Contact Near the Heel

[BallStriker]

While I am hitting it pretty well, I am consistently hitting the ball toward the heel of my irons. I have been using the face tape on my irons to see where I am making contact and the mark left on the tape is about half inside the "center circle" and half toward the heel.

I have been working on keeping my hands a little closer to my body at address (with my hands on the fall line from my shoulders, as opposed to closer to the ball than my shoulders). I suppose this is resulting in my natural "extension" of my arms on the through swing coming back to the ball slightly farther away from where the clubface was at address.

Anyone else fight this and have a good solution? Simply addressing the ball so the middle of the ball lines up with the toe of the club feels very awkward to me, and still doesn't seem to help. Maybe on my toes a bit?

[nevets88]

It took me awhile to figure out, but when I had a heel problem, I threw my body a little toward ball and did this in several ways. No amount of ball position, drills with wood blocks, etc... would fix my problem until I found the root cause and many instructors missed it or just thought it wasn't important.

One thing to try is to try and hit the ball towards the toe of the club and then find your way from there.

[mdvaldosta]

My misses are usually towards the heel a bit also, and with my irons if I got as far as you I'd shank them off the hosel. I now stand about an inch farther from the ball, which now my misses are a bit thin but it prevents the occassional shank.

[billm408]

While I am hitting it pretty well, I am consistently hitting the ball toward the heel of my irons. I have been using the face tape on my irons to see where I am making contact and the mark left on the tape is about half inside the "center circle" and half toward the heel.

Does the shot feel solid? Is it going where you want it to go? Are you playing a perimeter weighted club or a forged blade?

For non perimeter weighted clubs, the sweet spot of your irons is more towards the heel than the center of the face. The reason is that the weight of the hosel moves the COG away from the center/toe of the club. When I'm hitting the ball well, my irons are getting ball marks just inside of center. A dead center hit feels like I almost hit it off the toe. Just a thought before you go changing your swing around. Finder the COG of your clubs first... that's your sweet spot. Any markings on the face are useless and designed just to make it look symetrical.

[BallStriker]

Thanks for the responses....after working and working, I think I have found the problem....it is all in my set-up position.

At address, I have gotten into the habit of keeping my right arm bent at the elbow and a bit pulled into my body -- in addition my right shoulder was tucked back a bit, with my left shoulder pointing a touch right of my target.

Of course, with my swing through the ball my right arm became more extended and my shoulders more in line with my target line -- which, of course, means that the club is now extended further from my body than it was at address, causing heel shots and the occasions shank-optomus.

Last night I was using face tape and changed my set-up so that my right arm was almost fully extended at address -- not one ball thereafter was even close to the heel.

Maybe someone else has the same issue at address and this can be helpful....as maddening as this game can be, it is one helluva source of continued entertainment!!

[BallStriker]

Bingo...ballstriking is back...smooth little 75 this weekend (72.1; 120), with 2 three-putts and a skulled wedge on a very easy chip.....its all short game boyz...all short game.