Ball Position... how do you play the ball in your stance?
I have recently been taking lessons and ball position is a big focus point that the teacher is wanting me to work on. His way is the 6 iron is dead center of the stance and everything higher than the 6 is a half ball back for each club and everything lower is a half ball foward for each club so to make sure everyone understands what I am saying a 3 iron would be a ball and a half foward from a 6 etc. Well the other day I was googleing to try to find a easier way to position the ball rather than tring to visualize how many balls or halfs to go foward or back and found two different sites that say to play the pw down to the 8 in the center. 7 down to the 5 one ball foward of center, and 3 and 4 two balls foward of center and driver inside the left heel. Which of these ways do you use if any. And if neither how do you position the ball?
I have recently been taking lessons and ball position is a big focus point that the teacher is wanting me to work on. His way is the 6 iron is dead center of the stance and everything higher than the 6 is a half ball back for each club and everything lower is a half ball foward for each club so to make sure everyone understands what I am saying a 3 iron would be a ball and a half foward from a 6 etc. Well the other day I was googleing to try to find a easier way to position the ball rather than tring to visualize how many balls or halfs to go foward or back and found two different sites that say to play the pw down to the 8 in the center. 7 down to the 5 one ball foward of center, and 3 and 4 two balls foward of center and driver inside the left heel. Which of these ways do you use if any. And if neither how do you position the ball?
I'm sure there is value in his approach,but that's way too complicated for me. I play my wedges in the middle, everything else about a ball inside(toward center) of my left heel and my driver just inside my left toe.
Wedges in the center and progressively move the ball up as the number gets lower. More than anything really, it's all on feel and what is comfortable within the correct range. It also depends a lot on the lie and the playing conditions (i.e. lots of wind, have to get up over a trees, etc)
I always tried to setup with the ball in the center of my stance and had problems hitting the ball fat. I then moved the ball up (toward my left foot) in my stance and started hitting the ball much better with a slight draw. My buddy started watching my swing trying to find out why I all the sudden had a draw and he told me I had moved my setup to the center of my stance. As it turns out that when I would shift my weight to my left, the ball relationship of the ball in my swing had moved back to center at impact. The relationship to my head had not changed, just to the rest of my body. This change actually added at least 2 clubs to my distance because I was hitting the ball crisper. Just a thought.
I always tried to setup with the ball in the center of my stance and had problems hitting the ball fat. I then moved the ball up (toward my left foot) in my stance and started hitting the ball much better with a slight draw. My buddy started watching my swing trying to find out why I all the sudden had a draw and he told me I had moved my setup to the center of my stance. As it turns out that when I would shift my weight to my left, the ball relationship of the ball in my swing had moved back to center at impact. The relationship to my head had not changed, just to the rest of my body. This change actually added at least 2 clubs to my distance because I was hitting the ball crisper. Just a thought.
I'm not saying I don't believe you, but everything you stated in your post goes against most rules in the golf swing. When you hit a ball fat, you hit the ground behind it. Two things can cause this, one is playing the ball to far forward and the second is keeping your weight on your back foot on the downswing (reverse pivot). So, moving it up toward your left foot would cause you to hit it fat more as the bottom of your swing arch is going to be behind the ball. Moving the ball up toward your left foot will also tend to cause you to hit a slight fade rather than a draw because the farther your moving the ball up in your stance the more you open your shoulders. If it's working, keep it up, because whatever works but there's no way I could do that.
As for myself, I play every iron shot (besides my wedges) at the logo on my shirt (left breast). I keep it consistant. It's much to difficult to have the ball in the center and then move it a half ball forward for this shot or half ball back for this shot. 99.99% of amateurs are inconsistant with their ball striking for this reason. But again...it's whatever works for you.
Instead of keying on the ball how about keying on the club first?Take a normal width stance ,point the butt end of the club at your belly button and bend over.That is where the ball should be,up against the club face.Make sure your head is behind the ball,keep your back leg fixed and wind up.
I think we are on the same page, you just explained it better. That is just about where I am setting up to the ball maybe not as far to the left, its after the weight shift my hip slide just a little to where at impact the ball is centered to my body. When I set up with the ball in the center, I had the ball too far back in my stance at impact. I do still have a problem with the reverse c but now I can hit the ball consistantly and it is a lot longer. I do have a real shallow swing arc which may explain why I'm getting away with what I'm doing.
I play my 2 iron center of stance, FW woods slightly ahead of that, shorter irons progressively farther back, and Driver about halfway between center and left heel. Many people have tried telling me in the past that this method won't work, however, my ball striking is very consistant and has been steadily improving, so i don't tend to heed their words all that much... i know that that sounds like quite far back for woods especially, but i've found that what with the turning over through the ball, if i play it any farther forward I develop a duck hook. Again, it seems to work, so i'll stick with it.
I start with driver played off the big toe of my left foot with a slightly open stance and mt feet placed at shoulder width apart. Then I gradually move the ball back toward my right foot while shortening the width of my stance and making it more open. Wedges are played off my right heel (except for sand wedge from a greenside bunker, but that's another story) with a fairly narrow and wide open satnce.
Base it off the width of your stance... For me, wedges and 7 irons are different stances. I take my left foot (im a right hander) and set my club in the proper spot, then the position of the club changes with my back foot. The wider the stance the farther forward the position. I do however put it more forward when Im trying to hit it higher and when Im hitting it lower I move it back.
I play by feel I take a few practice swings feel where Ill get ideal contact then move to line up with ball. For driver I move it to middle of my front foot.
I think ball position is sometimes overrated. I think, given a little time, you will find the correct ball position for you and it can change slightly from day to day.
September 13th, 2006, 12:34 PM
Linear Mode
Similar Threads
