There remains one more point to attend to in taking up the stance for the lofted irons.  From the seven or eight irons down to the wedges, precisely where along the club range varies with the individual, the stance is opened increasingly.

  Here let me warn you again to avoid exaggeration.  Like any other part of the action or the preparations you make in setting yourself up for the shot, the opening of the stance is not to be overdone or you will be practically facing the hole for a wedge shot!

  It is the simplest of movements which opens the stance.  All you do is withdraw the left foot from the line of the square stance, only a matter of inches for the seven and eight irons, slightly more, but not too much, for the nine and the wedges.  Don't shuffle into the open stance.  Your preliminary actions in addressing the ball with any of the clubs should be neatly, not sloppily, done.

  You will do well to consider working out for yourself a simple drill for these preliminaries, one which will become a habit.  But let me not be misunderstood.  There is no necessity for fussing or fiddling.

  What is the reason for opening the stance in using the shorter clubs?  Well, your swing is going to be shorter and more compact.  In the fuller swing for the bigger clubs the body turn is greater and consequently there is more time for the building up of power in the hands.

The compact swing with a wedge or nine iron.  Less body-action than in the bigger shots.	Note the angle of shaft at the finish of the stroke.  Yet the arm movement has still been free and unchecked.

  Even the playing of a half-shot or spared shot with the nine iron or wedge requires a certain degree of power at and through the ball if the shot is to be played firmly, as it must be.  Sufficient power, no more, no less, is wanted to drop the ball on the green or just in front, on whatever spot you have selected in sizing up the requirements.

  The opening of the stance permits the minimum amount of body turn in this curtailed swing consistent with the degree of upper-left-arm-leverage and power which you must FEEL building up just as in the long shots.  Unless the stance is opened there will be insufficient time between start and finish of the backswing for this feel to develop.

Golf Tips, Golf Lessons - How to Break 80

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