1/2" towards the toe

[skywaterbanjo]

I am overall pleased with my ball striking and my game.  Handicap is on its way back down after a post-surgery surge last year.

However, I'm a bit perplexed.  My ball striking is ok, consistently straight or slight draw.  7i is about 170 yds, driver about 240.  My confusion is where the ball is striking the club face.  It is about 1/2" off of center towards the toe.  I'm setting up with the ball about 3/4" towards the heel and I don't feel like I'm standing up when I swing.

Any ideas as to what might be happening?  I've tried standing closer to the ball, decreasing my spine angle on setup, moving the club further out at setup.

Thank goodness for more forgiving clubs!

 

Thanks for any advice in advance.

[No Mulligans]

Do you have a down the line video on a swing where this happens?  That's what you need to post.

Since standing closer isn't working, maybe you're losing your spine angle at some point in the swing.  It was a key #1 problem for me as my head was coming back an inch or so from the ball on the down swing (another way of looking at it is I was losing my sping angle).  I couldn't feel it but with a line drawn right in front of my head, I could sure see it with a video.

I have to continually work on this.

[skywaterbanjo]

36 minutes ago, No Mulligans said:

Do you have a down the line video on a swing where this happens?  That's what you need to post.

Since standing closer isn't working, maybe you're losing your spine angle at some point in the swing.  It was a key #1 problem for me as my head was coming back an inch or so from the ball on the down swing (another way of looking at it is I was losing my sping angle).  I couldn't feel it but with a line drawn right in front of my head, I could sure see it with a video.

I have to continually work on this.

Thanks for the suggestion.  My next step is to take my iPad out and do some filming.

[natureboy]

You say you are setting up with the ball towards the heel, but have you actually moved closer to the ball or just extended your hands to do this?

Sharing some swing videos will tell more, but here's some possible perspectives. What are your divots like?

 

[skywaterbanjo]

22 hours ago, natureboy said:

You say you are setting up with the ball towards the heel, but have you actually moved closer to the ball or just extended your hands to do this?

Sharing some swing videos will tell more, but here's some possible perspectives. What are your divots like?

 

These are very helpful.  I have a feeling I'm doing what the first video suggests. I am probably striking toe down or with a closed club face, which explains the misses to the left (when I miss) and the draw.  Maybe I'll try opening the face a bit to see where it strikes and what the ball path looks like.  Thanks.

[natureboy]

1 hour ago, skywaterbanjo said:

These are very helpful.  I have a feeling I'm doing what the first video suggests. I am probably striking toe down or with a closed club face, which explains the misses to the left (when I miss) and the draw.  Maybe I'll try opening the face a bit to see where it strikes and what the ball path looks like.  Thanks.

If you agree you're striking toe down wouldn't it make more sense to try to keep the handle / your hands a bit lower through impact &/or at address?

[saevel25]

On 4/29/2016 at 0:15 PM, skywaterbanjo said:

It is about 1/2" off of center towards the toe.  I'm setting up with the ball about 3/4" towards the heel and I don't feel like I'm standing up when I swing

Don't set up with the ball towards the heel. If you do then it makes sense you might be hitting it towards the toe because visually it looks like you'd want to hit the heel of the club. Set up with the ball more in the center or slightly towards the toe side a bit. 

On 4/29/2016 at 0:15 PM, skywaterbanjo said:

Any ideas as to what might be happening?  I've tried standing closer to the ball, decreasing my spine angle on setup, moving the club further out at setup.

Thank goodness for more forgiving clubs!

I would reate a My Swing thread here, https://thesandtrap.com/forums/forum/13-member-swings/

Mark Crossfield is right on one thing in that video. It's impossible to tell without seeing your swing. 

 

[skywaterbanjo]

It's 38 degrees, rain/snow today.  Tournament was canceled (imagine that).  Guess I'll have to wait until next week to get the video.

 

[skywaterbanjo]

On April 30, 2016 at 11:59 AM, saevel25 said:

Don't set up with the ball towards the heel. If you do then it makes sense you might be hitting it towards the toe because visually it looks like you'd want to hit the heel of the club. Set up with the ball more in the center or slightly towards the toe side a bit. 

I would reate a My Swing thread here, https://thesandtrap.com/forums/forum/13-member-swings/

Mark Crossfield is right on one thing in that video. It's impossible to tell without seeing your swing. 

 

saeveI25, thanks for the tip.  That fixed it.  I've moved away from the ball a bit and set up with the ball slightly towards the toe.  My shots are now more consistent, hitting the center of the club and getting a much higher trajectory and distance, with a slight draw.  Turns out that putting the ball towards the heel put the club on a downward angle at ball strike, hitting towards the toe.  Yesterday was the first time I've had a chance to mess with the swing.  Thanks for all the suggestions.  Now, I'm sure something else will pop up.