The open stance creates great ball-strikers. It forces us to concentrate on set-up, which is where our attention should be. Greatness infers predictability, which is a measure of confidence and a consequence of expectations, honed through perfect practice. In turn, practicing with intention means locking down everything that occurs prior to movement, which is your set-up. The one thing that separates expert ball-strikers from the choppers is their attention to set-up. It’s all on purpose.

You may have heard setting up open is difficult. I’m thinking of that gimmick wedge commercial plugged by Aaron Oberholser. If you listen, you hear him refer to a square set-up as if it’s easier. If Obie were correct, then people wouldn’t set up closed, either. But, they do, which means setting up square is just as difficult. This is all a distraction.

What these bozos don’t want us to know is that setting up to our golf ball is, and has always been, an intentional act – no matter which philosophy we choose. Why would they do such a thing, you ask? I’ll get to that later.

For now, we will review Open Stance benefits. A more generous turn into your backswing, a pause at the top, more leg drive, less stress on forward hip and knee, vertical shoulder rotation, lag, and saving shoulder impingements with a flatter swing are the main benefits. However, I find the most interesting benefits of the Open Stance are in relation to our target and ball.

For instance, when we drive toward the target, we are moving further from the target line. Also, our ball position, at address, moves back in our stance between our feet while remaining in the same position along the target line. Additionally, our spine angle remains the same along our toe line, but steepens along the target line. Each adjustment causes the prior list of benefits to occur naturally, as adaptation becomes assimilation.

Let’s get back to the reason companies and media mislead us with promises of a magic pill or device. They do it to keep your swing and your brain as broken as possible. Hence, they perpetuate our insecurity and associated retail response mechanism – conditioned by decades of subliminal messaging in advertising. Consequently, apparently, we keep running back to buy their latest gadget or DVD.

I hope we can starve their rapacity going forward. This site is free to assist with that goal. My only mission is to free golfers from the misinformation treadmill by offering the truth to battle their untruth. Hence, once again, we play our dangerous game. What you do with this information will determine your success.

Open your stance, and play golf.

John Wright – Founder
The Open Stance Academy