Hands at address ...

[AHTTD]

Would really appreciate some good banter regarding this topic (in an effort to cement some swing thoughts).

I feel very comfortable at setup with my hands 'well' toward my left knee (with all clubs).

Could you guys (& gals) speak to that and how that relates to the club head at setup. This may sound ridiculously simple, but it appears to me that's the way golf clubs were designed (to have your hands 'well' forward of the club head at address).

And yet, I see SO many people (pros?) setup with their hands more towards the center (?). I realize some of this may be parallax, with my position in relation to the golfer. But understanding this would really help me both see, and feel, how a good setup is supposed to be.

Also, as a visual learner I would really appreciate some pics or vids to demonstrate this concept. Any pros I could follow who really demonstrate this?.

Many thanks!!

/s/ AHTTD

PS - Would have included a pic but our camera no-workie right now.

[TourSpoon]

This is great timing.

I have always been a play the shaft pointing towards the middle of the left hip guy and was recently changed during a lesson to a more shaft inside the left thigh. Since then I have been OK, and I started alright today. Well I was paired with a mini-tour guy who saw me block one and said to me to try putting the shaft back to the middle of the left hip. The next tee shot was 280 down the middle and I hit every drive after that between 260-275. He said that with the middle position I was starting with a cupped wrist and making an extra move (and taking it outside) and with my hands more forward it facilitated a one piece action that was more on line and on plane.

I am back to the middle of my left hip and I was lucky to get that tip today, because I would have been looking everywhere else to try to fix it.

[Crafty]

At the point of impact, the hands should be ahead of the ball in order to promote a crisp downward strike, like so:


The motion of certain people's swings causes them to get their hands ahead of the ball naturally at impact, others not. The best way to find out your impact poistion is to video tape your swing.

If your hands are not ahead of the ball slightly at impact, you might want to try pressing them forward at address. If they are, you are good to go!

[Avid Golfer]

Would really appreciate some good banter regarding this topic (in an effort to cement some swing thoughts).

Clubs are designed with impact in mind, as that is where they need to work for you. Setup is secondary to impact as far as the design of clubs by the companies that build them.

Below I have attached a collection of pros at setup. Some have the butt (grip) of the club pointing toward the center of the body, and others have it inside the front leg (inside the crease on the pants). None of them have the club shaft pointed outside their arms or legs. ( http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/6...upsfaceuo5.jpg )

[TourSpoon]

Good pics.

I see two schools of thought. Shaft pointing more vertical (zipper) and shaft pointing toward middle of left hip and then everything in between. I like setting up with no "cup" in left wrist, but as you can see many are successful that way.

[Avid Golfer]

Even though everyone in the following pictures are swinging drivers it is still a good illistration of setup positions, and as the second picture illistrates impact is not the same position as setup (unlike some people think):

http://www.golf-tuition-online.com/g...//ppuser/70830
http://www.golf-tuition-online.com/g...//ppuser/70830