Ball Position Help

[clutchshot]

Hey guys, been golfing about 3 years, and play bogey golf for the most part. One question that I really would like an answer to is this: Where is the ball supposed to be positioned for different clubs? I have heard everything centered but driver. I have heard short irons centered, everything else forward. I have heard short irons back, long irons centered, woods forward. I have tried everything, and every seems to work, but I really would like to practice properly. Thanks for any help, love the site, love the threads.

[Ernest Jones]

Sounds like you're a little better than me but FWIW I play wedges to 8 iron around center and slowly move forward with each iron after that, but very rarely do I play and iron more than a ball or two forward of center. This can change quite a bit depending on the trajectory I want the shot to have.

[MS256]

Originally Posted by clutchshot

Hey guys, been golfing about 3 years, and play bogey golf for the most part.

One question that I really would like an answer to is this: Where is the ball supposed to be positioned for different clubs?

I have heard everything centered but driver.

I have heard short irons centered, everything else forward.

I have heard short irons back, long irons centered, woods forward.

I have tried everything, and every seems to work, but I really would like to practice properly.

Thanks for any help, love the site, love the threads.

As you said, there are enough different opinions from enough credible sources to make it clear there's not a pat answer.

Personally, I start with the lob wege about halfway between the center of my stance and my back foot and move the ball progressively forward through the bag until the driver is about even with my front heel unless I'm trying to flight the ball lower.

The design of the clubs for the face to be aligned at the target without changing my address position tells me that's the logical way to do it. (But that's just me).

[Mr. Desmond]

For driver:

Go through this thread - lots of good video and updates on last page or so - but towards outside of lead shoulder socket

http://thesandtrap.com/t/44307/hitting-up-or-down-with-the-driver-in-an-inline-pattern

Irons - I go around logo on shirt, where my chin covers ball at impact

50-60 wedges - weight on front foot all the way through, shaft either slightly forward, vertical or backwards depending on ball flight I want and distance, ball inside or around logo depending on shot, chin covers ball at impact

I think it's easier to look at the body parts rather than foot position for the ball.

Experiment with above depending on your swing.

[clutchshot]

Seems like I can hit the ball pretty well regardless of where I place, but I'm such a routine person in my golf, I want position that I can just stck with... Thanks guys.

[BostonBrew]

Jack Nicklaus says in Golf My Way that he always put the ball just inside his left foot for all clubs. I tried that, but I didn't like the way it looked while I stood over the ball. So I move the ball back for shorter clubs. I'd say a normal full wedge for me is about a ball back from center and it progressively moves forward. A 3 or 4 iron is about at my left armpit. A 3 wood is maybe half a ball forward of that. My driver is in line with my left heel.

And of course, all of that is due to change if I wish to alter the trajectory.

[Jakester23]

Mr Desmond how much does shaft lean change trajectory on wedges and does it change distance at all?

[Mr. Desmond]

Originally Posted by Jakester23

Mr Desmond how much does shaft lean change trajectory on wedges and does it change distance at all?

Dynamic loft (I think that's the term) is less with more forward shaft lean at impact - as a result, it makes sense that trajectory is lower with more forward lean as well as backspin. WIth a vertical  shaft at impact, you have higher trajectory, more dynamic loft and more backspin (at least, that's what I was taught - more loft = more backspin). Of course, speed enters into the equation.

As to distance, more forward lean at impact with, let's say, a lob wedge will result in more roll and lower trajectory, and probably more overall distance - pitch with run. You can get more run if you turn over the club at impact.  While backwards lean results in higher dynamic loft, a higher flight, less or no roll, and less distance - stop and drop, especially if the clubhead passes the hands as you are making impact.