Open stance putting is a unique way to play the game that will impact your ability to make putts and score.

Golfers that use open stance putting are going against what is conventional, but sometimes, an open putting stance feels more natural to players.

Let’s take a more detailed look at what an open putting stance is, how it can help you lower your scores and whether or not it would be a good fit for your game.

What is an Open Putting Stance?

An open stance in putting is when your body is turned more towards the target. Most of the stances we take in golf have us set up square to the target with our shoulders, hips, knees, and feet all on a parallel line.

However, with an open stance, your front foot will be set up a bit more turned towards the target. When this happens, your entire body will be turned a bit more this way, allowing for a more straightforward look down the target line.

Golfers with an open stance tend to have much more ability to swing through toward the target as they are not restricted by a closed stance. However, as with any change in your golf game, there are always both positives and negatives to consider.

How to Put with an Open Stance

The best way to putt with an open stance is to set up your feet square. When I do this, I then like to get my feet a little more narrow and turn them towards the left of the target. The turning of the feet towards the left of the target (for a right-handed player) should, in turn, open the hips and the shoulders.

Once you have this in place, you can ensure your weight distribution is even between both of your feet; it’s also then essential to get the ball in the middle of your feet or slightly towards the front.

Once you have this setup and your alignment is correct, you can take your typical swing path and continue your stroke towards the target. For the best consistency, it is a good idea to work on the type of stroke you will take; many golfers with an open stance like the straight back and straight through style putting stroke.

Pros of an Open Putting Stance

The positives of a putting stroke tend to outweigh the negatives. However, you will have to test the effectiveness of this open putting stance to first ensure it is the right fit for you.

• Golfers feel more comfortable
• Can see the line better
• More natural distance control
• Consistent and repeatable swing path
• More involvement of the arms and less with the hands
• Feels less rigid than a closed or square stance

Cons of an Open Putting Stance

The biggest con of an open putting stance is that it can open you up to some unwanted movement in your golf putting stroke. Some players notice that their legs and hips start to sway, and that can be a problem. My solution here is to take a slightly narrower stance, and it usually does the trick.

• It can allow hips and lower body to sway
• If very open, it can be hard to get the club far enough back on a backswing
• Ball position may be off when first learning how to putt with an open stance

Pros Who Putt With an Open Stance

The open putting stance is a perfectly legal and acceptable way to put, and therefore it has been used on tour by many players. The most notable of these players is Jack Nicklaus. Jack Nicklaus certainly knew how to putt under pressure, and he ensured that his stance was always comfortable and stable before he took his stroke.

Jack Nicklaus is considered by many to be the greatest golfer of all time, and the fact that he putted in this way indeed tells us a lot about how this putter can perform. Golfers with an open stance while putting often feel that the ball can travel down the line with very little motion in the hands and wrists.

More and more golfers today are getting square and rigid with their strokes, and we will see this change through the years. Currently, it’s more common to be square than open, but that doesn’t mean we will see it stay this way forever.

How to Decide if an Open Putting Stance is Right for You

An open putting stance could be an excellent choice for your golf game, but there are a few things that you should consider before making this decision.

Also, remember that when making a significant change like this to your putting stroke, you will want to give yourself some time to practice it on the putting green before heading to the golf course.

Type of Putting Stroke

There are two basic ways to swing the putter. You can have a straight back/straight through putting stroke, or you can have more of an arc style. We have always found the straight back straight through to be better for the open stance putter.

When you have an arc style, the way the putter moves around the body can be a bit more difficult to manage with an open stance. This can come down to player preference, but it is something to consider when deciding if this is right for you.

Alignment Issues

One of the things that I always found to be beneficial with an open putting stance is alignment. Allowing yourself to line up with an open stance makes it incredibly easy to see the line in front of you.

With this line to the target being more visible, it makes a golfer feel as though they can start the ball on the line considerably easier. If you feel like you are making good putting strokes, but the ball doesn’t start down the line the way you want it to, the open putting stance could be the right fit for your game.

Trial and Error

Of course, the most important way to decide if an open putting stance is right for you is to try it on the green. You should know that you may not like the feel of this adjustment right away, and it does make sense to try it for a little while before deciding if it is good or bad.

I highly recommend putting from 5, 10, and 20 feet when trying out the open stance putting stroke. I always felt that it was an effortless adjustment in the short putts, but it took some time to get used to the longer putts.

In addition, if you are finding that you pull your putts to the left when switching to the open stance, it may make sense to close the stance just a little. Some golfers will overexaggerate this open feeling, and it doesn’t always work out.

Putter Type

The open putting stance can work for any type of putter you own. However, some large mallet putters can sometimes make it difficult on longer putts.

If you have a blade style or traditional mallet, the open putting stance is a bit easier. Keep this in mind as you make the switch and decide which type of putting stance will bring you the most consistency.

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. Current Handicap: 1

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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. Current Handicap: 8

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