Ball Position Poll

[lolzzlolzz]

(not sure if I already posted here..)

My ball position is how it's explained in Hogan's book: one or two inches inside the left heel for every club. I can hit it high or low, draw or fade.. I do this by altering my waggle, not the position of the ball.

This is ideal I think. Why make it complicated with 3-4 different ball positions?

[Jack_2251]

I play everything about 2 inches behind my front big toe, except for driver is almost level.
The shorter the club, the more narrow the stance, which sort of makes the ball more towards the center.

[Guest]

So are you guys saying that ball position just depends on what works for you? I start with my wedges way back and as I move up in clubs the postion moves towards the target. I have problems hitting the ball fat so I like playing the long irons closer to center, but I would think putting my wedges there would be disastrous.

[beung]

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 good in theory but all I will say is that the ball position is relative to how wide your stance is and if you don't know or if you just haven't noticed your stance widens as your clubs get longer. So the ball is porbably almost the same distance away from your front foot regardless of club, it's just that your back foot is further back...with the execption probably for woods with you are hitting the ball while the club is going up instead of down like with irons.

[bthroneburg]

Most standard from the fairway shots for me with irons are just slightly left of center. Woods of course are further left, about left heel. Then depending on the type of shot I need for trouble, I will adjust based off of it needing to fly high or a low punch or whatever. Just seems to work for me. I tend to be of the schooling that if you stay down through your shots and you are comfortable over the ball at address (no matter where you line up the ball) you stand a good chance of making good contact. I think a lot of higher handicapers tend to make a swing even though they are very uncomfortable at address. Thus resulting in poor contact. I know that when I started playing, this was one of my difficulties. I just had to learn to get into the position that felt as if it would result in a good chance of making the shot I wanted.

[-Mini-]

driver forward and slowly work my way back as clubs get shorter

[onthehunt526]

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'm a +4.0... I play it in different places depending on what kind of shot I'm playing... Jack and Greg Norman played everything off their left heel because they faded the ball... I actually play my driver more toward my left instep... not quite my toe (maybe that's why I fade it so much with the driver) I'm also 6'6" so it just feels more comfortable to do it that way... I may pull it back to my left heel... I play my long irons like a ball off of my left heel, My mid-irons like a ball back of that and my short irons and wedges a ball back of that.

[tbray]

Regarding ball position, would you say that the tendency is:

1) the further forward in the stance = more fade or more hook?
2) the further back= more fade or more hook?


I always subconsciously think if i move the ball too forward in my stance, that i will not be able to get to it and fear topping or not catching it flush. That is why i play most from the middle or slightly back (for wedges)...But i am curious if this might be causing my 3 wood issues (hooking low)

[bthroneburg]

Regarding ball position, would you say that the tendency is:

This could be. I know that if I am hitting a low hook with my driver I have moved it a little too forward in my stance. A few inches back and all is well. Wheather it fades or draws with ball position depends also on your swing path.

[Avid Golfer]

Jack and Greg Norman played everything off their left heel because they faded the ball...

Greg Norman worked the ball both ways, hitting both fades and draws when desired, without changing his ball position. Greg Norman's book

Advanced Golf shows this in the pictures where he is hitting draws and fades. His ball position remains the same, but his body alignment changes.

[de4tkd]

I move the ball around depending on the type of shot I am attempting to hit.

[swingcoach]

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.

DITTO! Couldn't add much more. Great answer.

[clemsontiger]

There is just so much variance as to what you do, but someone but up a chart that looks about right. I tend to put the wedges farther back in my stance though. That way I make sure that I hit down on them and get some good control of the spin on it.

[patrick]

On ball position?  Hybrid's ball position?  More central or more forward than woods?