The Tiger Woods golf stance driver setup, ball position, foot width and weight distribution have help win him 14 major championships as of the publish date of this article. It must be the driver golf stance that we all should use then, correct?
Well, not so fast! The answer for you is maybe and maybe not. But why wouldn’t Tiger Woods golf stance be the proper stance for everyone?
Well, the first reason is that a golf stance does not sit independent of the type of swing technique you are attempting to perform. If you have a different swing style than another golfer, your stance technique is likely to be different.
A second reason why your stance may be different than Tiger’s golf stance is because your body type may be completely different. Tiger Woods would even agree with this statement 100%. On page 87 of his book, How I Play Golf, Tiger states that “in choosing a particular player to model your swing after, take into consideration the player’s height and build.” “If you’re tall and thin, you don’t want to copy the swing of a player who is short and stocky.”
As a third reason, I would expand on Tiger Woods’ statement by adding that you should take into account a player’s strength, flexibility, and coordination.
You have to look no further than the changes to Tiger Woods golf swing technique and changes in Tiger’s build to see how a different golf stance can be required for different people. The old golf swing of a young skinny Tiger Woods used a driver setup with a square to slightly closed foot position (and a strong grip for that matter). This stance and grip helped him square the clubface at impact. A stronger Tiger in his early thirties plays a stance with a square to slightly open foot position (and a neutral grip for that matter) to protect against squaring the club face too quickly. This change in foot position for Tiger was also a result of a change in his swing technique philosophy. Tiger’s old swing was for playing a draw as a youngster and his newer swing was designed for playing a power fade in his mid thirties.
So, to answer the question of whether the driver Tiger Woods golf stance is right for you more directly, let’s first outline the exact components of his stance. Tiger has a slightly open, greater than shoulder width and upright stance. Further, Tiger turns his right and left foot outward slightly.
The open and upright stance allows Tiger to swing the club on a steeper plane than a square or closed foot position and less upright stance would allow. That is because the latter requires the ball to be a further distance away from your body. The further the ball is away from your body at address, the flatter your swing will be.
Further, the way he flares his feet is designed to allow him to fully rotate his shoulder on the backswing and follow through while limiting his hip turn. Finally, the foot width he uses is the ideal distance for balance and stability to control his 135 mph driver swing speed.
You will need to experiment with the Tiger Woods golf stance fundamentals while keeping in mind your swing style and your physical makeup to determine if his stance is proper for you. For instance, women who have lower centers of gravity and slower swing speeds may not need to have a driver stance of greater than shoulder width. Additionally, those trying to play a flatter swing plane or trying to play a draw may find that a square or closed stance is better for them. Finally, those with different flexibilities may need to rotate their feet differently to get the proper hip and shoulder rotation on the backswing and follow-through motions.
So, you see the answer really is maybe or maybe not. Nonetheless, I will tell you one thing for sure. If you are ready to learn how to swing the golf club like Tiger, you will need to be ready to incorporate a flexibility and strength training routine into your game. His hip and shoulder flexibility, as well as, his lower and upper body strength can not be bought over the counter. And they are required to pull off his portrait like swing.
