How wide should my feet be

[trajectory]

Whilst playin a friendly at the club today I was asked by my playing partner " How wide should my feet be " whilst he was chipping.

This is an interesting question as I wanted to say keep the feet nice and close together as this is comfortable and slightly open to target line, but found that this was not comfortable for him at all.

He is quite a stocky chap and he prefers the feeling of a wider stance to chip with and also prefers more of a square set-up where I play with a slightly open stance when chipping.

My point here is that I didn't really have any valid argument for persuading him to stand with a narrower more open stance as to him it felt totally uncomfortable.

Should I have been more persuasive... I don't know?

He chips ok most of the time but can get a little quick and thin a few.


Being a better player can lead to some challenging questions on the course It made me think over my chips

[GolfJunkieSr]

Re: How wide should my feet be

Your open, feet closer together is the preferred accepted way to chip. But like everything else in golf what ever works best for the individual might be the best way for them to go. It is also said that any swing change for the better will feel uncomfortable until the golfer's body gets use to the change. How far a part, or how open the feet should be, is an individual issue. What works for me, may not work for others, and vice versa. Your friend might have a good stance, and is thinning some shots due to a poor, inconsistent ball position. It's a catch 22. GJS

[rotator]

Re: How wide should my feet be

As GJS says, most of the good chippers have their feet close together and have open stances. That is the way it is also taught, if you go to a teaching pro for chipping lessons. You can look at the great chippers of the past, such as Raymond Floyd and the present ones like Mickelson and Tiger.

There are special instances, such as a lob pitch out of heavy greenside rough, where you want to lower your body and hands to get a softer higher shot, and you will spread your legs extremely wide apart.

The chip does not require a lot of speed and power and the legs should stay quiet, except they may flex through after impact, so they do not have to be wide for stability and leverage. I also feel that the feet together stance has less tension and there promotes a softness in the stroke.

Ted

[BrianW]

Re: How wide should my feet be

I chip as suggested with my feet together and slightly open. The reason I prefer this is that it promotes stability, assists in keeping my weight forward for a crisp descending blow and clears the lower body from the arm swing.

Chipping with a wider stance promotes sway into the shot due to the two legs being separate pivot points. It makes it more difficult to make crisp contact unless the weight is shifted by bringing the hips into the shot.