Ball Position Poll

[janzaruk]

Well, it came up in another thread, and I don't know if it's been in a poll or not yet, so I thought I would start one.

I play the ball in the same position for every club (except Driver). 3-iron to SW in the middle of my stance. I find it helps me be more consistant with my swing.

Anywho, how about you. Move ball around in stance or not? Why?

[JumpHigh_HitHard]

I try to move the ball in my stance accoring to generic guidelines (5-iron in the middle, long irons further up, short irons further back).

However, recently I have started to experiement much more with moving the ball around my stance with my wedges and other irons. I am starting to think a lot more about each golf shot, and the trajectory is something I like to control.

[Buckswin]

I think that I play most of my shots from about the same ball position, except for Driver/3-Wood off the tee (more forward), SW and chip shots (further back). I have a tendency to think too much over the ball and during my swing, which causes many issues. I play much better when I think through the shot during my pre-shot routine and more or less clear my head throughout the actual golf swing.

I do have a tendency to hit the ball fat, though, and I've never been able to fully rectify the problem. I'm a sweeper, so it's not usually a huge loss in distance, but there will be the occassional beaver pelt on a wet fairway or out of the rough the just kills a score. It seems to actually get worse when I move the ball back in my stance.

[getinthehole]

I place the ball more forward on woods, but then irons just left of the middle.

[Big Lex]

I vary ball position, but not by too much.

My ball position method:

1. Take grip.
2. Set up to ball, beginning with feet together, as follows:
3. For Driver, ball is opposite left toe, for 5 iron it's in the middle of the together feet, for 9 iron it's off the right toe. Other clubs are in between.
4. Keep left foot in place, step away with right foot to desired stance width.
5. Flare out left toe slightly.

This is the method advocated by the "Model Golf: Swing Like a Pro" system. It gives you the standard "left instep" placement for a driver, inside left heel for longer irons, and about middle or a little forward of middle for short irons and wedges (the latter depending on your stance width).

It keeps the ball in a consistent place relative to your left foot. Trouble is, I have time being consistent with the stance width, so there's still room for error in the method.

[lamebums]

Way forward with the driver - level with my left foot.

Center with 3 wood - sometimes slightly forward if teed up.

Center with irons, sometimes slightly back in bad lies. I put it further back if I want to hit a lower/more accurate shot, as well.

Well back if I want to lob the ball into the air (I end up standing sideways to the ball, anyway).

[Mikeland]

I play most shots from the center, with the exception of the driver. On pitch and chips I usually place the ball a little further back in the stance. Funny, I just got a Titleist 585H 17* and couldn't hit it until I moved it back in my stance - to the middle as opposed to forward. Guess a lot depends on the player, shot selection, stance (above, below, side-hill) and the club. I like to play around with the positioning too...at the range of course!!

[supercow]

Same with Big Lex. Not too much variation. If anything, the ball stays about 1-2 inches for all clubs except for driver).

[ClintonM3]

I posted this in another thread. This is what I use and was taught. And of course, I don't line them up near my toes. The longer the club, the further away.

[Big Lex]

I play most shots from the center, with the exception of the driver. On pitch and chips I usually place the ball a little further back in the stance. Funny, I just got a Titleist 585H 17* and couldn't hit it until I moved it back in my stance - to the middle as opposed to forward. Guess a lot depends on the player, shot selection, stance (above, below, side-hill) and the club. I like to play around with the positioning too...at the range of course!!

Mikeland: I find your answer interesting. You are a 4 hcp, and you play all shots in the middle of the stance, except for driver, is that correct? My impression was that most low handicap players and pros tend to play the ball closer to the left heel, and only play very short clubs in the middle.

[bwinger79]

Mikeland: I find your answer interesting. You are a 4 hcp, and you play all shots in the middle of the stance, except for driver, is that correct? My impression was that most low handicap players and pros tend to play the ball closer to the left heel, and only play very short clubs in the middle.

I am not sure where you got that information from, but it is wrong. Pros move the ball around in their stance all the time. They need to depending on what type of shot and trajectory the shot calls for.

As for me, I play all "stock" iron shots from the middle of my stance. I will move the ball depending on what the shot calls for. Low shots back, high shots forward. Driver and fairways always forward of center, unless I need to hit something real low off the tee, like a stinger 3-5wood, then I will move them back a little.

[Big Lex]

Mikeland:

I was referring to "stock" shots, or standard set up. Like you say, I realize that experts play the shots in all different ball positions depending on the trajectory/shape required.

But as for the general, standard ball position, I have read and observed over the years--and maybe I've misinterpreted what I've read--that experts in general tend to play the ball more forward than "normal" golfers. Harvey Penick says that Jack Nicklaus's advice to play every shot off the left heel is alright for experts, but that average golfers probably don't have the quick, athletic "hip shift" to be able to catch the ball on the downswing with it this far forward on a wedge shot.

I realize some players move their ball position, and that some books (Tommy Armour, others) actually show the ball moving farther back in the stance.

I guess what surprised me was your description that you play the ball in the center for all stock iron shots. For me, with the stance width of say a 5 iron, I would never have thought an expert would have the ball in the middle, but that it would be at least an inch or two forward of center.

By the way, I'm not criticizing your ball position or saying there's anything wrong with what you're saying. Obviously as a 4 hcp you know what you're doing. I just find it interesting.

Thanks.

[iacas]

I don't adjust the ball position much for stock shots. I'll adjust to change the height, of course. The ball is always just back of my left heel, and since my stance width adjusts depending on the length of my club, the position of the ball relative to my right heel adjusts... but not relative to my left heel.

[bwinger79]

I guess this is really going to change from swing to swing also. Someone with a big lateral shift in their swing would most likely tend to play the ball more forward. Personally, I have a pretty tight coil with not alot of lateral movement, so playing the ball about dead center allows me to position it just before the bottom of my arc, and I feel it leads to more consistent ball striking. But like I said, I think this is going to be different for everyone.

[ronaldkuntoro]

I don't setup the ball in the middle. Depends on the club.

What I do is to place the club on the ground without the ball and the face must be square to the target. Then I position the face behind the ball according to the position I got before.

[Kellfire]

I posted this in another thread. This is what I use and was taught. And of course, I don't line them up near my toes. The longer the club, the further away.

This is essentially what I aim for under perfect conditions.

[Rayy]

I play the ball from driver to all my fairway woods on the left toe, from 3 iron to 5 a litle more right from my left toe, 6 and 7 betwen in the midle my left toe and the center and from 8 to my wedges on the center. This is for standar straigh shot. I move my ball back if I want to lower my trajectory and front if I want to go high. I also move my ball if I want to make a draw or a slice. It all depends on what kind a shot Im going to make.

[Teeitup]

I've been asked this question by lots of other golfers. It seems to be a big source of confusion. I play the ball depending on what I want to do with the shot and what club I have in my hands. Since my swing bottoms out a bit to the right of my left toe, I play my driver off the left toe (to hit up on it), my 4W a bit to the right of the left heel (to sweep it), my irons in the middle (to hit down on them), and my wedges to the right of middle (to prevent the bounce from causing a skulled shot - those hurt!).