Swing path and ball position. Are they related?

[One Planer]

Evening all.

Firstly, this is going to be a long post, so I'll apologise now

I have a query on the above and was looking for some opinions from you good people.

Ball position and swing path - Are they connected?

I spent yesterday morning at the range as the course was holding a little too much water for my liking. I, predominantly wanted to work on full swings to try and work out why my bad shot (a block) is making more of an appearance of late.

Now. When it comes to ball position, I've always used this as a guide:

The block happens throughout the bag, right from the driver down to a wedge.

Down went the alignment sticks and off I went. Alignment is good. Grip is neutral ball positions as above.

Block after block after block. :angry:

Tried something a little different and moved everything a ball forward of where it was. Adjusted the alignment rod so that position was constant, kept everything else the same and back came my baby draw starting right and turning back.

This had me at odds with the conventional thinking of ball back for a draw and forward for a fade.

I bumped into my pro on the way out and mentioned what I had done to which he replied he plays everything a club heads width inside his lead foot. He hits the ball with a (big) draw also. Unfortunately I didn't have too much time to chat as he was due to give a lesson but this got me thinking.

I know my pro has mentioned his Trackman figures show he has a path that is considerably from the inside hence him playing the ball more forward and would also explain the amount of shape be gets on the ball.

As it stood on the range, moving everything a ball forward from where it was has my improved my contact and flight (shape). Now when I do block, it's only a few yards right of my target instead of a different post code.

I'll admit it seems weird playing my 7 iron from where I played my 4 iron, but it's working and is giving repeatable results.

So. Is the path you swing the club in to the ball, and where the ball is positioned in relation to your body related?

Is this what makes ball position almost unique from player to player?

FWIW, I'm not looking for any help for my swing, more getting myself a better understanding of this subject.

Anybody care to chime in?

 

[fundy]

My thoughts fwiw, if youre hitting a block youre path is to the right of target and your clubface is square to the path. By moving the ball forward, the path doesnt change but the clubface gets a little more time so is slightly closed to the path (but still right of target hopefully) meaning that you will now hit a draw that starts right of target and draws back

 

[Lump]

i don't think it has anything to do with ball position.
My bad shot is also a block, I know for me it comes when I don't swing left enough post impact. All moving the ball forwards or backwards does for me is change the flight and/or the shape I'm hitting.

 

[the_coach]

short answer is ... yes they are

but remember a golf motion in a swing arc is in terms of 'space' in 3D (4D if you include 'time') not 2D as seen in video footage or still pics

so the element crucially important - but not mentioned above - is AoA
AoA very important in the whole equation how it affects swing direction so ball position, impact then flight direction, trajectory and curvature etc

efficient ball position for folks swing motion also crucially depends on the swing sequence connection, weight pressure management

generally a more efficient elite swing motion would tend to have the ball little ways more forwards in the swings arc as the sequence at transition naturally puts the weight pressure on the lead side with hip clearance so the low point of the swing arc will be further forwards in the swings arc as the handle/hands/arms/club are working more infront of the body rotation - why you will always see a good motion at impact have the hands/handle opposite the lead thigh at strike - why less efficient swing motions the hands/handle are more usually seen at best level with the ball but often times behind the ball nearer the trail thigh

[video=youtube;G5JYjNsyDpk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5JYjNsyDpk[/video]