The very first time that I dabbled with the different stances was as a competitive junior golfer, trying to eliminate the natural fade resulting in numerous lost golf balls. Needless to say, my father wasn’t thrilled.

But after some tinkering, I figured out the right stance to improve my game.

So if you’re looking to add another setup to your repertoire, I detail the must-know pros and cons of a closed stance in this post.

I always suggest operating with a neutral stance for optimal posture, balance, and swing mechanics. However, a closed or open stance has its merits, as you will learn in this guide. First, we will look at the advantages and disadvantages of the closed setup before comparing the results to an open or square golf stance.

What is a Closed Stance in Golf?

In simple terms, a closed stance refers to a right-handed golfer who aims to the right of their target line. Naturally, the opposite applies to lefties. You will notice that this is the same stance you employ when setting up for a draw.

Your golf stance is similar to the one you adopt in baseball. It is the foundation with which a player finds balance, comfort, and efficiency in their swing. I learned about golf stances the hard way as a competitive junior.

I used to operate with the grip of death and produced an outside-in swing path on most shots. Sometimes, I got away with it, but when my left foot, hips, and knees opened up more, it aggravated the result.

Since my swing mechanics were too complex to tinker with on the golf course, I would close my stance slightly to compensate for the shape. This was not a permanent fix, but it did mitigate the effects and help me straighten out my ball flight.

The bottom line is that you can benefit from a closed stance in certain scenarios. However, you should not adopt this as your permanent setup because of the risk of erratic shots.

Pros of a Closed Stance

Corrects Fades and Slices

An extreme fade or slice is generally caused by a golfer swinging over the top and cutting across the ball. Just like a tennis player who uses that drop shot with a cut so that the ball stops rapidly.

Operating with a closed stance can encourage maximum rotation, prompting you to clear your waist and shoulders through impact. You’ll notice that this boosts power and helps you square your clubface at impact for straighter results.

My one buddy leads a “tough” life coaching in Phuket, Thailand, where all his students are beginners. He teaches them to hold the golf club the other way around and induce a baseball swing. His students find this awakens the rotation motion and helps them understand its importance in the swing.

You grab the clubhead and channel your inner Ted Williams, and feel how your hips and shoulders rotate.

 Encourages a Draw

A closed stance is required when you set up for a draw. This aligns you to the right of your target, anticipating the curve to the left.

A draw is handy for right-to-left doglegs for right-handers and left-to-right holes for lefties. Following the lay of the land shortens the hole and helps you position yourself optimally for a hassle-free approach.

Lowers Ball Flight

Closing your stance sets you up to produce a draw and strike the ball with a delofted clubface. You will find that this approach lowers your trajectory to restrict the impact of the elements. The uninterrupted flight leads to consistent distance and accuracy.

Low flight is highly beneficial when playing into the wind or when you are stuck under a canopy of trees. You will find that reduced flight in these conditions allows you to deliver ample yardage, despite the struggle.

Escape Trouble

We have all been there. The middle of a bush, behind a tree, and my latest achievement, behind a lamp post.

Closing the stance and clubface generated an in-to-out swing for a low hook when I was right behind a tree stump. The results were not always perfect. However, when my handicap dropped to single figures, and I practiced frequently, I had a successful record of escaping trouble.

Cons of a Closed Stance

Snap Hook

Unless you’re stuck behind a tree or bush, you only have to open or close your stance slightly. When players start to hook their shots, they aim further right of the target for a closed setup.

Increased Roll

The downside of the increased roll is the inability to control your distance. The low trajectory causes your golf ball to hit the ground hot and run like Usain Bolt, making it difficult to hold the green. As a result, you consistently sweat to get up and down. Instead of reading the line of a birdie putt.

Excessive Side Spin

I used to play with an excellent player in high school with a gentle draw that made me jealous. The only problem was that the bad days were terrible.

One day, I watched him miss every fairway because of the intense sidespin that sent his ball careering into the left rough. Luckily, he could escape trouble. Nevertheless, he lost so much confidence, and this specific round of golf traumatized his next ten games.

Other Types of Stances

Open Stance

An open stance is the opposite setup of a closed golf stance. In other words, your toeline will aim to the left of the target while the clubface is still square to the target.

Advantages of an open stance

Prompts A Natural Fade

As a youngster, I watched my older brother on the range. He could work the ball almost any way he wanted, and I wanted to do that. I thought I needed to change my grip or swing path, among other things. How naive I was.

All I had to do was open my stance and make a normal swing without changing much, and I noticed a slight fade. When you can work the ball any way you want, you have more in your artillery to achieve the best possible outcome for each shot.

A higher ball flight 

Every golf hole poses different challenges. I experienced this first hand at my home course littered with tall trees, water, and perplexing undulation. A higher ball flight helped me hit the ball over the trees hundreds of times.

Furthermore, the higher ball flight allows us to land the ball much softer, which is necessary for long par 3 tee shots and par 4 approach shots.

Disadvantages of an open stance

Loss of distance

The open stance encourages a left-to-right ball shape with a higher ball flight. Unfortunately, this can lead to a loss of distance, something exceptional players like Rory Mcilroy may disagree with. But, we are not him and must play to our strengths and abilities.

The more you open the stance and the larger the fade becomes, the more distance we will lose. This sets you up for tricky approach shots requiring hybrids or long irons, which reduces your chances of attacking the flag.

Heavy wind conditions 

I spent most of the last decade living in Cape Town, where wind is a permanent feature, and I am well versed in its torturous tactics. When I first set up shop in the Mother City, I played with a natural fade and got smashed all over the place by the breeze.

In addition, my open stance and clubface increased my apex, and the wind took hold of my ball and killed my yardage. I corrected this by closing my stance slightly and operating with a forward press setup.

Square stance

The square stance is when the left front foot is parallel to the back right foot and aimed at the target line. Your feet need to be shoulder-width apart, and the clubface has to be square to pull off this most common stance.

For example, you can have a neutral stance, perfect back position, hips, and knees in line, but when you play your shot, you have the ball in the center of your stance. This will make you push the ball to the right, even with the perfect swing.

Advantages of a Square Stance

Promotes Straight Flight

The greatest advantage of a neutral stance is that it prompts straight ball flight to boost your accuracy around the golf course. You will find that this balanced position encourages a fluid swing line with minimal deviation for a square clubface leading into impact.

Disadvantages of a Square stance

No Shape

The downside of constantly operating with a square stance is that it prohibits your ability to shape golf shots. This is particularly annoying on dog leg holes, where a draw or fade can nip you around the curve and give a short, direct approach to the dancefloor.

Matt Stevens

Matt Callcott-Stevens started playing golf at the age of 4 when Rory Sabattini’s father put a 7-iron and putter in his hand. He has experienced all the highs and lows the game can throw at you and has now settled down as a professional golf writer. He holds a Postgraduate in Sports Marketing and has played golf for 28 years.

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For some golfers, the fact that the driver is so long can lead to trouble with control of the ball and ensuring that the shots stay in play.

This is why some players start choking down on their driver, and they almost immediately notice the impact it has on their game.

I’ve tried this concept, especially when I was younger (and even shorter). The results are… interesting and not necessary for everyone. Some amateurs can do well with choking down on the driver, while others should think twice before using this strategy.

Let’s take a look at what choking down on your driver will do for your game.

The Pros of Choking Down on Your Driver

There are a few reasons that golfers will choke down on a driver. The first and most obvious is that the club is long, and this can be hard for some players to adjust to. However, the main reason why golfers choke down is to establish control with the club.

Better Contact with The Center of The Club Head

If you want to make consistent contact with the center of the club head, it’s easiest to do it with a shorter club.

Have you ever noticed that you can hit your pitching wedge more consistently than you can hit your 4 iron? The main reason behind this is that the 4 iron is considerably longer, and it makes it more difficult to find the sweet spot.

When something is further away, it’s harder to be accurate; when it’s closer, you have more control. If you find that you make contact with the heel, toe, upper face, or bottom of the club head, it may be time to consider choking down on the driver to see if you can hit the sweet spot.

Lower Trajectory

Interestingly I put lower trajectory as both a pro and a con.

Sometimes hitting the ball lower is a great thing. If the wind is in your face and you are playing in the colder weather and want just to get the ball to advance down the fairway, this lower trajectory makes a big difference.

A lower trajectory won’t necessarily make you hit the ball further, but it does play well to the accuracy of the shot, and you should be able to hit it a bit straighter. Choking down on the club makes the club a little stiffer and therefore lowers the trajectory.

Less Spin

For some players, spin can be hard to keep in check with the driver in the hands. If you want to try and create a little less backspin or side spin on your golf driver, then choking down can help. Some golfers find that they get a bit more forward roll and spin when swinging with a driver they have choked down on.

Drivers today are lower in spin than they ever have been. So the technology will already be on your side here; it’s just a matter of combining it with the correct swing and setup.

Better Control of The Club

Control is the name of the game from the tee box. I have played with so many great players that can hit the ball a mile, but if you can’t keep it in play, what is the point of hitting it straight?

If you can learn to control the golf club, there is so much you can do on the golf course. For those trying to hit a fade or a draw, I highly recommend choking down as you learn. You will find it much easier to complete the process with a club in your hands that is slightly shorter in length.

The Cons of Choking Down on Your Driver

Unfortunately, choking down on a driver is not a perfect solution. There are issues with total distance, tempo, and lower ball flight that can be a problem for some players. Let’s face the facts here if this was a perfect solution, all golfers would do it, but that is not the case.

Less Distance

When you choke down on your driver, expect to get a little less distance. The difference in distance should be astronomical, but nobody really likes to lose distance on their drives. Expect about 5 to 15 years of loss on a driver.

The total length of most standard drivers is around 45 or 46 inches. When you choke down, you are effectively shortening the club, making it more difficult to get distance from the shots you are trying to hit.

It’s almost like hitting a 3 wood with a driver’s head on it. On an easy hole with no trouble in front of you, don’t worry about choking down on the driver. Get all the distance you can and play the wider fairway.

Slower Club Head Speed

Another problem with choking down on the driver is that it can slow down your club head speed. Of course, you may think that choking up on the club makes it shorter and easier to swing faster, but this isn’t the case.

Since the club swing weight is a bit higher and the shaft is stiffer from choking down, some players will actually lose some speed. This won’t be the case for all golfers, but it’s something to consider and think about when deciding if this is a good method for you to use on the course.

Lower Ball Flight

As I mentioned, lower ball flight is both positive and negative.

Keeping the ball in the air for a long time is good. You will get tremendous carry and the best possible results. However, a lower trajectory and a lower launch lead to less total distance.

If you want that big high, flying driver that heads down the center of the fairway, choking up is not the way to get it done.

Stiffer Shaft

If you have ever thought of cutting down an old golf driver shaft to make it a good choice for a younger player, you are doing them quite a disservice. When you adjust the shaft length like this by cutting it down, you make the club considerably stiffer.

The stiffer shaft will be hard for slower swing speed players to deal with. Professional golfers don’t seem too affected by this, as this minor adjustment doesn’t counteract their fast speeds.

Tempo Concerns

Sometimes the tempo of your golf swing can get thrown off when you choke down on your driver. Players will inadvertently increase grip pressure, forget to make a complete backswing, and sometimes lose balance when trying to choke down on the golf club.

Of course, you can improve your golf tempo by practicing on the driving range and learning how not to change your swing when you choke down on the club. Just keep this one in mind in case you choke down and feel like your swing is not the same.

How to Decide If You Should Choke Down on Your Driver

Sometimes the playing conditions on the course or some features of our golf swing will help you decide if it makes sense to choke down on your driver. Here are the factors that you should be thinking about.

Weather Conditions

When it is cold, windy, and wet, you will want to keep your dispersion rates down. The golf course is hard enough. Make sure you are hitting these accurate drives that get plenty of roll and can penetrate through the rough conditions.

On nice weather days when your swing feels fluid, and you aren’t as concerned with control and a lower launch, choking down on the driver is likely not necessary.

Trouble on The Hole

Golfers who are good at golf course management can accurately assess a hole and decide if it’s wise to swing away or keep things a bit more under control. Of course, when there is less trouble on a hole, you can look for increased clubhead speed and more distance.

When the golf hole has water hazards, sand traps, or even out-of-bounds, it could pay to choke down on your driver and get the ball in play. Some golfers will also consider using a 3 wood for a hole like this.

Player Height

The player’s height is another important consideration. If you are a taller golfer, it makes sense to hold your club at the very top. For shorter golfers, sometimes a longer driver feels challenging to control. If this is the case, simply hold the club a bit further down.

If you find yourself doing this continually, it may make sense to consider a shorter driver. Purchase this type of golf driver direct from the manufacturer instead of having it custom-fitted after the fact.

When you purchase direct, the club weighting and stiffness of the shaft can be double-checked before it’s put into your hands.

How Far You Should Choke Down

Golfers are often unsure of exactly how far down the shaft they should be choking down on a driver. You will have to play around with this based on what feels comfortable and what produces the proper results.

Generally speaking, choking down about one inch from the top of the driver is the perfect amount for most players. This small amount still has a great impact on the overall length of the shot and the ability to get the ball in the center of the fairway.

Remember that most golf grips have a taper to them. This means that the further you choke down, the smaller the club is going to feel in your hands. This can impact your ability to turn the club over, and some players hit the ball left because of it.

The next time you’re at the driving range, try a few swings choking down on your driver and see how it works out.

Brittany Olizarowicz

Britt O has been playing golf since the age of 7. Almost 30 years later, she still loves the game, has played competitively on every level, and spent a good portion of her life as a Class A PGA Professional. Britt currently resides in Savannah, GA, with her husband and two young children.

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Talk to Jack Nicklaus, and he will tell you that the motorcycle grip is hurting your game. The Golden Bear knows what he is talking about, but it has worked for several great players throughout history. Therefore, in this post, I analyze the pros and cons of a strong golf grip.

I will explain how a stronger grip boosts your clubhead speed and promotes a draw. Conversely, we will look at the downside of this setup.

Pros of a Strong Golf Grip

Increases Power

The average golfer should be pleased to note that a tight golf grip boosts power during your swing. The extra forefingers on the golf club equip you with the control to accelerate clubhead speed and generate a powerful strike through impact.

As a result, it increases your chance of transferring that energy to the dimples for maximum ball speed. This launches the golf ball into the air and promotes maximum distance.

Promotes A Draw Shape

The second positive of a strong grip is the pleasing shape of your shots. Golf coach Steve Johnston explains that this setup prompts an in-to-out swing creating a closed club face leading into contact. This generates the sidespin required for a draw. In other words, your ball curves from right to left as a right-hand golfer or left to right for a lefty:

A draw can enhance the control of each shot. You can replicate your setup and bank on the ball flying to the left. Therefore, you produce consistent results.

However, a draw is specifically efficient on doglegs or in wind. If you are a right-hander, you can employ this shape for a right to the left-hand dogleg or a breeze in the same direction. Furthermore, it enables you to play with the obstacles and not against them.

Low Ball Flight

The angle of the closed clubface at impact promotes a lower trajectory than when you use a weak grip. A strong grip prompts you to operate with a forward press setup. This means that your hands are ahead of the ball, positioning you to strike the ball with a closed face.

Closing your face at impact delofts the club and leads to a lower launching ball. That benefits golfers who tend to produce excess spin and balloon their shots. In addition, it helps you reduce the impact of the breeze when you are playing into the wind.

Finally, a lower trajectory means the ball is carrying less backspin rpm. The advantage of this outcome is that your ball creates optimal forward roll, to continue running once it lands. This boosts your total distance, especially on dry, firm fairways.

Less Spin

Closing the angle of your clubface at impact helps you reduce backspin rpm. This is ideal for windy conditions and golfers who naturally generate excess spin. The stronger lofted clubface takes spin off your ball, resulting in a low launch.

Increased Distance

Increased clubhead speed and power improve your ability to pass that velocity onto the golf ball. Achieving that helps you launch your dimpled ball far down the fairway.

This grip sends your ball along a lower trajectory which creates forward momentum. As a result, your ball hits the ground rolling to increase your total distance.

Cons of a Strong Golf Grip

Hooks

There are few things prettier than a well-executed draw. Unfortunately, closing your clubface through impact raises the risk of hooking your ball into the woods. This tops the list of disadvantages of a strong golf grip.

If your rhythm and tempo are off, it can lead to you closing the clubface relative to your target. Your ball starts off traveling towards your marker before hooking viciously to the left.

Rick Shiels explains that one of his students would open his clubface at address to compensate for the imminent right to left shape. However, his strong left-hand still caused the face to close and the ball to travel left:

The point is that a hook shape is challenging to shake if you lack control of the club with a firm grip.

Reduced Control

It sounds strange that a fastened hold on your club reduces control. However, it limits the ability of some golfers to keep the club on plane for an accurate strike. That is why amateurs produce erratic hooks. On the contrary, weak golf grips cause players to leave their clubface open to your swing path, prompting slices.

Lower Launch

Low ball flight is welcomed in windy conditions and by players who generate excess backspin at impact. The opposite goes for those with slow swing speeds. A low launch and reduced spin results in a loss of carry and total distance.

You may get lucky on dry courses where the ball runs free, but manicured layouts are a different ball game. These golf courses have lush fairways and rough that reduce roll. Therefore, a loss of carry distance will leave you well back from where you need to be.

Who Should Use This Style of Grip?

Serial Slicers

Amateurs commonly struggle with slices. They leave the clubface open to the target at contact, generating a clockwise sidespin. This means your ball will fly from left to right for right-handers, with the opposite result for lefties.

Strengthening the grip helps these golfers combat their open clubface predicament. Plus, it prompts a draw flight. The risk of this approach is setting yourself up for a hook.

Distance Seekers

Golfers seeking extra yards in your game should hit a few balls with a strong grip. The increased power and clubhead speed generation boosts your chances of producing rapid ball speed and optimal distance.

High Spin Generators

Producing excess backspin rpm on long game shots is detrimental to your total yardage. The additional spin sends your ball higher into the sky and immediately back to earth. The steep descent angle causes your ball to land softly and stop rapidly.

These qualities are desirable for short iron and wedge shots but not in your long game. Tightening your grip promotes a delofted clubface at impact, which reduces backspin. As a result, you produce piercing ball flight for maximum control and distance.

Windy Conditions

A tight grip is worth considering when you are playing in windy conditions. It is in your interests to keep the ball low and take the wind out of play. The reduced loft of your clubface at contact helps you to fly the ball under the radar to maximize yardage in these conditions.

Golf Pros Who Use a Strong Grip

What do Zach Johnson, Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson, and David Duval have in common? Sure, they all won Major titles, but they are bonded by their strong golf grip.

Ben Hogan also operated with a tight grip at the start of his career. He later adjusted it to represent a neutral setup.

Is it Better to Have A Strong Grip?

Despite a handful of positives emanating from a strong grip, the reality is it is not the best setup to employ. A neutral position with fewer visible knuckles is where you should start. This creates the best platform for you to keep your clubhead on path and square the face at impact.

However, if a neutral grip causes you to slice your ball, a tight hold helps you compensate for an open clubface at contact. Strengthening your grip encourages the club to strike the ball with a closed face, promoting a right-to-left shape. Therefore, in that instance, the motorbike grip is better.

Furthermore, golfers who balloon their shots with a weaker grip should test a tighter setup. The closed clubface through impact works to reduce backspin rpm and deliver piercing ball flight. This improves your control and increases your distance.

Does A Strong Grip Promote A Draw?

A fastened grip tends to induce an inside-out golf swing, which causes you to close your clubface relative to your swing path. This angle generates a counterclockwise spin, sending the ball left to right for left-handers and the opposite for right-handed golfers.

However, a firm grip does not guarantee a draw. If your rhythm and tempo are off, the clubface could close relative to the target and deliver a hook.

How do I know if my grip is too strong?

Rick Shiels suggests that it is easy to identify whether your grip is firm. If the back part of your left hand is visible as a right-hander, it is the first sign of a tight grip. Furthermore, your right hand is typically placed too far underneath. In other words, no knuckles are visible on the right mitt:

Besides, following Shiel’s advice, you can tell from pure feel is your grip is too tight. Plus, your knuckles may be turning white.

Matt Stevens

Matt Callcott-Stevens started playing golf at the age of 4 when Rory Sabattini’s father put a 7-iron and putter in his hand. He has experienced all the highs and lows the game can throw at you and has now settled down as a professional golf writer. He holds a Postgraduate in Sports Marketing and has played golf for 28 years.

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