If You Have To Hammer It, It’s Okay to Square Up

I’ve never missed right when I had to hit it hard. The miss was always left. I pulled these shots because rotational speed, shaft lean, and open shoulders dominate forced swings. It’s not just me. We all seem to know how to “explode” into the ball, instinctively, because that motion “feels” faster. As a result, our downswings tend to begin with rotation instead of a vertical drop of the hands.

Our backswing tends to shorten. Our shoulders tend to open too much from sheer effort. Also, our shaft tends to lead more through impact. As a result, our club tends to close to the target line by the time we make impact.

For example, we know a ball that is sitting down in heavy rough cannot be swept out. It has to be approached more steeply than a shot from the fairway, so we can take the ball first. Therefore, we normally choose to play it back in our stance so we don’t have to change our swing too much.

Now let’s discuss stepping on one from a fair lie. In college, every time I tried to squeeze some extra yards out of a club, I NEVER missed with a pushed shot. I always missed with a pull, and for the same reasons as a shot from the rough.

The need for distance replaces the need for accuracy. Both examples are hierarchical decisions that prioritize distance. In either case, what actually results from a short turn is an upright swing that our brain has to shallow for solid contact.

You may remember I wrote that upright swings generally compensate for closed or square stances. Well, it is also true that torso rotation is a dominant characteristic of both set-ups. Due to resistance and hosel-twisting, hitting from heavy rough requires forced rotational power to stabilize the hands and arms. Heavy rough, therefore, presents one situation where an Open Stance is less beneficial.

I have never suggested our set-up cannot change with each shot. I do, however, try to be clear that setting up to each shot has to be intentional. Additionally, I emphasize the Open Stance represents a set-up bias to do no harm to our bodies or our swing efficiency. Therefore, with the caveat that it’s not for every lie on the course – open your stance and play golf.

John Wright – Founder
The Open Stance Academy