Correct setup, ball position and stance 'feeling'

[MiniBlueDragon]

H all. I'm fairly certain that the main thing I need to work on for my swing is my setup stance, ball position and distance from the ball combination. I have a lot of shots where I stand over the ball and immediately get a "yeah that's it!" feeling, knowing that the combination of ball pos, stance and distance from the ball is perfect. That feeling is inevitably followed up with an amazing shot. The problem I have is this when I stand over the ball and don't get that feeling, I fidget and fiddle to try and find it but only occasionally do; all other times "something" feels wrong but I don't know how to diagnose what it is and end up with an ok shot or a real duffer. What are your personal "constants" and "variables" in the setup? E.g. Do you always have your hand 3 inches from your crotch or always ball x inches from left heel etc? Just trying to figure a way to make it more consistent.

[Kieran123]

As long as I have the same routine setting up - it usually feels good. if I don't - I back off and try again - or I force it like you - and **** it up

I grip the club and hold it in front of me then stand and drop the club and take practice swings, then move up behind the ball and waggle a few times and lift my feet a few times, then address and swing.

As long as I have the feeling that it feels right I'm OK.

I struggle with this mainly with my driver and 3 wood, any other club I am O.K

[LottaBalata]

Originally Posted by Kieran123

As long as I have the same routine setting up - it usually feels good. if I don't - I back off and try again - or I force it like you - and **** it up

I grip the club and hold it in front of me then stand and drop the club and take practice swings, then move up behind the ball and waggle a few times and lift my feet a few times, then address and swing.

As long as I have the feeling that it feels right I'm OK.

I struggle with this mainly with my driver and 3 wood, any other club I am O.K

Yep, same for me.  I used to fiddle and think, "I'm here, might as well hit it."  Not anymore.  I'm more patient now so backing off and getting comfortable is much more important than hurrying.

I will say, you should go to the range.  Get some alignment sticks if you don't have some.  When you step in and have the "good" feeling, stop, and take some basic measurements.  How far are your hands from your body. . .how far are you from the ball. . .Get very used to knowing what these are.  Back off, find it, back off find it.  Obviously not something you want to work out on course.  A couple years ago, I went to the range, spent the first 30 minutes stepping into my setup, getting comfortable, then I'd step out, go back in.

Got all kinds of looks and laughs and headshakes, but I found comfort when I'd actually step in and swing the club.

[saevel25]

I usually can tell when i am over the ball if i am aimed up wrong, and i get a gut feeling that this shot is going to be bad. I need to learn to back off those moments, because they are 100% bad shots.

Just practice at the range with a few alignment rods or golf clubs, and keep at it. You will drill your self to set up good, and it will become natural.

[MiniBlueDragon]

Yeah that's pretty much how I'm doing it at the moment, I just wondered if there was some way to narrow down the variables a little. For instance Five Lessons uses a ball position that is the same distance from the left heel for every shot and only varies the stance and distance from the ball, therefore there are only two variables and one constant instead of three variables there. Other people advocate three stances; driver/wood stance, iron stance and wedge stance where all irons are hit with the same width stance rather than varied etc thus as long as you're standing at the correct width for "an iron shot" it will be right each and every time etc. Ah well; just keep doing what I'm doing I guess and learn to back off unless it feels good. ;-)

[Paradox]

Try really hard to focus on what you've done when it "feels really good" and then whenever you have some free time..try and replicate that setup position.

I absolutely hate it when I get over a ball and it doesn't feel right and I swing anyway.  I'm almost over that habit.

[DeanS]

Originally Posted by MiniBlueDragon

What are your personal "constants" and "variables" in the setup? E.g. Do you always have your hand 3 inches from your crotch or always ball x inches from left heel etc?

Just trying to figure a way to make it more consistent.

Well I've spent the last few of months beating the bushes and taking lessons for the express purpose of coming to terms with these little demons. I've been using the setup process in this video and confirmed it as being very good with my instructor last Sunday. However it didn't get me all the way there. I got one step closer after reading this article and other posts here at the Sand Trap.

Anyway what it comes down to is the driver setup vs irons/woods setup are noticably different feelings. For the driver at setup lean the upper body left (your right). I'm talkin small amounts perhaps 1 inch. This will promote a sense of hitting up on the ball and a feeling of more weight on the back foot.

For the irons/woods slide the right hip (your left) forward. I'm talkin small amounts again. This will promote a sense of hitting down on the ball and a feeling of more weight on the front foot.

The distance between the club shaft and your belt buckle should give you the feeling of being able to swing the club freely. If you are crowding the club you will hook the shot. For me the arms feel somewhat extended. Expect that space to be about 6 inches.

Ball position, wedges to 3 iron, about middle, driver off the heel. During the setup process try having the club face land on the middle of the ball. If I swing with the right tempo this process works for me. Also a word of caution, do not swing that driver keeping your weight back, I did exactly that and strained my knee.

[dsc123]

I started working on this today.  There's a lot of conflicting information out there.  Anyway, I came across this series on about.com , and I started trying to apply the hand position it describes. It says to use a palm width for mid irons to wedges and full hand length (with fingers) for short irons and woods.  So far (only one practice session), i found drastic improvements in ball flight and where the ball would contact the clubface.  I'd love to hear some better player's take on this.