Your stance in golf has the ability to make or break your game. Without a solid stance, you are sure to slice the ball and destroy your score completely. With proper practice and the right information, you can perfect your stance for a swing that will be smooth and have your ball flying straight toward the intended target. The golf stance tips below will help you achieve your goal of a great stance and improved golf score.

Remember Your Width

One of the most important golf stance tips to remember and the most common problems that most golfers face is how far apart they place their feet when getting into their stance. Your feet should be about shoulder width apart and not any farther or closer together. Not having your feet shoulder width away from each other will cause you to unbalanced and lean forward. The perfect width is important to establish in order to avoid slicing in golf.

Keep Your Posture in Place

Posture is important to your stance and that is why another one of the best golf stance tips is to keep your posture in place during your swing setup. Your back should be straight, bent at no more than a `15 degree angle and your shoulders should remain square. Keep your elbows in and your head down as well. If you are leaning too far over or if your shoulders do not remain square, it will through the entire swing off, leading to problems such as a slice.

Develop a Straight Line of Movement

During your backswing and all the way through your downswing, you should maintain a constant straight line. There should be little to no variation and there should definitely not be any curving to one side or the other. Slicing is most often caused by the inability of the face of the club to hit the ball square on. A straight stance and driving path will lead to a straight shot and will improve your overall game. The drills that you practice should incorporate your whole body as it works together to hit the ball in the right way. Not hitting the ball square on the face of the club will cause it to slice time and again.

Placing the Ball

One of the most often overlooked golf stance tips is placing the ball correctly. However, if you set the ball too far away or too close to your body, then your entire stance and swing will be off. The ball should line up a couple inches inside your lead foot and a comfortable distance away so your club points at your belt buckle when at address. This is the correct placement of the ball for most shots in golf and will allow you to hit the ball in the correct way, thus avoiding the slice.

If you are trying to improve your overall golf game and fix a slice, then the golf stance tips above can help you reach that goal. By properly positioning yourself and the ball, you are setting yourself up for success each time you swing the club.

No matter how many books you read, videos you watch on YouTube, or DVDs that you watch on TV, your game will not improve if you don’t practice. One mistake golfers make is they think spending time on the driving range pounding balls is all it takes to improve their game.

First of all get loose. A weighted club can help a lot. If you don’t have one or can’t afford one, take a few slow swings while holding 2 or 3 clubs. You can also pick up a weighted doughnut that will slide over the shaft of the club for a few bucks. You also need to stretch for a few minutes. If you pull a muscle you are done for the day and maybe the week or longer.

After loosening up you are ready to hit some shots. Some say hit short irons first and other say hit the driver first. In my opinion, hit a few drivers first. This gets your swing nice and wide. Don’t focus on your driver, just hit about 5 to 10 shots to get you used to swinging big and wide.

Once you have your feel for the wide arc, move to your short irons. Pick the club you hit best from your pitching wedge to 7 iron. You want to get your confidence up so hit a few shots with the club you are most comfortable with.

Now you are loosened up and ready to practice. I recommend your approach game first. I mean any shot within about 160 yards. Your goal is to pick a point and hit that point within about 20 feet, or whatever distance you feel will get you on the green. Hitting greens is key.

After you have the approach shots down, move to long irons. Don’t spend too much time here. Get comfortable with your contact and leave it at that. When you are a long iron distance away from the hole, you just want to advance the ball anywhere on or near the green.

Finally, grab the driver and get to work. The good short game is key to scoring, but if you can’t hit the ball in play off the tee you are in trouble. Yes, you want to hit bombs, but focus on direction. It doesn’t do you any good to launch the ball 300 yards into the woods. Slow your swing down and get the ball in play. Once you are consistent at putting the ball in play, then start working on hitting the ball farther.

Last but not least, get over to the putting green. A lot of people skip practicing putting altogether. Don’t do it. It doesn’t take very long to hit 60 putts. Pick a fairly flat area and hit 20 from long distance, 20 from medium distance and 20 from knee knocker distance. Focus on aim and weight. When you miss you want a putt that leaves you a tap in.

Practice is key. Get a little range time after work and watch your scores get lower.

Your fitness level plays a huge part in your golf swing.