Narrow Stance

A narrow stance brings the feet inside shoulder width, most often used on shorter, more finesse-oriented shots. This means pitch shots, chips, bunker shots, and for some golfers, shorter irons. A narrower base allows the hips and torso to rotate more freely through the shot. This supports the smaller, more controlled swings these shots require. It also naturally shortens the swing arc. This helps with the compact, controlled motion a good short-game shot calls for.

A narrow stance sacrifices some of the stability a wider base provides. This is precisely why it isn't used for maximum-effort swings like the driver. This means too little stability under a fast, forceful swing invites balance issues and uneven contact. On shots where speed and effort are naturally reduced, that stability tradeoff matters much less, and the increased rotational freedom becomes the more valuable property.

A useful mental model many instructors teach is scaling stance width down as swing length and effort come down. This means full stance width for the driver, moderately narrower for mid-irons, narrower still for wedges, and narrowest for putting and the smallest chip shots. A golfer who keeps a full-width stance on delicate short-game shots often finds their hips restricted and their contact uneven, since the base doesn't match the small, precise motion the shot requires.