First, I'm completely new to golf. I've been hitting around for a few months, but hadn't had any lessons yet.
I was hitting at a driving range today, and a nice gentleman offered me some advice. He told me that I had a nice athletic stance, a nice grip, and that I rotate nicely... However, he said that my hands, my head, and the ball were all in the same plane. He told me that my hands should be in front of the ball, and my head should be behind the ball.
I made the adjustment, and he was nice enough to give me a few balls to try it out with.
After the adjustment, my swing feels a lot more natural, and I hit the balls more consistently. I tried the new swing out with a pitching wedge and a 7 iron. My distance with the pitching wedge didn't increase, but the height is completely different. With the new swing I was trying out, the ball goes 3-4 times higher than it did before... I also made nice contact with the 7 iron and hit it 150 yards out pretty straight, which has never happened to me before. I know it sounds lame, but I still haven't found comfort in hitting any irons until now.
So here are my questions..
First, why have I never heard of this before? It seems like the kind of thing you tell somebody who is trying to hit a golf ball for the first time, and not somebody who has been messing around with the game for so long... Is this a generally accepted way to set up your stance?
Secondly, how far in front of the ball should my hands be? My hands were about 3 inches in front of the ball, and my head was about 2 inches behind the ball.
Thirdly... In every video of Tiger Woods I see on Youtube, his hands are behind the ball. Does he do this for the driver only, or for all of his clubs?
Sorry if this question is the equivalent of asking what 1 +1 is on a graduate level mathematics forum, but it seems pretty important.
Thanks!
I was hitting at a driving range today, and a nice gentleman offered me some advice. He told me that I had a nice athletic stance, a nice grip, and that I rotate nicely... However, he said that my hands, my head, and the ball were all in the same plane. He told me that my hands should be in front of the ball, and my head should be behind the ball.
I made the adjustment, and he was nice enough to give me a few balls to try it out with.
After the adjustment, my swing feels a lot more natural, and I hit the balls more consistently. I tried the new swing out with a pitching wedge and a 7 iron. My distance with the pitching wedge didn't increase, but the height is completely different. With the new swing I was trying out, the ball goes 3-4 times higher than it did before... I also made nice contact with the 7 iron and hit it 150 yards out pretty straight, which has never happened to me before. I know it sounds lame, but I still haven't found comfort in hitting any irons until now.
So here are my questions..
First, why have I never heard of this before? It seems like the kind of thing you tell somebody who is trying to hit a golf ball for the first time, and not somebody who has been messing around with the game for so long... Is this a generally accepted way to set up your stance?
Secondly, how far in front of the ball should my hands be? My hands were about 3 inches in front of the ball, and my head was about 2 inches behind the ball.
Thirdly... In every video of Tiger Woods I see on Youtube, his hands are behind the ball. Does he do this for the driver only, or for all of his clubs?
Sorry if this question is the equivalent of asking what 1 +1 is on a graduate level mathematics forum, but it seems pretty important.
Thanks!
