Ball Position In Stance

[Hobbit]

I also read a piece of advice (no idea where) that for those of us off high handicaps, for normal shots just have one stance/ball position and get that right before starting to mess with moving its position in the swing
And while the OP (& I) are still off 20 then I'd suggest we don't have that one single consistent stance/ball position nailed yet

You don't have to be 20 handicapper to have an inconsistent ball position. I still have it wandering all over the place, although I'd say my fault is having towards the centre too often. I used to have a book, ghost written probably, by Tom Watson. He favoured the 3" inside the left foot and just widen or narrow the stance based on what club you were using. I play my best golf when I do something like that.

 

[Orikoru]

It must have been old school PGA fundamentals as I was taught exactly as OP’s first post by a really old school coach. I didn’t really ever question it as I was a junior and he taught all in the academy that way.

One characteristic of a good majority of his juniors however was high ball flight.

I now hit all of my irons in a constant ball position, slightly left of centre and just move the right foot to widen my stance the longer the iron is. Shorter wedge and iron shots narrower stance with a little more weight shifted into my left foot.

Only clubs that moves for me really is driver as I like to tee it high and give it some welly. 3 wood is a touch more forward but not much.

I had to change what I was originally taught when I was hitting 2 Iron approach shots with a ballooning ball flight.

Cheers for that! At least I didn't imagine it then.

Lots of interesting responses here, mainly about widening and narrowing stance, which is a new one on me. Not something I've ever consciously done. I always tend to just stand with my feet a comfortable distance apart without thinking about it too much, so I certainly don't adjust that depending on club (possibly naturally wider for the driver, I'm not sure).

 

[Orikoru]

I also read a piece of advice (no idea where) that for those of us off high handicaps, for normal shots just have one stance/ball position and get that right before starting to mess with moving its position in the swing
And while the OP (& I) are still off 20 then I'd suggest we don't have that one single consistent stance/ball position nailed yet

Yeah I'm definitely just going to stick with having the ball in the centre. As I mentioned, having the ball slightly forward was something I did with my previous set of irons as it seemed to help at the time, but with my current ones (which are better and probably launch the ball better as they're game improver ones) it hasn't done me any favours so I'm scrapping it.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Cheers for that! At least I didn't imagine it then.

Lots of interesting responses here, mainly about widening and narrowing stance, which is a new one on me. Not something I've ever consciously done. I always tend to just stand with my feet a comfortable distance apart without thinking about it too much, so I certainly don't adjust that depending on club (possibly naturally wider for the driver, I'm not sure).

I am definitely seeing better and more consistent shots from playing all my shots from one position, in front of the left breast and simply adjusting my stance accordingly. I do get misses, but mainly left (straight pulls) but that I think is more down to something I've been working on with the swing. The right misses (usually a left to right cut/fade) are not going so far right so the damaged caused is reduced and I am able to get it in play and make scores. I don't have any issues with pitching and bunker shots as the linear technique advocates a ball forward set up anyway and my pitching (last week not included) has been great for a while now

 

[shortgame]

. It's a method I went back to before Christmas and has coincided with my current decent run of form including a third in the new years comp last week and my win this. I find it has given me a consistent bottom of the arc and a crisper strike.

OK (and it's good advice), but I thought you said you were playing awful?

GOLF IS STUPID

I went to the range Monday and shanked everything. Bit better in Thursday but went back last night and 50/50 split of good and shanks. Warming up this morning and the shanks were back in vengeance. Playing the monthly stableford off the yellows so a 165 yard par 3 to start. All I could think of was "please don't shank" and put the ugliest swing in the history of golf (uglier than my normal swing!!!) and managed to thin it to the green for a par

Proceeded to play the remaining 17 holes in a similar ugly fashion. Hit perhaps two shots I was happy with. Walked of with 44 points!!!!!!!!!!! Was winning when I left and hope it will be good enough but feel so flat about the way I played I can't find to much to enjoy from the round. Putted pretty well I guess so I'll take that as the one thing to take away from it. Not sure I even have the enthusiasm to play tomorrow and really want to find the cause of the rights

 

[Slime]

I was taught the ball should be at the bottom of your arc.
Everyone is different so ball position is not that important as long as it’s where the club bottoms out and you get a nice shallow divot.

Surely the bottom of the swing arc should be just ahead of the ball, hence striking ball first, turf second.
That's what I strive for.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

OK (and it's good advice), but I thought you said you were playing awful?

As I said GOLF IS STUPID. Shanksville and then 44 points a win and a three shot cut. I have been ticking along (prior to the shanks) before Christmas and into the new year. Third in a non-qualifier new years comp, couple of roll up wins and a few seconds in there too so been pretty happy especially with the short game in wet conditions. I stumbled back on a single position by accident at the range a while back and it's somehow clicked

 

[garyinderry]

Have you gone quiet with the YouTube channel. Havnt seen your swing in a while.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Have you gone quiet with the YouTube channel. Havnt seen your swing in a while.

Simply been difficult to get out and film. No time after work and at the weekends I've wanted to get out and play. There are some ideas coming soon and I'll do a brief update one soon. The swing itself hasn't changed too much (so still steep) but for the moment while it's working, and I took winning ugly to a new height on Saturday, and really didn't feel I hit it well at at, then I'm loathe to change too much. The short game and putting has moved forward especially off the wet winter lies and so it's making a difference to scoring especially on days like Saturday

 

[garyinderry]

Getting it around ugly has to be done at times. I had an awful ball striking year but my chipping and short game has allowed me to scrape together some decent scores. Managed to come 5th in our golfer of the year best 10 scores combined. Just a lot of steady scores and one or two big ones.

Thinking of booking a lesson soon to try and get my low point sorted out. Fat irons are killing me.

 

[clubchamp98]

Surely the bottom of the swing arc should be just ahead of the ball, hence striking ball first, turf second.
That's what I strive for.

Yes but at the time I was taught to pick the ball off the turf (no divot.) Mizuno blades I wouldn’t look at now.
Ended up thinning most of them really hurt your fingers.
But technically you are right , but lateral movement accounts for this as well.
Now I wouldn’t mind a steak the size of my divots.

 

[Wolf]

Yes but at the time I was taught to pick the ball off the turf (no divot.) Mizuno blades I wouldn’t look at now.
Ended up thinning most of them really hurt your fingers.
But technically you are right , but lateral movement accounts for this as well.
Now I wouldn’t mind a steak the size of my divots.

If I could get a steak the size of my divots I'd expect a whole cow to be served up.

 

[tonys]

Not really looking for advice here, moreso for the more knowledgeable sorts to share any theory or info about it.

Years ago when I was a total novice I recall being told (or reading somewhere) that ball position should vary depending on what club you're using. So driver is obviously near the left foot, but also your long irons would be left of centre, mid irons centre, short irons right of centre and wedges slightly more towards the right foot. Firstly, is that correct theory that is or used to be taught? Or have I totally mis-remembered that?

It's not something I ever really did anyway, at least not 100%. I certainly played all my mid-irons, short irons and wedges from the centre of my stance. But 5 and 6 iron I used to play with the ball slightly forward/left of centre. I think it was because it helps me with an old set of irons I had when I struggled with those two clubs. Late last year and with my current irons of course, I was still struggling until I had a mini-epiphany I thought, "why am I hitting my 6 iron any different to my 7 iron which I usually hit pretty well?" I started hitting the 6 iron with the ball in the middle of stance, and there was notable improvement.

Cut forward to this Saturday just gone, I'm using a relatively new hybrid, still working out how to hit one as I've said many times. Again this is a club I was still hitting slightly left of centre in my stance, as I thought this was the done thing I suppose. Often seem to fat it or top it. On the back nine I had another opportunity to hit the hybrid, thought I'd just try one out of the middle of the stance, and hit it about as flush as I ever hit a hybrid! It was pleasing.

So I'm starting to think this ball position stuff that I thought was golf theory is total bollards, or I've just been misinformed this entire time. What is the correct theory on ball position in stance?

(Note: I'd say driver is largely excused from this, as with the high tee and hitting up on the ball it's a different kettle of fish - for driving I have the ball right over by the left heel and intend to keep doing so.)

I started playing 1 inch from the middle of my stance towards my front foot with my irons. I had a lesson recently and he said I had the ball position waaaaay too far forward causing me to pull/hook the golf ball. He said I was hitting the ball at the end of the swing arc meaning the face is closing as I was hitting the ball. It felt hard in the beginning like I was hitting a wedge shot with the ball so far back in my stance. If I hit a 4/5 iron, I move it another inch forward. It seems to be working now. Hopefully it stays that way

 

[Orikoru]

I started playing 1 inch from the middle of my stance towards my front foot with my irons. I had a lesson recently and he said I had the ball position waaaaay too far forward causing me to pull/hook the golf ball. He said I was hitting the ball at the end of the swing arc meaning the face is closing as I was hitting the ball. It felt hard in the beginning like I was hitting a wedge shot with the ball so far back in my stance. If I hit a 4/5 iron, I move it another inch forward. It seems to be working now. Hopefully it stays that way

Ah yeah, I think this might be a problem I was getting too. When hitting 5 or 6 iron, and having previously had it a little bit forward in the stance, I would often thin it (bottom of swing arc coming slightly before the ball), or if I get a good connection I have had a problem with hooking (as you say, perhaps the face starting to close on the way through).

 

[duncan mackie]

It's probably about that time in such threads to highlight that many many people have a perception about where in their stance they have the ball positioned that is a long way from reality.

Whilst this is even true to ma degree for those with solid alignment...by the time you have the open and closed stances included the differences can be nothing short of amazing!

Two alignment sticks at 90 degrees help show the truth...