ball position and you

[BunkerBound21]

Just curious to know where everyone lines up their ball we ready to tee off. The reason I ask is because i am trying to fix my slice, and i think it is because of where i line up in relation to the ball....

basically i line up with the ball about 2 inches inside my front foot... and i think that where i am making contact with the ball is when my hands are past the center of my body, resulting in a right to left contact on the ball, causing the same spin resulting in the slice... makes sense and seems like a logical place to start to fix the problem.

[JPsuff]

.


Standard driver ball position for me is in line with my left heel (give or take a 1/2 inch) and tee height is about 1/2 a ball above the crown.

For distance, I set up more towards my toe and tee it about 1/2 a ball higher.


-JP

[PA PLAYA]

Your posture, alignment, and grip should be the first things on the checklist. If those things aren't correct, it won't matter where you play the ball in your stance, at least as it relates to consistency, anyway.

FWIW, on a typical shot with driver I play the ball just inside my right heel (lefty).

[larryrsf]

You can play the ball OUTSIDE your front foot--IF your first move after turning back is a strong weight shift to your front leg "post." You can hit it straight because you can bring the clubhead from inside the target line.

However, even if you play the ball in the middle of your stance, if you lag back and swing around your back foot-- the clubhead will slice across the back of the ball--imparting slice spin, and you will slice it across two fairways.

Bottom line, the golf swing is turn, PLANT (the front foot), and then swing.

Larry

[OnePutt]

Even with my left heel with driver or fairway woods of a tee.

[jwaldrop]

I try to play the ball in the standard positions. Unfortunately, one of my major flaws is tending to let the ball move too far back in my stance. I have to check it constantly.

[alangbaker]

Originally Posted by BunkerBound21

Just curious to know where everyone lines up their ball we ready to tee off. The reason I ask is because i am trying to fix my slice, and i think it is because of where i line up in relation to the ball....

basically i line up with the ball about 2 inches inside my front foot... and i think that where i am making contact with the ball is when my hands are past the center of my body, resulting in a right to left contact on the ball, causing the same spin resulting in the slice... makes sense and seems like a logical place to start to fix the problem.

In a good golf swing, the face of the club should be approximately square to the path on which the clubhead is traveling through the hitting zone, so ball position alone is unlikely to be the culprit.

Consider: a slice is caused by a large difference between the direction in which the clubhead is traveling and the direction in which the clubface is facing. Since the clubface is usually moving from an open position at the top of the backswing to a closed position at the end of the through swing, then if your clubface is open very late in the hitting zone (up near your front foot) then it's likely to be even *more* open earlier in the hitting zone.

So, no, I don't think that changing your ball position alone will cure your slice.

Try to work on having the clubface travel through the hitting zone more square to the line of travel. Start with small swings. Work the club on a path that begins from inside the ball, moves out to it and then comes back inside again. All the while keeping the face pointed not at the target, but in the direction of the clubhead's motion.

(The dashed lines are there to force the spacing to stay correct but also represent the direction to the target)

Assuming you're a rightie:

<-------------------------|---------------------------<-----------
\ -------------------------------------------------/---<--(direction to target)

<---------Left foot----------------Right foot

End inside--------Out to the ball-----Start inside.

All through the small swings, the handle of the club should pretty much be pointing at the centre of your torso.

Then all your misdirections should be smaller and fairly straight.

Ball position should be dictated more by how aggressively you swing -- you can get more power by shifting your weight (and thus your swing centre) to the front foot, and by the kind of contact you want to achieve (downward moving swings for the shorter clubs dictating position further back; longer clubs hit nearer the bottom of the arc further forward). Match your ball position to those factors and learn how to correctly aim the face of the club through the hitting zone.

Hope this helps.

[BunkerBound21]

wow Alangbaker! i def appriciate all the input you just gave me! I will def take all of that info to the range with me next time to practice, and it will always be that tidbit in my back pocket on the course when things run away from me!

Thanks Again

[alangbaker]

Originally Posted by BunkerBound21

wow Alangbaker! i def appriciate all the input you just gave me! I will def take all of that info to the range with me next time to practice, and it will always be that tidbit in my back pocket on the course when things run away from me!

Thanks Again

My pleasure. Always remember in golf: solid contact is paramount! You must hit the ball in the centre of the clubface which is facing the direction that the club is moving.

[Darth Fader]

I always have the ball about 1 inch inside my left heel,i vary the width of my stance depending on what club i am hitting.

[deronsizemore]

Originally Posted by larryrsf

You can play the ball OUTSIDE your front foot--IF your first move after turning back is a strong weight shift to your front leg "post." You can hit it straight because you can bring the clubhead from inside the target line.

However, even if you play the ball in the middle of your stance, if you lag back and swing around your back foot-- the clubhead will slice across the back of the ball--imparting slice spin, and you will slice it across two fairways.

Bottom line, the golf swing is turn, PLANT (the front foot), and then swing.

Larry

How did I guess I would see a post from you saying something about "posting" on your front leg?

[larryrsf]

Originally Posted by deronsizemore

How did I guess I would see a post from you saying something about "posting" on your front leg?

I harp on that because that is THE fundamental of the golf swing. And the failure to post before impact is THE cause of 99% of amateurs' hitting it sideways. Golfers who lag back swipe the clubhead across the ball. Golfers who chip or pitch with their weight not fully posted are lucky each time they don't chunk.

So should this be mentioned in a golf discussion forum? Duh. According to Hogan, starting with hips, moving the weight to the front leg before the shoulders and arms start-- is only "the most important thing in the golf swing."

YouTube - Ben Hogan Golf Swing

But maybe someone should have told Hogan that some amateurs are tired of hearing what he thought, who was Hogan to be telling us anything? Some Amateurs think they already have that simple principle down pat, now they want to hear about something else, ha.

The golf swing is pretty simple-- IF the golfer would simple execute every fundamental correctly every swing. But since nobody can do that-- "the most important" would seem to be where we should focus our attention.

Larry

[alangbaker]

Originally Posted by larryrsf

I harp on that because that is THE fundamental of the golf swing. And the failure to post before impact is THE cause of 99% of amateurs' hitting it sideways. Golfers who lag back swipe the clubhead across the ball. Golfers who chip or pitch with their weight not fully posted are lucky each time they don't chunk.

Any time you'd like, I can demonstrate how wrong you are about this.

So should this be mentioned in a golf discussion forum? Duh. According to Hogan, starting with hips, moving the weight to the front leg before the shoulders and arms start-- is only "the most important thing in the golf swing."

Perhaps you should address yourself to the question presented, and stop trying to set your own agenda in every thread in which you post...

...just some friendly advice.

The golf swing is pretty simple-- IF the golfer would simple execute every fundamental correctly every swing. But since nobody can do that-- "the most important" would seem to be where we should focus our attention.

Larry

I don't know about everyone, Larry: I don't claim omniscience, but I can make a fundamentally correct golf swing.

And yes, weight transfer is important, but only in the context of the goal of hitting each club as far as possible while maintaining accuracy (since shorter clubs are generally easier to hit with greater accuracy).

If you accept that a swing with less weight transfer won't generate as much power, then you can hit it straight while standing on your back leg if you swing properly.

But to put it into the context of the original question, that will have a definite effect on the proper ball position.

Alan

[deronsizemore]

Originally Posted by larryrsf

I harp on that because that is THE fundamental of the golf swing. And the failure to post before impact is THE cause of 99% of amateurs' hitting it sideways. Golfers who lag back swipe the clubhead across the ball. Golfers who chip or pitch with their weight not fully posted are lucky each time they don't chunk.

So should this be mentioned in a golf discussion forum? Duh. According to Hogan, starting with hips, moving the weight to the front leg before the shoulders and arms start-- is only "the most important thing in the golf swing."

YouTube - Ben Hogan Golf Swing

But maybe someone should have told Hogan that some amateurs are tired of hearing what he thought, who was Hogan to be telling us anything? Some Amateurs think they already have that simple principle down pat, now they want to hear about something else, ha.

The golf swing is pretty simple-- IF the golfer would simple execute every fundamental correctly every swing. But since nobody can do that-- "the most important" would seem to be where we should focus our attention.

Larry

Well, the thing is, weight transfer and posting on your front leg is important I agree with you there, but it is not the fix for everything as you seem to make it out to be. If it was the magic fix for hitting the ball sideways you would never see the pros hitting it sideways because they for all intents and purposes have about as fundamentally sound swings as you will find. Yet, Tiger seems to play more from the rough than he does the fairway.

[alangbaker]

Originally Posted by deronsizemore

Well, the thing is, weight transfer and posting on your front leg is important I agree with you there, but it is not the fix for everything as you seem to make it out to be. If it was the magic fix for hitting the ball sideways. If it were the magic fix, you would never see the pros hitting it sideways because they for all intents and purposes have about as fundamentally sound swings as you will find. Yet, Tiger seems to play more from the rough than he does the fairway.

Not to mention that one of the ways that better player's slice the ball is by shifting too far...

[Wazmankg]

Originally Posted by alangbaker

Not to mention that one of the ways that better player's slice the ball is by shifting too far...

or too soon... they "get out in front" of the ball and the club head can't catch up.

[C-Tech]

Originally Posted by BunkerBound21

Just curious to know where everyone lines up their ball we ready to tee off. The reason I ask is because i am trying to fix my slice, and i think it is because of where i line up in relation to the ball....

basically i line up with the ball about 2 inches inside my front foot... and i think that where i am making contact with the ball is when my hands are past the center of my body, resulting in a right to left contact on the ball, causing the same spin resulting in the slice... makes sense and seems like a logical place to start to fix the problem.

My first question would be, "How do you know where your ball is in relationship to your body?"

I build a hitting station to check my alignment. I take an iron and lay it on the ground along the intended path of the ball and then lay another club perpendicular to the first club level with where my ball is teed. I then set up straddling the perpendicular club. You might be surprised to find out that you are not aligned to the ball anywhere near what you thought. It is amazing how far our of kilter we can get without realizing it. Try setting up and then have a friend lay a club next to your lead foot pointing at your teed ball. That will also help identify your true set up.

[larryrsf]

Originally Posted by deronsizemore

Well, the thing is, weight transfer and posting on your front leg is important I agree with you there, but it is not the fix for everything as you seem to make it out to be. If it was the magic fix for hitting the ball sideways you would never see the pros hitting it sideways because they for all intents and purposes have about as fundamentally sound swings as you will find. Yet, Tiger seems to play more from the rough than he does the fairway.

Hitting while fully posted is not a "fix" at all. It is simple using a golf club as it was designed to be used. Hogan was talking about DRAGGING or pulling the clubhead through impact with the hips leading the shoulders which lead the arms which lead the handle which leads the clubhead. Good player hit the ball crisply and then their clubhead continues down to make a long divot. The only way that can happen is they have transferred their weight to their front leg "post" before they started their downswing. That front leg forms the anchor about which they DRAG the clubhead, trapping the ball. When good players hit, the sound is different than 99% of amateurs, because they compress the ball.

If you don't do it like that, you need to learn that. It is they way good golfers strike the ball. Ask any teaching pro. Learn how to do it, then drill, and drill and drill. You can hit fairways and greens.

Larry

[deronsizemore]

Originally Posted by larryrsf

Hitting while fully posted is not a "fix" at all. It is simple using a golf club as it was designed to be used. Hogan was talking about DRAGGING or pulling the clubhead through impact with the hips leading the shoulders which lead the arms which lead the handle which leads the clubhead. Good player hit the ball crisply and then their clubhead continues down to make a long divot. The only way that can happen is they have transferred their weight to their front leg "post" before they started their downswing. That front leg forms the anchor about which they DRAG the clubhead, trapping the ball. When good players hit, the sound is different than 99% of amateurs, because they compress the ball.

If you don't do it like that, you need to learn that. It is they way good golfers strike the ball. Ask any teaching pro. Learn how to do it, then drill, and drill and drill. You can hit fairways and greens.

Larry

I realize what you're saying, I really do. I was simply making the point that it is very possible to "post" on your left leg (right handers) correctly and still hit a slice. The original poster inquired about ball position and how it might relate to his/her slice and then you pop in with the whole "post on your left leg because Hogan said..." routine.

I'm really not trying to be confrontational here, just wanted to point out that it is possible to hit a wayward shot and "post" correctly at the same time. It's really not fair if you ask me to apply the same blanket statement over and over again every single time someone asks for help when you have no idea how they are currently swinging.

[alangbaker]

Originally Posted by larryrsf

Hitting while fully posted is not a "fix" at all. It is simple using a golf club as it was designed to be used. Hogan was talking about DRAGGING or pulling the clubhead through impact with the hips leading the shoulders which lead the arms which lead the handle which leads the clubhead. Good player hit the ball crisply and then their clubhead continues down to make a long divot. The only way that can happen is they have transferred their weight to their front leg "post" before they started their downswing. That front leg forms the anchor about which they DRAG the clubhead, trapping the ball. When good players hit, the sound is different than 99% of amateurs, because they compress the ball.

1. You can drag the club through impact without any weight on your front leg at all.

2. You never actually trap the bal.

3. Good players hit with their right side.

[5 putt]