Geometry at address

[RocketSci]

Hi all,

I was looking at some training aids recently and saw a mat with a diagram for proper alignment, address and ball positions and all that good stuff.  I just started playing golf a couple of months ago, so correct me if I'm wrong, but you just cannot generalize feet and ball position like that. It is unique for every golfer and every club, not to mention, it is highly a matter of preference on what actually works for you.

All of this got me thinking about my address and how much it actually varies every time I set up.  With that said, I want to find what works for me and maybe build my own alignment/address training aid.  I am thinking of just a few sticks at right angles with markings.  If I find something that works for me, I know my feet need to be positioned on markers X and Y and my ball at Z.  The purpose of this is to develop consistency on how I address each shot and perhaps achieve better overall consistency in my golf game.

Does anyone know anything about the "perfect" address?  Something that is geometrically perfect for a specific golfer and club.  Being an engineer (on top of that the researcher type...), I try to find a systematic approach to everything, which is most likely the reason why I am actually pretty good at this -- I think, for a complete beginner at least.  So, it is possible to find a perfect address in my opinion.  Something to build your swing around...

Now, the way I see it, the lie angle will pretty much dictate the plane of the swing.  In my case, this only seems to apply to irons since my planes for my woods slightly flatter than the actual lie of the club and much flatter for my driver... (Is this supposed to be this way?)  Other than the inclination of this plane, I am not sure how to go about ball and feet position.

My goal is to create something like a diagram found in Hogan's five lessons but with dimensions...

What do you guys think?

Thanks for reading.

[iacas]

I think the goal is admirable, but I don't know if I'd dedicate towards making a whole map or anything about it. A pair of sticks at right angles is good - you can set up relative to the target-line facing one and use the perpendicular one to help you gauge your ball position.

[tshapiro]

I judge my setup by ensuring my clubface is perfectly square to my target line when the club is hanging just above the gound and just behind the ball.  If my clubface is too closed, the ball is generally to far forward in my stance.  Too open and the the ball is generally too far back.  Also, I find it very important to avoid grounding the club so you can tell exactly where the bottom of your swing is.  I see so many people who ground their club, setup too leaned over, ball in the wrong spot, etc.  When I adjust my stance so that the clubface hangs squarely, as the manufacturer designed, then all I have to do is swing without messing my balanced address position.  Personally, I don't even look at my feet or anything else.  All I care about is getting into a position where my spine angle facilitates my desired swing plane and my clubface hangs perfectly square to the ball.  I'm a very staight hitter in general... if judging distance were that easy as hitting straight I'd be on the tour. :-)