March 5, 2026

Teaching Kids Golf Stance: The "Feet Apart, Knees Bent" Method

Forget complicated setup positions. Teaching your kid a solid golf stance comes down to four words and one simple trick. Here's the method that works for ages 3-10.

You’ve just spent five minutes getting your kid’s grip right, and now you need to teach them how to stand. If you start talking about ball position, spine angle, and weight distribution — you’ll lose them in about four seconds.

Good news: teaching a kid the golf stance takes exactly four words: “feet apart, knees bent.”

That’s the foundation. Everything else is refinement that can come later. Here’s how to teach it so it actually sticks.

The Jump and Land Trick

The best golf stance teaching tool ever invented requires zero equipment. Here’s what you do:

Tell your kid to jump in the air and land.

Where their feet land? That’s their natural stance width. It’s almost always shoulder-width apart, which is exactly what you want for a golf swing.

Why this works:

  • It’s fun (kids will jump 10 times in a row if you let them)
  • It gets the width right without measuring or adjusting
  • Their knees naturally bend on the landing — that’s the athletic position you’re looking for
  • They remember it because it’s physical, not verbal

After they land, just say: “Perfect. That’s your golf stance. Now hold it and I’ll put the ball in front of you.”

You’ve just taught the stance in under 10 seconds. No lectures. No adjustments. No tears.

The Four Words: “Feet Apart, Knees Bent”

Once they know the jump trick, the four-word reminder is all they’ll ever need before a swing:

“Feet apart, knees bent.”

That’s your pre-shot reminder. Before every swing, say it. Within a few sessions, they’ll start saying it to themselves. Eventually, they’ll just do it automatically.

What these four words accomplish:

  • Feet apart = proper width and stable base
  • Knees bent = athletic posture, weight on the balls of feet, no stiffness

What you’re deliberately NOT teaching yet:

  • Ball position (just put it in the middle, between their feet)
  • Spine angle (if they bend their knees and look at the ball, they’ll tilt naturally)
  • Weight distribution (50/50 is fine for now)
  • Foot alignment (parallel to target line — don’t even bring it up until they’re 7+)

Common Stance Problems (And Quick Fixes)

Even with the simple approach, kids find creative ways to stand wrong. Here are the most common issues and one-sentence fixes:

Standing Too Narrow

What it looks like: Feet almost touching, no base. Fix: “Jump and land again — now stay there.”

Standing Too Wide

What it looks like: Sumo wrestler position. Fix: “Bring your feet in until they’re under your shoulders.”

Legs Totally Straight

What it looks like: Locked knees, stiff as a board. Fix: “Pretend you’re about to sit on an invisible chair — just a tiny bit.”

Too Much Knee Bend

What it looks like: Full squat position. Fix: “Stand up more. Just a little bend, like you’re about to jump.”

Leaning Way Back

What it looks like: Weight on heels, about to fall backward. Fix: “Feel your toes in your shoes. Can you wiggle them? Good, put some weight on them.”

Arms Reaching for the Ball

What it looks like: Arms stretched way out, tension in shoulders. Fix: “Let your arms hang like a monkey. Now grab the club.” The arms should dangle naturally — relaxed, not rigid.

Age-Specific Tips

Ages 3-5

At this age, any stance is a good stance. If they’re standing upright, facing the ball, and the club can reach it — you’re golden. Don’t correct their stance unless they literally can’t make contact because of it.

The only thing worth mentioning: “Face the ball.” That’s enough positional instruction for a toddler.

Ages 5-7

Now you can use the full “feet apart, knees bent” method. The jump trick works great at this age. You can also start pointing out where the ball goes relative to their feet — “put the ball in the middle, right between your shoes.”

One concept you can introduce: “Point your belly button at the ball.” This naturally creates a slight forward bend without you having to explain spine tilt. Kids get “belly button” immediately.

Ages 7-10

At this age, you can refine:

  • Ball position: Slightly forward (toward the front foot) for longer clubs, middle for irons
  • Alignment: Feet, hips, and shoulders pointing parallel to where they want the ball to go
  • Consistency: Start building a pre-shot routine — feet apart, knees bent, look at the target, look at the ball, swing

This is also when tools become helpful. Recording their setup on video and playing it back lets them see what you’re describing. Apps like Little Swings can analyze their overall form and flag stance issues in language they understand — which beats you saying “you’re standing too close to the ball” while they stare at you blankly.

The Stance Checklist (Print This)

Before each swing, run through this mentally (or out loud):

  1. Jump and land (or just “feet apart”)
  2. Knees bent (tiny sit)
  3. Arms hanging (monkey arms)
  4. Eyes on ball (look down at it)
  5. Swing

That’s it. Five steps, three seconds, and your kid is in a fundamentally solid position. Everything else — foot angle, spine tilt, weight shift — comes with time and repetition.

For the complete picture on teaching your kid all the golf fundamentals, head over to our parent’s guide to teaching kids golf.