At address, the golfer positions himself in a stance dependent on the length of the shot. Discussed here are the square stance, the open stance and the closed stance. How the golfer’s feet are placed will be described in relation to a line that is perfectly straight and is parallel to the path the golfer wants the ball to take. The name for this is the line of flight. In reality of course, the golf ball’s flight is curved to some degree.

For long distance shots, the ball is addressed with what is called the closed stance. This stance has the toe of the forward foot right on the line of flight, with the trailing foot’s toe placed off the line by a little bit. The closed stance for longer shots allows the body more freedom of movement while enabling the hands and clubhead to more naturally take an inside-out path.

The square stance is most suitable for medium irons. In this stance a line drawn imagined connecting the tips of the feet would be parallel to the line of flight. The forward foot is positioned somewhat open, turned out a little in the direction of the swing, with the golfers weight evenly distributed on both feet. This stance is also sometimes employed on shots with woods and long irons.

With short irons the open stance is used. the forward foot is a bit behind the line of flight, for a more upright swing that imparts a backspin which is not wanted on long golf shots.