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Originally Posted by corwin
I was wondering why with my new irons that I have to line my club head a good bit inside the ball? I have it where bout half the ball is on grooves on the toe at setup but when I come through Im hitting dead center perfect? I was wondering what would cause this?
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Your arms may be extending off your body at impact (the tail wagging the dog). So you now have a need to setup with the ball out on the toe. I have a friend who does this and he hits it a ton - George Knutson suggested this in his video "Swing Motion" - he says it allows for a natural extension of the arms. The only problem with my buddy is he has to hit 200 balls a day to groove it and now is starting to get soreness and injuries (elbows, wrists, shoulders, back).
Just an aside: Knutson was a prolific practicer too, as are most professionals, that is why I wouldn't put much stock in pro golfers instructional videos - you hit enough balls you can groove anything, all of sudden it's time put out a video and reveal the "secret" to the world. Hogan was one of the worst. Most people don't have the time, strength, or money to practice that much. IMHO, you are better off going with teaching pros videos: Jimmy Ballard, Jim Mclean, David Leadbetter, Butch Harmon, Rick Smith etc. to name a few. At least they teach a swing that can be easily copied, and works for the majority of people.
Back to your question. Try to feel some connection of your triceps to your pec muscles. After you connect your upper arms you can measure to the ball. The dog wags the tail now. During the swing you should feel like your elbows stay a little closer together - this will keep your upper left arm on the pec muscle on the backswing (a
little slide of the upper left arm across the pec muscle won't hurt as long as you turn your shoulders too - and it is permissable to let the left elbow bend
slightly at the top). Keep the upper left arm connected until the shaft is horizontal in the follow-through; as you rotate your belly button to face the target you rotate your left forearm, and the elbow points down. Now it can move away from the left side.
Drill: Do one-handed swings (without a ball) with your left hand only and you'll quickly see that you will get more power with the arm connected and the chest (pec muscle) pushing the upper arm through. Make sure you rotate your forearm to the left through impact or you won't be able to fold your left elbow in the finish (fix your slice and prevent a sore elbow at the same time!). Add some unwinding of the hips just before the club gets to the top of the backswing and really hear some noise come out of the club!
Hope this helps, Merry Christmas to those it doesn't offend, and happy holidays to everyone else,