You're Correct!

We all love the thought of getting up on to the first tee and hitting a power drive 350 yards, but to do this the swing requires a good technical ability but also – stability.

Width of stance is very important to every golfers swing as they balance differently from one another. There is a generic guide to width of stance but all golfers have different heights, weights, body shapes and golf swings. You need to find out what stance is most suitable to your height, weight and swing capabilities in order to get the best stability and power from your swing. Taller golfers generally have wider stances than shorter players so that they can manage their stability and balance throughout the swing better.

Why can a wider stance help you to achieve more power in your golf shots?

Hitting a big drive requires stability which can be gained by adopting a wider stance which will keep you rooted to the ground. With this improved stability the body can turn more efficiently thus allowing the club head to work faster. This in turn can create more ball speed and longer shots.

The inside width of your feet should be wider than the outside width of your shoulders. This ensures you have a stable base.

A wider stance can inhibit the power created in a golf swing. If the stance becomes too wide then it can cause a lot of lateral movement away from the ball putting more pressure on getting back to the ball in time for impact or a reverse pivot where the player is wary of falling too much to their right side and loads the left at the top of the back swing, potentially causing a steeper angle of attack or creating poor swing path.

These hindrances all have big implications when it comes to consistency of shot direction, shape and striking and obviously distance.

Hitting the ball lower is dependent on the following:
The players ball position which influences the vertical angle of attack into the ball
The weight distribution during the swing
The club face angle at impact.

The width of stance can have a slight bearing on the lower ball flight, as it can be easier to keep the weight forward towards the left side of your body. This coupled with the ball being positioned further back in the stance could create a lower trajectory.

A wider stance can increase distance. Many elite golfers will widen their stance to hit the ball further. They will narrow their stance to hit pitch shots, chip shots and punch shots as it creates less rotation and speed during the swing for the more delicate shots.