The Advantages Of An Open Golf Stance (Video) - Lesson by PGA Pro Pete Styles
The Advantages Of An Open Golf Stance (Video) - Lesson by PGA Pro Pete Styles

So when we have a golfer like Fred Couples who is always aiming down the left side of his target, he is encouraging the ball to start on the left side and cut back into the middle. We've got to view that as; well, why would you do that, what are the benefits of aiming down the left hand side and shoot the club golfer, the amateur goal take it on board in that swing. So here’s three key benefits of aiming left.

One of the first things, this actually gives a lot of golfers a better chance to view the target. So as I'm setting up to the golf ball, like I'm aiming to the left the target now appears sort of more apt in front of me, so I can actually get a better view just looking up to see the target. I see a lot of club golfers actually aiming quite closed and therefore they find it quite difficult to view the target. It's almost back over their left shoulder for the right handed golfer and as they turn their head this way, they’re almost actually only looking out with the left eye because the right eye just sees the side of the nose, so they’re struggling to see the target. So the golfer that stands open gets a much better view of the target. The second benefit is actually going to be that they can eliminate the left side of the course. Let me just say that again. By aiming down the left side you can eliminate the left side of the course. Well, how does that work? I'm aiming left, how can I eliminate the left side? But as a golfer like Freddy Couples picking the club up to the outside cutting back across the golf ball with a more open face, as the ball leaves the club face it's going to be spinning from left to right. So, it sets off down the left side and move to the right in the air, so if there is trouble down the left hand side the ball is actually moving away from the trouble rather than the golfer that might drawing the golf ball who hits out right and turns it back to the left. That ball is moving and particularly rolling towards trouble; but the golfer that fades the ball with an open stance sets the ball out towards the danger fades it away and that ball is moving away from the danger. The third benefit of having the slightly open stance is to have a little bit more of a soft touch and soft feel particularly around the greens with your show game, so when you've got your wedges you sand wedge, you lob wedge, you’re pitching wedge in your hands. By aiming to the left side and cutting the golf ball you often find that golf ball has a little bit more height and an awful lot more spin. So when the ball comes down on the ground it's a little bit more drop and stop rather than the golfer that hits the – the sort of rolling wrists from the inside the drill that ball tends to come down and scoot on a little bit. So, if you're a golfer that struggles to get the ball to stop on the green maybe aiming left outside the line and cutting across that, so the technique might be able to give you a bit more soft touch around the green. And that’s three really great benefits for aiming down the left side in your setup just like Freddy Couples.
2016-08-17

So when we have a golfer like Fred Couples who is always aiming down the left side of his target, he is encouraging the ball to start on the left side and cut back into the middle. We've got to view that as; well, why would you do that, what are the benefits of aiming down the left hand side and shoot the club golfer, the amateur goal take it on board in that swing. So here’s three key benefits of aiming left.

One of the first things, this actually gives a lot of golfers a better chance to view the target. So as I'm setting up to the golf ball, like I'm aiming to the left the target now appears sort of more apt in front of me, so I can actually get a better view just looking up to see the target. I see a lot of club golfers actually aiming quite closed and therefore they find it quite difficult to view the target. It's almost back over their left shoulder for the right handed golfer and as they turn their head this way, they’re almost actually only looking out with the left eye because the right eye just sees the side of the nose, so they’re struggling to see the target. So the golfer that stands open gets a much better view of the target.

The second benefit is actually going to be that they can eliminate the left side of the course. Let me just say that again. By aiming down the left side you can eliminate the left side of the course. Well, how does that work? I'm aiming left, how can I eliminate the left side? But as a golfer like Freddy Couples picking the club up to the outside cutting back across the golf ball with a more open face, as the ball leaves the club face it's going to be spinning from left to right.

So, it sets off down the left side and move to the right in the air, so if there is trouble down the left hand side the ball is actually moving away from the trouble rather than the golfer that might drawing the golf ball who hits out right and turns it back to the left. That ball is moving and particularly rolling towards trouble; but the golfer that fades the ball with an open stance sets the ball out towards the danger fades it away and that ball is moving away from the danger.

The third benefit of having the slightly open stance is to have a little bit more of a soft touch and soft feel particularly around the greens with your show game, so when you've got your wedges you sand wedge, you lob wedge, you’re pitching wedge in your hands. By aiming to the left side and cutting the golf ball you often find that golf ball has a little bit more height and an awful lot more spin.

So when the ball comes down on the ground it's a little bit more drop and stop rather than the golfer that hits the – the sort of rolling wrists from the inside the drill that ball tends to come down and scoot on a little bit. So, if you're a golfer that struggles to get the ball to stop on the green maybe aiming left outside the line and cutting across that, so the technique might be able to give you a bit more soft touch around the green. And that’s three really great benefits for aiming down the left side in your setup just like Freddy Couples.