The Address at the Golf Course

What is "adresse" in golf?

Getting into your “at address” position means standing in front of the ball, with the club resting behind it, ready to start your swing. Everything you adjust before the swing is part of this: how you hold the club, your body posture, the target direction, and the ball’s position between your feet.

It is often said that a good portion of poor shots are already determined at address. An unbalanced stance or misaligned body position forces the body to compensate during the swing, which makes the motion less smooth.

What makes a good address?

The grip

The hands grip the club mainly with the fingers, without gripping too tightly. The grip should be firm enough to maintain control of the club without tensing the forearms.

Posture

• The upper body leans forward by bending at the hips, not by rounding the back.
• The knees are slightly bent, but not too much: if they are bent too much, they interfere with rotation.
• Your arms hang naturally below your shoulders. This is a good way to check your distance from the ball: if you have to stretch your arms forward or pull them in toward your body, you're either too far away or too close.
• Your weight should be on the balls of your feet, not on your heels or toes.

Foot spacing

For a full swing with a mid-iron, your feet should be about shoulder-width apart. The stance widens slightly with longer clubs, for greater stability, and narrows for shorter shots.

Alignment

The clubface is aimed at the target. The feet, hips, and shoulders are parallel to the line connecting the ball to the target—and thus slightly aligned to the left of the target for a right-handed golfer—like the two rails of a railroad track.

The position of the ball

It varies depending on the club, because the lowest point of the swing and the angle of attack change.

How does the address vary depending on the club?

These guidelines are starting points: a player's physique and swing style can cause them to vary by a few centimeters.

What are the most common address errors?

• Aim with your feet instead of the clubface: You align your body with the target, which actually orients it to the right.
• A hunched back or standing too straight: Rotation becomes difficult and contact is uneven.
• Being too close or too far from the ball, often revealed by shots hit with the toe or heel of the foot.
• A grip that's too tight, which causes tension in the arms and shoulders.
• A ball that “drifts” forward or backward with each stroke without even realizing it.

The Address in the Rules of Golf

Since the 2019 rule changes, simply taking a stance at address no longer results in a penalty if the ball subsequently moves. The player is penalized (one stroke, ball to be replaced) only if he or she causes the movement, and there is no penalty if it happens accidentally on the green. However, it is prohibited to place a club or a walking stick on the ground to help establish one’s stance (Rule 10.2b).