Addressing The Ball

[Always an 80]

Fundamental question, I know, but I have never ask this and it may be part of my problem.....How do you measure the correct distance between yourself and the ball??

I keep changing the distance based on how crappy my swing may be on any given day.   Thanks all.

[Ernest Jones]

Fundamental question, I know, but I have never ask this and it may be part of my problem.....How do you measure the correct distance between yourself and the ball??

I keep changing the distance based on how crappy my swing may be on any given day.   Thanks all.

Short answer: you should have space for your fist between the butt of the grip and your nuts. This may vary a bit from player to player, but that is a good starting position.

[MS256]

Short answer: you should have space for your fist between the butt of the grip and your nuts. This may vary a bit from player to player, but that is a good starting position.

"Nuts"?

And if @Always an 80 can put some cashews in her pockets.

Good answer though!!!

[Ernest Jones]

"Nuts"?

And if @Always an 80 is a woman she can put some cashews in her pockets.

Good answer though!!!

If she's married she probably already has her husband's nuts in her pocket!

[Always an 80]

I am married and my wife is at work with my nuts in her purse!  I hope she never has it stolen!!

[Ernest Jones]

I am married and my wife is at work with my nuts in her purse!  I hope she never has it stolen!!

Well then, use your zipper as a reference point instead.

[Always an 80]

Well crap!!  Wife just called.  Her purse got stolen at work.  She is picking up a bag of cashews for me on her way home.

[mvmac]

Thread title made me think of this

@Always an 80 , yes I agree with what @Ernest Jones said, butt of the club is about a fist and a thumb away from your zipper.

[Ernest Jones]

Well crap!!  Wife just called.  Her purse got stolen at work.  She is picking up a bag of cashews for me on her way home.

Is she going to let you hang on to the cashews, or are those going in the new purse?

[Ernest Jones]

@Always an 80, yes I agree with what @Ernest Jones said, butt of the club is about a fist and a thumb away from your zipper.

Oops, I left out the thumb...I also didn't go into detail about how your fist would be oriented. Some things are better answered with a picture.

Edit* FWIW I make a very "short" (retracted) thumb when doing this.

[Always an 80]

She will probably keep the cashews as well just to make a point.

I can understand the fist plus thumb distance.  I will just remember the last time I did not make it past the ladies tee!

[Hardballs]

Fundamental question, I know, but I have never ask this and it may be part of my problem.....How do you measure the correct distance between yourself and the ball?? I keep changing the distance based on how crappy my swing may be on any given day.   Thanks all.

Depends what club you use, if it's a driver, you want the ball 200yrds away minimum 9 iron 115yrds minimum, I have a measuring function on my gps watch to monitor the distances! ☺️

[Golfingdad]

Fundamental question, I know, but I have never ask this and it may be part of my problem.....How do you measure the correct distance between yourself and the ball??

I keep changing the distance based on how crappy my swing may be on any given day.   Thanks all.

Good question.  I don't know.  I just set up to the ball with what feels natural, but I think that it varies enough swing to swing that some of my bad shots are likely attributable to standing too close or too far away from the ball.

I do not have a "system" or anything to make myself know that I am addressing the ball correctly.  Will be keeping an eye on this thread.

[whatwoodtigerdo]

I read somewhere that if you are in a good setup position you should be able to let your hands hang down and just touch the top of your knee cap. This helped me with distance from the ball as well as little more knee bend and bending at the hips. You will find a lot of answers but the key is to find one that keeps you from drifting closer or farther away and being able to cheat the system you are using. So far that system is working for me but who knows in a week or two.

[Hardballs]

I actually address the ball based on balance, I sit the club head square behind the ball, then I take my stance and sort of shuffle back until my weight is just about on the balls of my feet, not totally on my balls but almost, and I feel that I am almost reaching out to the ball with my club head, not actually reaching out, but just to the point where I'm comfortable before I find myself reaching, it's a feel/weight/balance thing, I've been concentrating on it a lot with my irons recently as obviously each iron is just slightly further away, so I don't really look for a distance, just the the amount of weight/balance towards the balls of my feet and the feeling reaching the ball with the head but without stretching! I'm finding this comfortable balanced address is allowing me to shift my weight forward through the swing and making a huge difference to my approach shots!

[Vinsk]

Seems so easy but I really fidget with this one. Unfortunately when my shanks virus is set in....I stand silly far away with my arms quite stretched out. I look like moe Norman as I take a big wide backswing with a very stable spine angle. I keep good balance and being so far back it's almost impossible to drift forward and hit the hosel....thus....no shanks. I do this for awhile until the virus seems cured and then I go back to a reasonable stance. Why don't I keep the far stance? Well....I know it's wrong, it strains my upper back and most important ....I look like an assclown over the ball. I dunno. Shanks are so devastating.

[burner]

Fundamental question, I know, but I have never ask this and it may be part of my problem.....How do you measure the correct distance between yourself and the ball??

I keep changing the distance based on how crappy my swing may be on any given day.   Thanks all.

Hold the club in your normal grip horizontal to the ground and with your lead arm fully extended, then bend from the hips (not the waist) by pushing you arse back until the club head is resting in a natural fashion on the ground in your address position.

Voila.

[David in FL]

Thread title made me think of this @Always an 80 , yes I agree with what @Ernest Jones said, butt of the club is about a fist and a thumb away from your zipper.

Exactly what I was going to post when I saw the thread title! Hello ball.....! :-$