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ive always had a problem of how far i stand back from the ball.

I usually go about one hand length from my hips. Just experiment till you find what is comfortable and works

let your arms hang down naturally without a club

300yard+, while marshalling a few years ago i witnessed an experience similar to your bird hunting video.

I stopped to watch an older friend and his wife and chat a second for their 2nd or 3rd shots on a par 5. Well, Pete skulled a fairway wood that never got over 2 feet off the ground and it hit a course duck right in the neck and snapped it. Duck didn't even flop around, just fell over dead.

His wife went hysterical crying and carrying on. They left the course and went home.

One easy way I've found is this:

Address your ball as though you were ready to hit a shot. Drop your right hand off of the club. If your right hand comes back toward your body once it's dropped from the club you are standing to far away from the ball. If your right hand moves out toward the ball once dropped, your standing to close. When your right hand is dropped, it should fall and stay in the same place next to the grip, not any closer to you and not and farther from you.

What has this to do with how far you stand back from the ball?

i have no idea what you are trying to say.

^^^ I think what he is saying is to take a club at address, let your right hand come off of the grip, and see if it tends to "fall" towards or away from you. You'll have to totally let your arm hang loose to do this. If it comes toward you, your hands are set up too far from your body, if it goes away from you, then you need to move your hands away from your body. Hope that helps?

^^ Yes, that is right. Sorry if my explanation was all over the place. lol

The idea is to really relax your arms and let them hang down from your body...assuming you have a sound setup posture this is great lil check for setting your distance...cheers Deron...real simple way to explain something that seems to be hazy in most golf instructional manuals...

Thanks! Yeah, it's something that always boggled me. Especially if I start blasting hosel rockets out of seemingly nowhere. I'd always start thinking that was to close and never knew how far to stand until I read this tip from Butch Harmon. It's the easiest I've found.

Another way is by having someone take a picture of you from a "down the line" view. You should be able to draw a straight line from your shoulder down to the butt end of the club, down to your toes. Those should all line up.

I use the same test as Deron posted, and it works great. You might want to just release your right hand from the grip, and close your eyes for a few seconds. That should allow your right hand to "hang naturally", then when you open your eyes, you will see if your right hand is where it needs to be to grip the club, or too close to your knees, or too close to the ball. It should stay right next to the club, right where you would be holding onto the grip. You want your arms to be hanging straight down from your shoulders, and that is what this test will determine. Try it some time.

Exactly what I do....

okay. thanks a lot guys!!

i was wondering....for whatever reason, why does it seem the error is more to be too far from the ball.? never hear of one too close to the ball...