Instruction
Let your body speed determine your grip and ball positioning
One of the most frustrating things for golfers is attempting to apply golf theory to their own specific needs. It’s a challenging task, because so much of the information is conflicting.
Even the simplest questions can be difficult to comprehend. For example, where should I place my hands on the club? Where should the ball be positioned in my stance? Theory states that you should place your hands on the club in a “neutral” position so that the club face is statically sqaure at the address position.
Theory also states that ball position varies based upon the club that is being swung. Starting with the longest club, the driver should be positioned somewhere near the front heel. As clubs get shorter, the ball position gradually moves farther back. The sand wedge, or the shortest club, is positioned somewhere toward the middle part of your stance.
If theory is absolute truth, how can David Duval (ball position forward, hook-faced grip), Nick Price (neutral ball position and grip) and Corey Pavin (ball position back and slice-faced grip) play world-class golf and win major championships with three different variables of ball position and grip positioning? They have found a way to match up their own ball position and grip to their personalized dynamic technique. You can too, by applying the information below.
The most relevant factor that determines the answer to these two questions is how much your body is facing the target at impact. Let’s start with ball position. The more your body faces the target, the more the bottom of your swing should be near your target foot. Think of baseball players: They always try to hit the pitch toward the front part of the plate. If you look at their body positioning, their chest is frequently aimed between the second basemen and the shortstop. Of course a baseball player is hitting the ball well forward of where a golfer does, however the relationship between body positioning and ball contact is very similar for golf.
So how do we relate this information to the golf swing? To find your ideal ball position, get into your golf posture without a club and swing instinctively, only with your non-target hand. Strike your golf bag and hold your body positioning at impact like the photo shown below. Take note of the following hip and chest characteristics to determine where your ball position should be.
Photo 1: Hips and chest open to your body line at address equals a ball position forward of “ideal” theory.
Photo 2: Hips open but chest parallel to your body line at address equals a middle ball position, or “ideal” theory ball position.
Photo 3: Hips square but chest closed to your body line at address equals a ball position back of “ideal” theory.
After identifying your ideal impact position and ball position, it’s time to determine which grip most effectively will help you square up the club face at impact. In simplest terms, the ideal location for your forearm to rotate correctly and square up the club face to your intended target line is when your backswing-side arm passes the middle part of your body. Because we all have different body speeds that produce different ball positions at impact, different grips or club face angles are needed to square up the club face.
To apply this information for your club face position, take your regular grip but ensure that your club face is square statically at the address position. Place a two-by-four on the ground so that it is perpendicular to your intended target line. Recreate your natural impact and ball position with the two-by-four by placing your club face directly on the edge of it. Adjust your hands and club face to ensure that your club face is square at impact. Take note of the following characteristics:
Photo 1 : Hips and chest open matches up to a strong or closed-face grip at address.
Photo 2: Hips open and chest parallel matches up to a neutral-face grip at address.
Photo 3: Hips square and chest closed matches up to a weak or open-face grip at address.
By applying this information, you are giving yourself the best opportunity to match up what you do naturally with your dynamic golf technique to two very important static set-up positions. When you do this correctly, your game will immediately improve with better ball contact and ball flight.
The LPGA Tour is kicking off its 2026 season this week at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando, and the pros are dealing with something most Florida golfers rarely face: freezing temperatures.
“It’s colder here than in the UK at the minute, which is a first,” said England’s Charley Hull during Wednesday’s media day at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.
Even Lydia Ko, who lives at Lake Nona, seemed surprised by the cold snap. “We’re pretty much getting to below zero in celsius here, which maybe in other parts of the country they would be thankful, but when you’re in Florida it is a little bit of a surprise,” she said.
If the world’s best players are adjusting their games for cold weather, recreational golfers should, too. Here’s how to play smart when the mercury drops.
Understand What Cold Does to Your Game
Before you change anything, you need to know what you’re fighting against. Cold air is denser than warm air, which means your ball won’t fly as far. Period.
Hull noticed this immediately during practice rounds at Lake Nona. She mentioned hitting a gap wedge into the 18th hole during a previous win but needing a 4-iron during Tuesday’s practice round. That’s a difference of four or five clubs for the same shot.
Action item: Expect to lose 5-10 yards on every club in your bag when temperatures dip below 50 degrees. Plan accordingly and don’t be stubborn about club selection.
Layer Up Without Restricting Your Swing
Hull admitted she wore three pairs of pants during practice. While that might be extreme for most of us, staying warm is critical to playing well in cold conditions.
Your muscles need warmth to function properly. When you’re cold, your body tightens up and your swing gets shorter and faster. Neither of those things help you hit good golf shots.
Action item: Wear multiple thin layers instead of one bulky jacket. Look for golf-specific cold weather gear that stretches with your swing. Keep hand warmers in your pockets between shots. And don’t forget a good hat because you lose significant body heat through your head.
Take More Club Than You Think You Need
This is where ego gets in the way of good scores. When it’s cold, the ball doesn’t compress as well off the clubface. Combined with denser air, you’re looking at serious distance loss.
The pros at Lake Nona are dealing with a course that measures 6,642 yards but plays much longer this week. If they’re adjusting, you should too.
Action item: Take at least one extra club on every approach shot. In temperatures below 40 degrees, consider taking two extra clubs. It’s better to fly the ball to the back of the green than to come up short in a bunker.
Adjust Your Expectations on the Greens
Cold weather affects putting in ways most golfers don’t consider. The ball is harder and doesn’t roll as smoothly. Your hands are cold, making it harder to feel the putter. And if there’s any moisture on the greens, they’ll be slower than normal.
Ko mentioned that she still sometimes reads the greens wrong at Lake Nona despite being a member for years. Cold weather makes that challenge even tougher.
Action item: Hit putts more firmly than usual. The ball needs extra speed to hold its line on cold greens. Take a few extra practice strokes to get a feel for the speed before you putt.
Embrace the Mental Challenge
Hull said something interesting about cold weather golf: “I like the mental toughness of it.”
That’s the right attitude. Everyone on the course is dealing with the same conditions. The player who stays patient and doesn’t get frustrated by the extra difficulty will come out ahead.
Action item: Lower your expectations by a few strokes. If you normally shoot 85, accept that 90 might be a good score in 40-degree weather. Focus on solid contact and smart decisions rather than perfect shots.
Warm Up Longer and Smarter
This might be the most important tip of all. Cold muscles are tight muscles, and tight muscles get injured easily.
World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul revealed she’s been protecting a wrist injury that bothered her late last season. Cold weather makes those kinds of injuries more likely if you don’t prepare properly.
Action item: Spend at least 20 minutes warming up before your round. Start with stretching, then hit easy wedge shots before working up to your driver. Keep moving between shots on the course to maintain body heat and flexibility.
The pros at Lake Nona this week will adapt and compete at the highest level despite the cold. You can do the same at your local course by following these tips and keeping a positive attitude.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
Brooks Koepka is back on the PGA Tour, and whether you love him or hate him, the guy knows how to win when it matters. After his LIV Golf stint, the five-time major champion returns this week at the Farmers Insurance Open.
What makes Koepka fascinating? He doesn’t fit the mold. His swing isn’t textbook. He doesn’t obsess over mechanics. Yet he’s won three PGA Championships and two U.S. Opens, regularly making it look easier than guys with prettier swings.
So, what can average golfers learn from someone who treats the game so differently? Quite a bit.
Stop Overthinking Every Shot
Koepka describes his approach as “reactionary” rather than mechanical. While most tour pros grind over swing thoughts, Brooks sees the target and hits it. No mental checklist.
This might be the most valuable lesson for weekend golfers who’ve watched too many YouTube swing videos.
How to actually do this:
On the range, hit five balls where you stare at the target for three seconds prior to addressing the ball. Don’t think about grip or stance. Just burn that target into your brain. You’ll be shocked at how pure you hit it when your brain focuses on where the ball is going instead of how you’re swinging.
Next time you play, give yourself a rule: Once you pull the club, you’ve got 15 seconds to hit. Koepka is one of the fastest players on tour because he doesn’t give his brain time to sabotage him.
If you feel tension in your hands at address, you’re trying to control too much. Koepka’s grip pressure is famously light. Loosen up until the club almost feels like it might slip, then add just enough pressure to hold on. That’s your swing thought: soft hands, see the target.
This approach works better under pressure. When you’re standing over that shot with water left and OB right, the last thing you need is a mental checklist. See it, feel it, hit it.
Play to Your Strengths (Even If They’re Not Pretty)
Koepka uses a strong grip that wouldn’t pass muster in some teaching circles. But he’s built his game around what works for him, elite driving distance and recovery skills. He doesn’t try to be someone he’s not.
Here’s how to build your game like Brooks:
Look at your last five rounds and figure out where you’re actually gaining strokes. Bombing it off the tee, but can’t hit greens? Lean into it. Play courses where distance matters more than precision. On tight holes, grip down on your 3-wood instead of trying to thread a driver through a keyhole you’ll miss seven times out of ten.
Koepka knows he can scramble, so he’s not afraid to miss greens. If you’re deadly from 50 to 75 yards, start leaving yourself those distances on the par 5’s instead of going for them in two every time.
Know when to take your medicine. Koepka in the trees at the PGA? He’s punching out to 100 yards, not trying to bend a 6-iron around three oaks. You’re in the rough with a flyer lie and water short? Hit your 8-iron to the middle and move on. That’s not playing scared, that’s playing smart.
Save Your Best for When It Counts
Here’s a wild stat: Koepka’s putting average in majors is often more than a full stroke better per round than in regular events. He elevates when pressure is highest.
How does an amateur tap into that gear? It’s not about trying harder, it’s about caring differently.
Here’s what actually works:
Decide which rounds matter to you. Club championship? Member-guest? That annual trip with college buddies? Circle those dates and treat them differently. Koepka doesn’t care much about regular tour events, but majors? That’s when he locks in.
Two weeks before your big round, change your practice. Stop beating balls mindlessly. Play nine holes in which every shot has consequences. Miss the fairway? Hit from the rough on the next hole too. Three-putt? Twenty push-ups. Koepka’s practice intensity ramps up before majors because he’s rehearsing pressure, not just swings.
Develop a between-shot routine that resets your brain. Koepka is famous for his blank expression after bad shots. Try this: After any shot, take three deep breaths while walking, then find something specific to notice, a tree, a cloud, someone’s shirt. That’s your reset button. By the time you reach your ball, the last shot is gone.
The Bottom Line
Brooks Koepka’s return reminds us there’s no single path to success in golf. His “substance over style” approach proves that results matter more than looking good.
You don’t need a perfect swing; you need a reliable one that holds up under pressure. You don’t need to hit every shot in the book; you need the shots you can count on. And you don’t need to play great every time; you need to play great when it matters.
Welcome back, Brooks. Thanks for the reminder that golf is ultimately about getting the ball in the hole, not winning style points.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
Blades Brown made a big impression last week in the California desert, and not just because he’s only 18. He put up numbers that would catch any weekend golfer’s attention. Most of us won’t hit 317-yard drives or find 86% of our greens in regulation, but there’s a lot to learn from how Brown managed his game at The American Express.
Here are three practical lessons from his performance that you can use on your own course this weekend.
Step 1: Give Priority to Accuracy Over Distance Off The Tee
Brown’s driving stats are impressive. He averaged almost 318 yards off the tee, ranking 12th in the field. More importantly, he hit 76.79% of his fairways, tying for fourth place in the tournament.
Think about that ratio for a second. Brown could have swung harder, chased more distance and tried to overpower the course. Instead, he played smart golf and kept his ball in play.
Your Action Item: Next time you’re on the tee box, ask yourself a simple question before pulling the driver. Do you need maximum distance here, or do you need to be in the fairway? If there’s trouble lurking or the hole doesn’t demand every yard you can muster, take something off your swing. Grip down an inch. Make a three-quarter swing. Do whatever it takes to find the short grass. Brown’s approach illustrates that fairways lead to greens, and greens lead to birdies. He made 22 of them last week, along with an eagle.
The math is simple. When you’re hitting three out of every four fairways like Brown did, you’re giving yourself legitimate looks at the green with your approach shots. That’s when scoring happens.
Step 2: Commit To Hitting More Greens
This is where Brown really separated himself. He hit 62 of 72 greens in regulation, an 86.11% clip that tied for first in the entire field. Read that again. An 18-year-old kid tied for the lead in one of the most important ball-striking statistics in professional golf.
How did he do it? By keeping his ball in the fairway (see Step 1) and giving himself clean looks with mid-irons and wedges.
Your Action Item: Start tracking your greens in regulation. You don’t need a fancy app or a statistics degree. Just mark down whether you hit the green in the regulation number of strokes. Par 3s in one shot. Par 4s in two shots. Par 5s in three shots.
Once you know your baseline, set a goal to improve it by 10%. If you’re currently hitting five greens per round, aim for six. The beauty of this approach is that it forces you to think strategically about club selection and shot shape. Brown’s strokes gained approach number was positive (0.179), meaning he was better than the field average. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be on the dance floor more often.
When you hit more greens, you eliminate the need for heroic short game shots. Brown only had to scramble 10 times all week, and he got up and down 70% of the time. That’s solid, but the real story is that he rarely put himself in scrambling situations to begin with.
Step 3: Minimize Mistakes And Stay Patient
Here’s the stat that jumps off the page: Brown made only three bogeys all week. Three. In four rounds of professional golf against the best players in the world.
He also made just one double bogey. That kind of clean card doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when you play within yourself, avoid the big miss and trust that pars are never bad scores.
Your Action Item: Before your next round, decide that you’re going to play boring golf. No hero shots over water. No driver on tight holes just because you can. No aggressive pins when there’s a safe side of the green.
Brown’s performance shows us that consistency beats flash every single time. He didn’t lead the field in any single strokes gained category, but he was solid across the board. That’s how you post numbers and cash checks.
Give these three steps a try. Your scorecard will thank you.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “The Starter” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
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Amit
May 27, 2015 at 12:50 pm
Thank you! Finally someone has clarified these concepts in a way that is easy to understand. I started playing about 11 months ago and the “proper” way has never worked for me.
Hoping you can answer another question related to ball position/bottom of swing arc. Does ones release pattern (early/mid/late) also play a role in positioning the ball? If so, can you elaborate on how to think about the release patterns for the various hip and shoulder positions you describe.
I wish more golf instructors could explain concepts like you do. Thanks again!
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craig@tourimpactgolf.com
Oct 8, 2013 at 8:58 am
These are my favorite types of articles. Ones that explain how to personally adopt and tailor the instruction. I always seemed to strike better when playing with slightly closed club face. Now I know why. Thanks for this article……craig
BT
Sep 22, 2013 at 1:49 am
This is a great article. I’m a 5 HC with moderate swing speed. I have slow hips and have always been pretty square to the ball at impact. Through trial and error I figured out that a weak grip works best for me. I draw every club using a weak grip. There is so much confusion in golf instruction about the grip and how open the hips should be at impact. Many things you read tells you to turn hard with your body and use a strong grip. This simply does not work for a lot of people and I’m glad to see this article explaining what I had to figure out over many years on my own. After reading this I’m going to check my ball position to make sure it’s correct as well.
Anne
Sep 21, 2013 at 2:02 pm
Excellent article. Great visuals!!. Look forward to reading your next article.
Jay
Sep 21, 2013 at 12:48 am
Great info that makes a lot of sense. Getting better as a golfer comes from raising your golf IQ as high as possible and this is a great example of how even the basics like grip and ball position aren’t as basic as we think.
Mr Ted Cronk
Sep 19, 2013 at 7:57 pm
Correction; …’but had NOT really contemplated the relationship of the grip to both’.
Mr Ted Cronk
Sep 19, 2013 at 7:56 pm
Two thumbs up here. I’ve been grappling with ball position and body position but had really contemplated the relationship of the grip to both.
Appreciate this article. Clarification and illumination. Well done.
Ted
Joel
Sep 19, 2013 at 2:41 pm
So here is an interesting question. At what position do you put the golf bag in which to swing at? Assume neutral and in the middle of your stance? Or were your CURRENTLY line up the ball to identify a fault in the swing?
It seems like an interesting drill but were I’m at at the middle of my stance and were I’m at through impact depending on the club may be hugely different.
I’m not knocking the article in anyway, I think its an interesting idea.
Tim
Sep 20, 2013 at 2:07 am
Joel…great comments and observations! I would answer your post with the following.
1. Let’s define the bag position for this exercise to be executed like you are hitting a 7 iron. Over 80% of my Models…Touring Professionals, who have more neutral or proper technique than most of us :)…play the ball position for their 7 irons underneath their target ear. That’s our definition for a neutral starting point, or where we should place the bag for this exercise.
2. Most of our golf swings have a personality…whether you’re hitting your 7 iron, or your driver, the dynamics of your swing really don’t change that much. We see that all the time on TV. All of Tiger’s full swing motions look very similar. So while the club might change the address position and bottom of the swing arc due to a different lengthed golf club, the dynamics of our swing (in this case, how much our chest faces the target) stays very similar.
3. Unfortunately this exercise will not likely fix the other flaws we have in our golf swings. It simply identifies one very important component of the golf swing, our instinctive body rotation position on the downswing, and helps us maximize that dynamic motion to two important static pieces in our set up. We can, and still need to improve the other technical flaws in our golf swing. BUT, by matching up these important components in our golf technique, we eliminate the need for more athleticism in our golfing motion.
I hope I understood your comments. Feel free to add more if I’m way off base!
ryan
Sep 19, 2013 at 12:03 pm
Great tip. I would love it if you could do a video on this and post it on youtube. It would help people understand it better and have a video to go back to for a reminder every season. I really think this will make a great video.
Tim
Sep 20, 2013 at 1:28 am
I’ll see what I can come up with Ryan.
AJ Jensen
Sep 19, 2013 at 10:20 am
Interesting article. So much of golf how-to seems to be focused on “do it this way and no other,” rather than helping golfers discover ways to adapt their own individual style into the game.
Tim
Sep 20, 2013 at 1:27 am
I agree AJ…that’s one of the major quandaries we all face while trying to improve our golf games. The evil answer, there is no right answer. You can learn the more “Proper” way, or you can learn your own, personalized game. Both ways have produced Major Champions in the game’s history. Ultimately, instinctively, I believe we all play more of our own, personalized game of golf, with varying degrees of “Properness”. Unfortunately, the less “Proper” our technique, the more athletic we have to be to over come our “Unproperness”. Having said that, I believe every great golf champion has applied this information, and others like it, through trail and error, to their own golf game. The more you can apply personalized pieces of “medicine” to your golf game, the more you will execute golf shots in an instinctive manner. Under pressure, I think that’s what we’re all looking for. Quite the Catch 22 if I do say so myself! Good luck in finding your right mix.