Narrow Stance — Golf Drill

Your stance width might be the overlooked key to unlocking both power and accuracy in your golf swing. While many golfers instinctively widen their stance for stability, leading instructors like Warren Bennett Golf Academy and Meandmygolf reveal why a narrower approach often delivers superior results. As Warren Bennett demonstrates in his teaching on letting go for more speed and better strikes, a narrow stance naturally promotes the body rotation essential for effortless power generation while

How to practise it

  1. Set feet shoulder-width apart, then move them 4 inches closer Your heels should now be roughly 8-10 inches apart. Ball position stays normal for your club selection.
  2. Make slow-motion swings focusing on turn, not shift Feel your chest rotating toward the target rather than your body sliding forward. The narrow base forces this movement pattern.
  3. Hit half-speed shots with 7-iron Focus on striking the ball first, then the turf. The improved rotation should create more consistent contact.
  4. Progress to three-quarter speed swings Maintain the rotational feeling as you add speed. You should feel more connected through impact.
  5. Return to normal stance with rotation feeling Keep the same turn-focused sensation with your regular stance width. The contrast will be immediately noticeable.

How can a narrow stance help me generate more power without trying so hard?

According to Warren Bennett, the key is 'learning to let go' - you need to feel less to have more. A narrow stance allows for better weight transfer and natural rotation, which increases speed and improves strike quality when you stop trying to control everything.

I keep getting jammed up on my right side during the downswing - will a narrow stance fix this?

As shown in Meandmygolf's analysis, getting stuck on the right side often comes from poor weight transfer patterns. A narrow stance can help you move more naturally from right to left through impact, preventing that 'coming over the top' tendency that kills distance and accuracy.

Why am I losing distance even though I'm swinging hard, and how does stance width affect this?

Warren Bennett explains that many golfers are missing 'the move' that creates real distance. A narrow stance promotes better sequencing and allows your body to work more efficiently, generating more clubhead speed through proper mechanics rather than muscular effort.

How each of them teaches it

Coaches who demonstrate the narrow stance drill, each linked at the second they start.

  1. Warren Bennett Golf Academy: The Biggest Swing Myth in Golf Explained - Swing Faster with Less Effort (from 3:42). Standing with feet only three club-widths apart to limit lateral motion and force the hands and arms to do the work.
  2. Face First Golf: The range is a lie - Here's how you Improve Faster With Less Practice (from 12:20). Practicing with feet close together to encourage a 'tether ball' whip effect and better rotation around the spine.
  3. Warren Bennett Golf Academy: 1/24 - Why You're Losing Distance - The Move You're Not Doing (from 1:37). Standing with a narrow stance to prevent excessive lateral motion and encourage a central pivot or coil.
  4. Performance Golf: The REAL Secret To Shaft Lean You've Never Heard (from 3:54). Hitting half-shots with an exaggeratedly narrow stance to force a better feel for weight transfer and transition.
  5. Performance Golf: Create Effortless Power By Turning Your Body OFF (from 5:44). Placing the trail foot behind the lead heel in a very narrow stance to prevent lateral swaying and force rotation around a stable axis.
  6. Warren Bennett Golf Academy: The POWER of LETTING GO - Feel LESS to Have MORE (from 2:42). Practicing with a very narrow stance to force the body to rotate around a central axis and prevent excessive lateral movement.
  7. Meandmygolf: This Downswing Mistake Was Throwing His Entire Swing Out (from 9:29). Hinged on narrowing the base significantly to prevent over-aggressive hip sliding and improve balance through the strike.
  8. Golf with Coach Carolin: Why You Chunk Your Irons (and How to Fix It Instantly)! (from 8:03). Hit half-swings with a pitching wedge using a narrow stance or feet together to heighten awareness of head stability and center-of-mass control.

Expert Tips