Ball position with irons

[ugottabjoshinme]

Hello All,
I have a question about ball position with irons. I feel the reason I might be stiking the ball better with long irons than I do with short irons is becauise I have incorrect ball position with my short irons. I was told to set up 7 iron in the middle of my stance and starting working the ball backwards 1 ball diameter for each shorter club. Also, I would move the ball 1 diameter forward for each longer club.

Is this a general rule to follow (or a different one), or is ball placement different for everyone depending on where the bottom of the swing is with each particular club? If the latter is the case, is there an easy way to determine where the bottom of the swing is for each club?

[uttexas]

Ball position is highly subjective. Hogan altered both ball position and open-ness of stance. Nicklaus hit just about everything off his left instep (for standard shots)

I've tried both and Hogan's method works better for me.
Closed stance with driver--ball off left toe (for a righty)
3wood-4 iron slightly closed stance with ball off left instep
5iron and six iron slightly ahead of middle. a hair closed on stance
7 iron middle and neutral stance
8 and nine iron. slightly open stance with ball just back of middle
wedges (for standard shot) slightly more open with ball toward the back.

Standard greenside bunker shot-ball off left heel (righty) 25 degrees open. Always complete the follow through on standard bunker shots.

Long bunker shot-ball back of stance.

[flybub]

I read an article Tiger did in a Golf Digest a couple years ago that talked about this. This was written after he changed his swing. He said his 5 iron is played from the middle of his stance. If he plays a shorter iron than that he moves the ball about a balls width toward his right foot, 6i-SW are all played from same position. If he goes to a longer iron he plays the ball about a balls width toward his front foot, 4i-3W are all played from same position. This will obviously change if he is playing his stinger or a higher trajectory but general rule of thumb this is how he does it. I have been working on this method (formerly Hogans method) and it has worked out better for me as far as ball striking goes.

[TMO]

Ball position is highly subjective. Hogan altered both ball position and open-ness of stance. Nicklaus hit just about everything off his left instep (for standard shots)

Check this please before giving out information. Hogan maintained the same ball position relative to his left heel but adjusted his right foot. Hogan and Nicklaus were almost identical.

[tim31x]

I hit my long irons off my left instep, just a hair back from where I hit my driver and woods. My 6 and 7irons smack in the middle of my stance, and then my short irons between my right knee and right instep. Tiger plays each shot within 3balls of each other. 1 ball in the middle of his stance, and then 1 ball forward or back of it depending on club and shot type.

[uttexas]

thanks for the correction.

here is a link with different theories on ball position. Woods, Snead, Hogan, and Nicklaus are represented.

[whit53]

Is this a general rule to follow (or a different one), or is ball placement different for everyone depending on where the bottom of the swing is with each particular club? If the latter is the case, is there an easy way to determine where the bottom of the swing is for each club?

It would suggest, to a great degree, that this later notion is the correct one........ As far as finding the "bottom" of your own swing, your divots should give you a pretty good idea. Relative to those divots, your ball position should be about an inch or so behind the divot's starting point. Good luck,

[Zeph]

I find this an interesting topic. I currently position my balls from wedge slighty on the right side to 3 iron on the left side and driver inside the left heel.

[imtomtomim]

Well, actually, picking up something that I read from Ben and worked really well, was the thought to put the ball where ever your swing bottoms out. Take a swing, look at where your divot starts. If you're behind where the ball was, too far up. If it's infront of of where the ball was, you should move it up. Simple as that. When I feel like I've gotten off my correct positioning, I just take a few clips of the grass and see where I'm bottoming out in respect to my feet and just it the ball from that spot. Remember, driver - put ball infront of bottom, woods and long/mid irons - just at the bottom, short irons/wedges - maybe 1/4th of a ball further back than that (to promote ball first contact and more spin control).

Ben, sorry if I'm putting the wrong words in your mouth. But this is what I started doing after reading some of your advice and it's worked wonders for me.

[Zeph]

Why at the bottom? Is the point not to hit the ball on the way down, not at the bottom of the swing? By positioning at the bottom you are far closer to blading it than if you hit it on the way down. I want my divot to start where my ball was or slightly forward of it so I know I'm hitting the ball, then the ground. If I take the same divot with the ball placed in the middle of the divot I would lose speed in the grass before I reached the ball.

To catch the ball on the way down I want the swing to bottom out after I hit the ball.

[TN94z]

What I suggest is swinging each club a few times in the yard and seeing where the bottom of the swing is for "you" and each club. There are so many different things to factor in. Me for example, I play my driver off my left instep. My Hybrid, 3i, 4i, and 5i are about a balls width from middle. Everything else I pretty much play from the middle until I get to my SW and LW which I play a little back. The point is to just find the bottom of your swing and go from there.


As far as the bottom goes, that is the best starting point to get your ball position.

[Rounders]

Ball position is the most important part of my swing. I struggle with this a lot an my best scores come when I feel comfortable with my ball position.

[Ill St. golfer]

I used to do exactly what you do, but this what I changed to and saw great results.

Driver/3 wood (Even with inside of front foot)
All Irons and wedges (2-3 inches from inside of front foot)

If it is windy I move irons back. Starting with 3 iron in the middle of the stance and gradually moving back.

If I want a little extra distance on shorter irons (Starting at 7 iron) I will start that near the middle. It kills a little loft and I can generally add an extra 5-7 yds doing this.

Hope this helps

[ugottabjoshinme]

I am going to try all irons 2-3 inches off the inside of my left foot and see if that works better for me. With the ball in the same spot for all irons, is the difference in iron length made up by the position of the right foot only?

[Brakkus]

I found that a slight shaft lean forward when taking my set-up with all my irons solves this issue as I know then it's descending.

With a hybrid or driver which have longer shafts I look to have the shaft straight if I'm playing off the tee,then I know it's a sweeping action.Hybrids from the rough or fairway then move the ball back until the shaft starts to have a lean again as it's a more iron type of shot.

I play with a one plane action so I find my ball position except for the driver never gets forward of my shirt logo,in most cases it's positioned in line with my sternum.

[TMO]

I have just one little question: why do we assume that where we are currently hitting the ground - at the bottom or whatever - is where we should be hitting the ground? Isn't that assuming that your swing is perfect as it is? What do you do if you improve your swing?

[Feanor]

I had trouble with this even after reading the hogan book and using his method. I just found it never gave me a constant for ball position. I took some lessons last year and me and my instructor came up with a way that works for me.

The clubs themselves tell you where to position the ball. This is how we do it. When i grip the club, and place the clubhead properly down on the ground (meaning its resting on the angle it should be at impact) the shaft will be forward of the clubhead (less so for driver, much moreso for wedges). I then place my hands by my left leg (I'm a righty). And so the club is now actually dictating to me where the ball should be set. And every club i hold, the grip is right in front of my left leg, but the ball position goes back and back as the loft of the club goes up and up. This gave me a constant that works for me.

Hope this helps

[TMO]

I had trouble with this even after reading the hogan book and using his method. I just found it never gave me a constant for ball position.

A little curious about this statement. The ball doesn't move here, just your right foot. What was giving you a problem?