• Stay patient under pressure
That’s something every golfer can do, regardless of handicap. Lottie Woad just showed us it’s still the winning formula.
FINAL ACTION ITEM: Pick one of the four action items above and commit to it for the next month. Master one fundamental before moving to the next. That’s how champions are built.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “The Starter” on RG.org each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more Tips!
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engineer bob
Jul 6, 2018 at 9:46 pm
GRFs… I remember in the early 2000s when golf forums were all open and desperate golfers sought help for their swing problems, I asked what they felt at their feet and suggested foot loading solutions. Golf teachers dissed me and said all problems can be solved from ball flight inwards. I said from the feet upwards… and now…
engineer bob
Jul 6, 2018 at 9:51 pm
So what are GRFs and how are they generated? We have the Ground and Forces which sounds good, but Reactions are a result of the forces and torques your body generated and the ground simply reacts to them. GRFs are only a ‘signal’ of what’s happening above ground and you can’t acquire extra swing forces from the ground. No magic in GRFs, just diagnosis of your swing faults.
geohogan
Jul 7, 2018 at 8:10 pm
Humans have evolved with a subconscious ability to deal with gravity. its called balance.
When golf instructors put us in unnatural positions , of course our subconscious makes adjustments to keep us in balance, in all planes, including coronal and sagittal planes.
Imagine if our subconscious balance system including billions of neurons had a personality that could interact with golf instructors, listen to those instructors attempting to explain how GRF work in a golf swing. More absurd, golfers paying to hear explanations of how humans balance during dynamic movement.
Do you need an instructor and force plates to learn to walk on an icy sidewalk? Learn to skate?
Now you know why its absurd to study GRF from golf intructors.
engineer bob
Jul 7, 2018 at 10:15 pm
Your thinking is juvenile and 2-dimensional. Golf is now entering the era of scientific Statics and Newtonian Dynamics. All the old dog ‘teachers’ are obsolete failures as evidenced in the golf swing failure among rec golfers. Force plates are a diagnostic tool to be used by modern instructors to help analyze how the golfer applies forces.
Btw, there is no ‘subconscious’… only conscious and non-conscious states.
geohogan
Jul 8, 2018 at 6:01 pm
So force plates over shadow the evolution of human ability to balance on two feet, in 3D. Your a joke.
Balance is achieved and maintained by a complex set of sensorimotor control systems that include sensory input from vision (sight), proprioception (touch), and the vestibular system (motion, equilibrium, spatial orientation); integration of that sensory input; and motor output to the eye and body muscles
gif
Jul 9, 2018 at 9:56 am
You just don’t understand Statics and Newtonian Dynamics… and all you depend on is biology without the mechanics… all ‘bio’ and no ‘mechanics’. This reveals your ignorance and avoidance of using equipment that reveals the flow of forces and generation of torques in the golfswing. You are incompetent to fully analyze, diagnose and truly fix a golfswing.
geohogan
Jul 9, 2018 at 8:22 pm
Force plates measure the effect of gravity on the body during motion. Your obviously an engineer and know nothing about physiology or genetics.
Carry on fixing golf swings with fancy bathroom scales one under each foot.
Good BYB
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtDPbByu6q0
bob
Jul 10, 2018 at 11:15 pm
WRONG!!! Force plates measure static forces due to gravity AND applied forces due to thrust and torque. If you don’t understand Newtonian Physics your knowledge of physiology and genetics is useless and even misleading. Trying to define the golfswing based solely on body types and muscular enervation is half-azz science. Pfffft
geohogan
Jul 11, 2018 at 9:22 am
How much torque and thrust would force plates measure without gravity? Try ZERO, Mr Isaac.
Force plates measure gravity acting upon a moving body.
Newtons Law : For every force there is an equal and opposite reaction force.
In other words, Newtonian physics states, that the dog wags the tail. or as dtrain stated:
“Ground forces are a reaction, not something that you should try to achieve”
dtrain
Jul 9, 2018 at 12:00 pm
rec golfers rarely take lessons, that is the failure.
Ground forces are a reaction, not something that you should try to achieve. Cause and effect, people like you usually get it backwards.
engineer bob
Jul 9, 2018 at 3:06 pm
Yes, I said that in my above comments. If rec golfer took lessons, lesson #1 would likely be hit the gym to lose 50#, then strengthen and gain flexibility. Lesson #2 would likely never happen… instead decrepit rec golfer will buy new and improved golf clubs in hopeless hope. You don’t want the golf club industry to collapse… do you? 😮
geohogan
Feb 6, 2019 at 8:44 pm
@dtrain…. exactly correct. Newtons Law is not outdated as some would have us think.
Why is it the Japanese are the ones who do the real science and here we all have opinions backed up by our own prejudices. WMD under every rock. The first ammendment doesnt mean your opinion is valid. It just means you have one, just as we all have an a hole.
Trunk Rotation and Weight Transfer Patterns between Skilled and Low Skilled Golfers
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3737954/
As dtrain stated. The difference in ground reaction force is dependent upon the ability of the golfer. The best golfers move COG quicker than less skilled
and that is what force plates are measuring. The dog wags the tail.