Instruction
Ball position: The forgotten fundamental
Golfers seem to accept grip, aim, alignment and posture as important fundamentals, but ball position is forgotten at times. That’s unfortunate, because the more consistent a golfer’s ball position is, the more consistent his or her shots tend to be.
So what’s the proper ball position? Well, it’s a little different for every golfer, but the best place to position the ball is slightly behind where the swing reaches its low point on a shot from the ground, and slightly ahead of where the swing reaches its low point for a shot from a tee.
The problem with defining ball position is one of relativity. It is not enough to say, “The ball goes back in your stance,” or “Play it in the middle” for the simple reason that the width of a golfer’s stance varies considerably from club to club. And many golfers don’t understand the relationship between stance width and ball position, and if you’re one of them I’d like you to try this experiment.
- Position the golf ball off your left heel (if you’re a right-handed golfer) and take a very wide stance. The golf ball will appear forward in your stance (see photo 1).
- From that position, bring your right foot in close to your left foot and look at the ball in your stance. The now magically appears in the middle or even the back of your stance even though you never moved the ball (see photo 2).
Photo 1
Photo 2
To learn how to use ball position to create a good attack angle, curvature and more consistency, you must first establish a starting point, which is the place you’ll position the golf ball for shots of normal trajectory. Here’s how to do it.
Sole the club with the manufactured loft on it — not de-lofted or with extra loft added — and look at the angle of the golf club. The lob wedge, a golfer’s most lofted club, will lean slightly forward, meaning the handle will rest ahead of the head (see photo 3). The driver, which is usually a golfer’s least lofted club with the exception of the putter, will lean backward (see photo 4). This is normal, and part of the design of the clubs.
Photo 3
Photo 4
Now for the easy part. Point the handle of the clubs at your belly button and the ball will be positioned correctly. You’ll notice that to do that, you will need to change the width of your stance (about the width of your hips for a wedge and a little wider than your shoulders for a driver) and slightly adjust your ball position as well.
The procedure I described above will help you get into position for all shots of standard trajectory, and we can refer to this position as the “starting point.” From there, golfers can move the ball forward to hit higher shots or rearward to hit lower shots. But changing ball position can also have an effect on other critical factors in the golf swing.
The effect of ball position on angle of attack, path and shot shape
Angle of attack: If you need to hit more down on the golf ball (steeper), move it a little back of your starting point. If you need to hit up on the ball (or get more shallow), move it a little forward. Remember that this is a ball position tip; there are several things in the swing that factor into this as well.
Path: Move the golf ball back to hit more right and forward to hit more left. Notice, however, that attack angle and the path are actually part of the same dynamic. When you’re hitting DOWN, you’re hitting more right, and when you’re hitting UP, you’re hitting more left. I use ball position to help a lot of players feel a change in their swing path.
Shot shape: You can also add curvature to your ball flight simply by moving it in your stance. For more draw spin, try moving the golf ball back of the starting point. For more fade spin, try moving it forward of the starting point.
The reason for these changes is where the golf ball is struck in your swing arc, which changes your face-to-path relationship. The farther back the ball is in your stance, the more inside-out golfers can can swing to give the ball draw/hook spin. And the farther forward your ball position is, the more outside path you will create, which will give your shots a fade/slice spin.
One further point on swing path: If you aim farther right, the golf ball will move back naturally, and if you aim farther left, the ball will move more forward.
Now you know how vitally important ball position is. Along with the grip, it is one of the most important fundamentals and the one MOST people struggle with. Golfers who slice tend to play the golf ball too far forward in their stance, and those who hook the ball tend to play it too far back in their stance. You need to overcome these instincts. If you do straighter, more well struck shots will be yours.
As always, feel free to send a swing video to my Facebook page and I will do my best to give you my feedback.
There may be no more painful affliction in golf than the “yips” – those uncontrollable and maddening little nervous twitches that prevent you from making a decent stroke on short putts. If you’ve never had them, consider yourself very fortunate (or possibly just very young). But I can assure you that when your most treacherous and feared golf shot is not the 195 yard approach over water with a quartering headwind…not the extra tight fairway with water left and sand right…not the soft bunker shot to a downhill pin with water on the other side…No, when your most feared shot is the remaining 2- 4-foot putt after hitting a great approach, recovery or lag putt, it makes the game almost painful.
And I’ve been fighting the yips (again) for a while now. It’s a recurring nightmare that has haunted me most of my adult life. I even had the yips when I was in my 20s, but I’ve beat them into submission off and on most of my adult life. But just recently, that nasty virus came to life once again. My lag putting has been very good, but when I get over one of those “you should make this” length putts, the entire nervous system seems to go haywire. I make great practice strokes, and then the most pitiful short-stroke or jab at the ball you can imagine. Sheesh.
But I’m a traditionalist, and do not look toward the long putter, belly putter, cross-hand, claw or other variation as the solution. My approach is to beat those damn yips into submission some other way. Here’s what I’m doing that is working pretty well, and I offer it to all of you who might have a similar affliction on the greens.
When you are over a short putt, forget the practice strokes…you want your natural eye-hand coordination to be unhindered by mechanics. Address your putt and take a good look at the hole, and back to the putter to ensure good alignment. Lighten your right hand grip on the putter and make sure that only the fingertips are in contact with the grip, to prevent you from getting to tight.
Then, take a long, long look at the hole to fill your entire mind and senses with the target. When you bring your head/eyes back to the ball, try to make a smooth, immediate move right into your backstroke — not even a second pause — and then let your hands and putter track right back together right back to where you were looking — the HOLE! Seeing the putter make contact with the ball, preferably even the forward edge of the ball – the side near the hole.
For me, this is working, but I am asking all of you to chime in with your own “home remedies” for the most aggravating and senseless of all golf maladies. It never hurts to have more to fall back on!
Over the last couple of decades, golf has become much more science-based. We measure swing speed, smash factor, angle of attack, strokes gained, and many other metrics that can really help golfers improve. But I often wonder if the advancement of golf’s “hard” sciences comes at the expense of the “soft” sciences.
Take, for example, golf instruction. Good golf instruction requires understanding swing mechanics and ball flight. But let’s take that as a given for PGA instructors. The other factors that make an instructor effective can be evaluated by social science, rather than launch monitors.
If you are a recreational golfer looking for a golf instructor, here are my top three points to consider.
1. Cultural mindset
What is “cultural mindset? To social scientists, it means whether a culture of genius or a culture of learning exists. In a golf instruction context, that may mean whether the teacher communicates a message that golf ability is something innate (you either have it or you don’t), or whether golf ability is something that can be learned. You want the latter!
It may sound obvious to suggest that you find a golf instructor who thinks you can improve, but my research suggests that it isn’t a given. In a large sample study of golf instructors, I found that when it came to recreational golfers, there was a wide range of belief systems. Some instructors strongly believed recreational golfers could improve through lessons. while others strongly believed they could not. And those beliefs manifested in the instructor’s feedback given to a student and the culture created for players.
2. Coping and self-modeling can beat role-modeling
Swing analysis technology is often preloaded with swings of PGA and LPGA Tour players. The swings of elite players are intended to be used for comparative purposes with golfers taking lessons. What social science tells us is that for novice and non-expert golfers, comparing swings to tour professionals can have the opposite effect of that intended. If you fit into the novice or non-expert category of golfer, you will learn more and be more motivated to change if you see yourself making a ‘better’ swing (self-modeling) or seeing your swing compared to a similar other (a coping model). Stay away from instructors who want to compare your swing with that of a tour player.
3. Learning theory basics
It is not a sexy selling point, but learning is a process, and that process is incremental – particularly for recreational adult players. Social science helps us understand this element of golf instruction. A good instructor will take learning slowly. He or she will give you just about enough information that challenges you, but is still manageable. The artful instructor will take time to decide what that one or two learning points are before jumping in to make full-scale swing changes. If the instructor moves too fast, you will probably leave the lesson with an arm’s length of swing thoughts and not really know which to focus on.
As an instructor, I develop a priority list of changes I want to make in a player’s technique. We then patiently and gradually work through that list. Beware of instructors who give you more than you can chew.
So if you are in the market for golf instruction, I encourage you to look beyond the X’s and O’s to find the right match!
Most pros take months, even years, to win their first tournament. Lottie Woad needed exactly four days.
The 21-year-old from Surrey shot 21-under 267 at Dundonald Links to win the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open by three shots — in her very first event as a professional. She’s only the third player in LPGA history to accomplish this feat, joining Rose Zhang (2023) and Beverly Hanson (1951).
But here’s what caught my attention as a coach: Woad didn’t win through miraculous putting or bombing 300-yard drives. She won through relentless precision and unshakeable composure. After watching her performance unfold, I’m convinced every golfer — from weekend warriors to scratch players — can steal pages from her playbook.
Precision Beats Power (And It’s Not Even Close)
Forget the driving contests. Woad proved that finding greens matters more than finding distance.
What Woad did:
• Hit it straight, hit it solid, give yourself chances
• Aimed for the fat parts of greens instead of chasing pins
• Let her putting do the talking after hitting safe targets
• As she said, “Everyone was chasing me today, and managed to maintain the lead and played really nicely down the stretch and hit a lot of good shots”
Why most golfers mess this up:
• They see a pin tucked behind a bunker and grab one more club to “go right at it”
• Distance becomes more important than accuracy
• They try to be heroic instead of smart
ACTION ITEM: For your next 10 rounds, aim for the center of every green regardless of pin position. Track your greens in regulation and watch your scores drop before your swing changes.
The Putter That Stayed Cool Under Fire
Woad started the final round two shots clear and immediately applied pressure with birdies at the 2nd and 3rd holes. When South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim mounted a charge and reached 20-under with a birdie at the 14th, Woad didn’t panic.
How she responded to pressure:
• Fired back with consecutive birdies at the 13th and 14th
• Watched Kim stumble with back-to-back bogeys
• Capped it with her fifth birdie of the day at the par-5 18th
• Stayed patient when others pressed, pressed when others cracked
What amateurs do wrong:
• Get conservative when they should be aggressive
• Try to force magic when steady play would win
• Panic when someone else makes a move
ACTION ITEM: Practice your 3-6 foot putts for 15 minutes after every range session. Woad’s putting wasn’t spectacular—it was reliable. Make the putts you should make.
Course Management 101: Play Your Game, Not the Course’s Game
Woad admitted she couldn’t see many scoreboards during the final round, but it didn’t matter. She stuck to her game plan regardless of what others were doing.
Her mental approach:
• Focused on her process, not the competition
• Drew on past pressure situations (Augusta National Women’s Amateur win)
• As she said, “That was the biggest tournament I played in at the time and was kind of my big win. So definitely felt the pressure of it more there, and I felt like all those experiences helped me with this”
Her physical execution:
• 270-yard drives (nothing flashy)
• Methodical iron play
• Steady putting
• Everything effective, nothing spectacular
ACTION ITEM: Create a yardage book for your home course. Know your distances to every pin, every hazard, every landing area. Stick to your plan no matter what your playing partners are doing.
Mental Toughness Isn’t Born, It’s Built
The most impressive part of Woad’s win? She genuinely didn’t expect it: “I definitely wasn’t expecting to win my first event as a pro, but I knew I was playing well, and I was hoping to contend.”
Her winning mindset:
• Didn’t put winning pressure on herself
• Focused on playing well and contending
• Made winning a byproduct of a good process
• Built confidence through recent experiences:
- Won the Women’s Irish Open as an amateur
- Missed a playoff by one shot at the Evian Championship
- Each experience prepared her for the next
What this means for you:
• Stop trying to shoot career rounds every time you tee up
• Focus on executing your pre-shot routine
• Commit to every shot
• Stay present in the moment
ACTION ITEM: Before each round, set process goals instead of score goals. Example: “I will take three practice swings before every shot” or “I will pick a specific target for every shot.” Let your score be the result, not the focus.
The Real Lesson
Woad collected $300,000 for her first professional victory, but the real prize was proving that fundamentals still work at golf’s highest level. She didn’t reinvent the game — she simply executed the basics better than everyone else that week.
The fundamentals that won:
• Hit more fairways
• Find more greens
• Make the putts you should make
• Stay patient under pressure
That’s something every golfer can do, regardless of handicap. Lottie Woad just showed us it’s still the winning formula.
FINAL ACTION ITEM: Pick one of the four action items above and commit to it for the next month. Master one fundamental before moving to the next. That’s how champions are built.
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” on RG.org 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!
‘Why would anybody want to change that swing?’ – Brandel Chamblee says PGA Tour star was wrong to change his swing
‘The stupidest freaking thing I’ve ever heard’ – Billy Horschel slams Open idea suggested by Padraig Harrington
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Golfer proudly posts photo of ball mark on iron, receives immediate roasting
WITB Time Machine: Matthew Wolff’s winning WITB, 2019 3M Open
Oakmont Country Club bans Wyndham Clark over locker incident; Reveals specific conditions to earn reinstatement
Adam Scott puts Callaway blades in the bag at Wyndham Championship
Report: LIV star fires caddie and coach in shock shake up
Rickie Fowler makes equipment change to ‘something that’s a little easier on the body’
The championship formula: How 3 key stats separate winners from the field
Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)
Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist...
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2025 Wyndham Championship
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
Camilo Villegas WITB 2025 (July)
Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Brandt Snedeker fired a final-round 65 at the 2018 Wyndham Championship to outlast Webb Simpson and C.T. Pan. His 5-under...
Col Walker
Mar 30, 2017 at 7:40 am
i kuke this article and your writings generally , but….
“One further point on swing path: If you aim farther right, the golf ball will move back naturally, and if you aim farther left, the ball will move more forward.”
are you still happy with this description? this seems to defy basic geometry to me
surely if a RH golfer sets up to ball with good basics, then as he/she gradually and progressively opens the stance , ie turning left, by say 20 degrees, then that ball is by definition moving BACK in their stance because if they were to set the club back down in front of them normally the clubhead would be way ahead of ball(and vice verca) please clarify thanks
KK
Aug 1, 2015 at 12:19 am
The pic of the lob wedge is incorrect in visualizing the manufactured loft. Lob wedges have more loft AND usually more bounce so you can’t sole the club that way or it will dig half way to China. And it will be de-lofted. The correct visualization of the lob with is, I believe, with the shaft position at the neutral position, must like the driver.
Pingback: Four tactics for the best golf swing
Pingback: Pointers To Make Your Next Round A Success
Joseph
Mar 13, 2014 at 1:19 am
I am 49 years old and just picked up my Taylor Made Burner Woods $ Ping Eye 2′ 1-W Irons after 23 years of not playing ANY golf whatsoever. I went and bought a Ping G15 1 12* Wood when I realized that my TMB was the size of a modern 5W, lol! To make a long story short, I shot a 101 (Redhawk Golf Club, Temecula Whites) after hitting about 100 balls at the practice range. If I hadnt chunked or topped so many darn iron shots I would have been in the mid-80’s most likely.
I havent been able to figure out this ball position thing and that is what is driving me nuts. With my driver, I can pretty much hit a Draw, Straight or Fade on demand as long as I dont screw up. My irons are driving me nuts because I cant figure out the ball position.
One thing not discussed here in your article is how far the ball should be away for you. You may have covered it by the Belly Button reference but it wasnt specifically addressed.
Another point is should you always (as a starting point) start with your ball off or your left heel and simply adjust the ball position for different clubs by adjusting your stance width or should your ball move forward or rear ward of your left heel based on your club selection.
Thanks,
Joe
Dennis Clark
Mar 13, 2014 at 7:34 pm
Check the rest of my articles. This might help: http://www.golfwrx.com/173231/how-far-to-stand-from-the-golf-ball/
Jake
Feb 26, 2014 at 4:01 pm
Dennis, I am a little confused on your explanation of “point the handle of your clubs towards at your belly button and the ball will be position correctly”. In photo 3 of your lob wedge, you can see (and you also state) that the handle is leaning past the head and is pointed to the golfer’s left shoulder. According to your explanation, this is the incorrect ball position because the handle is not pointed at the belly button. Now keeping the golfer’s right leg and the club planted where they are, we can point the handle at the belly button by pushing out the golfer’s left leg. So now the golfer has a widened stance and the butt of the golf club is pointing at the belly button (albeit at an angle). However, the golf ball is now no longer near the left foot or the center of the stance, it is now in the back of the stance by the golfer’s right foot. Are you saying that this is the correct ball position for a lob wedge? Also, in photo 4 the driver’s handle hardly leans left or right of the clubface. So by the belly button placement, the correct ball position for a driver is in the middle of the stance?
I am getting confused with your explanation, and I’m wondering if you can clarify it for me. I love your other articles, I just can’t seem to grasp this one haha. Keep writing Dennis, your tips and advice are greatly appreciated!
Dennis Clark
Feb 26, 2014 at 5:09 pm
Jake… these photos were taken to illustrate a procedure that one can use as a guideline for establishing ball position. Photo three is more done to illustrate that the wedge is built differently than the driver. In it I believe my hands are forward of the belt buckle; this photo is more to make the point i just described. Think of this article as a guide or system to help find a starting position. Nothing should be further back than the middle of the stance for normal trajectory shots, regardless of how wide the stance is. I wrote this tip to illustrate that clubs are built differently, and we line up to them accordingly. One of my top players (+5) prefers his hands well ahead to keep his attack angle steep enough; so it does vary. And remember that the hand position to start is NOT the position at impact. Thx for reading and Im glad you enjoy my instructional approach. DC
Dennis Clark
Feb 26, 2014 at 5:15 pm
Jake if you like my teaching, stay tuned for next article which details the most common drills I use to correct swing faults
Matt Reynolds
Feb 21, 2014 at 3:51 pm
Thanks for the article — but its just the opposite for me. I have been tinkering with the driver all ball position all winter and I finally think I have it figured out. Unfortunately…it is just the opposite as you said (due to my swing of course). When I play it off my heel I get a nice fade to almost a slice…but when I play it off my middle toe (well out front) I get my draw. Big toe is practically a straight shot. I feel that if I have the ball off my heel my hands are not allowing the club to fully rotate resulting in an open club face at impact and vice versa with the ball off my middle toe — she is starting to close and produces a mild draw. I know my swing is the issue…but it works and I have never been more consistent in my drives than I am right now heading into the 2014 season. Anywho, I just thought I would throw that out there… 🙂
Dennis Clark
Feb 21, 2014 at 4:58 pm
Matt
You need to get some FLIGHTSCOPE or Trackman numbers and send them my way…If you’re anywhere near naples FL, Id be glad to put you on my FLIGHTSCOPE machine. You have an unusual face to path relationship and Id love to see it. This of course is assuming center contact; heel hits and toe hits, all bets are off
Robert Rohanna
Feb 21, 2014 at 3:11 pm
Thank you Dennis. This is a method that Dennis taught me when I was struggling with my ball position. It helped me win the state open Championship.
Dennis Clark
Feb 21, 2014 at 3:29 pm
You’re welcome Robert. I might add that Robert just posted a nifty 136 at the half way mark in his first PGA co sponsored event. We have worked together for some 10 years and you’re about to hear a lot about him. A great talent and student! Nice playing Robert.
Jerry Stidham
Feb 20, 2014 at 6:27 pm
Just so I am clear, does the “handle” of the club always point to your navel at address?
thx
Jerry
Dennis Clark
Feb 20, 2014 at 6:30 pm
Pretty much…other than specialty shots, i.e. low or high, yes pretty close. At least it’s a good reference point.
Shallowface
Feb 21, 2014 at 11:53 am
Jerry, that’s why I asked the questions and made the comments I made. What I saw in Photo 3 didn’t seem to match the text.
Here’s another point of view.
http://www.leisuregolfbr.com/ball-position/
Sean
Aug 6, 2019 at 4:26 pm
The camera angle on the photos of Nicklaus you link to isn’t square to his target line. This is why it appears that the handle of each club isn’t approximately pointed at his navel. Camera angles when filming or photographing a swing are critical – anything that isn’t aligned to the target line (e.g. put a club or alignment stake down on the ground and square the camera to it) will cause parallax issues.
Jack is doing essentially what Dennis describes – widening or narrowing his stance to produce the appropriate ball position. Also, keep in mind that Jack played a cut/fade, so he moved the ball a bit more forward in general to promote a left path at impact.
Travis
Feb 20, 2014 at 12:10 am
Don’t let the interwebs know it alls get you down, Dennis. I literally shot 8 strokes lower doing this today compared to 6 days ago on the same course. I couldn’t believe how well I was striking the ball!
Thanks for sharing this!
Dennis Clark
Feb 20, 2014 at 7:13 am
You’re welcome; I share my experiences of 50 years being around this game because it’s what we as dedicated PGA Professionals do. It is our job to help promote and grow the game. My instructional pieces are almost all experiential. Hogan once said that the answer to golf is “in the dirt”. So is Teaching. It is not found on the internet, in books or tapes. When one stands behind people on the lesson tee for 30+ years, patterns emerge. The things that work, I use; those that don’t, I simply abandon. And hopefully my readers are the benefactors of that “research” 🙂
Dennis Clark
Feb 19, 2014 at 8:31 pm
The suggestions I make are generalized tips that I have seen be effective over a number of years. But if the way you’re doing it now is working FOR YOU, please…continue! It’s not about prettier, it’s all about making the golf ball behave!
Shallowface
Feb 20, 2014 at 5:46 am
That’s what’s it’s all about, Dennis. Exchanging ideas so we all get better. Nice talking to you!
Jack
Feb 19, 2014 at 10:01 am
Thanks for the article Dennis, this is great info. Do you ever make it back up to Philly?
Dennis Clark
Feb 19, 2014 at 8:28 pm
I did last summer unfortunately I was in a building most of the time! I had open heart surgery at U of P. Very successful and feeling GREAT! Did you work with me up there?
Jack
Feb 20, 2014 at 11:53 am
Great to hear you feeling better! No we have not worked together, but would love to have you out over at Huntingdon Valley CC if you are in the area.
Dennis Clark
Feb 20, 2014 at 12:06 pm
Thx. I’d love to. I might do some teaching in the Philly area this summer.
Sam
Feb 19, 2014 at 9:36 am
Dennis,
Amazing info. Thanks for taking the time to explain.
Shallowface
Feb 19, 2014 at 8:00 am
You say to start with the handle pointed at the belly button, but with the wedge in photo 3 it looks like the handle is pointing ahead of that.
What I do notice is that the hands are in the same place opposite the inside of your left thigh with every club, and then the construction of the club, dictates the ball position.
That’s how I get my ball position. Sam Snead wrote about that in a book back in the mid 70s. He described it as putting the hands in an imaginary holster opposite the inside of the left thigh.
Then, let’s say you want to move it back for a low shot. The ball moves back, but the hands stay up front. I see so many people move the hands back along with the ball. It doesn’t work.
Getting the hands in the right place in front of me, at the correct height, and my eyes parallel to my target line (which I hardly ever see mentioned in modern instruction but failure to do it is the cause of all kinds of problems including the yips) are the three critical pre-swing things for me to be consistent.
Dennis Clark
Feb 19, 2014 at 8:59 am
Dynamic loft alteration. Greenside bunkers hands behind. Lob shot hands behind….jacks eyes weren’t parallel when he cocked his head. They get parallel when clubface is square, left when it’s closed, right when it’s open. That’s where many of my students over the last 30 years have struggled. Slicers look left, those who hook right.
Shallowface
Feb 19, 2014 at 12:47 pm
In Golf My Way, Nicklaus blamed turning his head to where his eyes were lined to the right for his three year slump in the late 1960s, a slump which featured a lot of hooks and a reduced ability to fade the ball. He said he corrected the faulty head turn and they were parallel after that.
Dennis Clark
Feb 19, 2014 at 1:50 pm
http://youtu.be/4kjHIseDz4g
Shallowface
Feb 19, 2014 at 2:53 pm
Page 104 and 105 of Golf My Way.
Dennis Clark
Feb 19, 2014 at 3:15 pm
I have helped thousands of students closing their shoulders and cocking their head to the right. Those who take the club up and outside can’t see the inside unless their looking that way. Jack did it his whole life. Look at the 5 iron on 16 at the 86 Masters. “Golf My Way” is a good read not entirely instructive. I watched Jack hit balls at Lost Tree Village many times and walked with him dozens of times at various points in his career. He’s the greatest champion the game had ever known but didn’t always do what he thought he did. Thx. DC
Shallowface
Feb 19, 2014 at 5:21 pm
Just watched that video.
Of course I can see the head turn back, but it’s impossible to say that the alignment of the eyes changed.
The few instructors (Jim Flick is one) I’ve seen that mentioned eye alignment felt that aligning the eyes to the right is a recipe for disaster.
I know it is for me. I saw Michael Breed give a lesson to one of the Big Break contestants and fixed his chipping yips by fixing his eye alignment. I’d been fighting that for years. Made that one change, no more chipping yips.
I’m glad you were able to help some folks with it, but it’s a disaster for me.
Dennis Clark
Feb 18, 2014 at 9:55 pm
Photo 1 looks more left heel you mean. The answer is something called parallax. A slight difference in camera angle makes a big difference in appearance. Ever look at the speedometer from the passenger seat? Wedge near middle of narrow stance, driver off left heel of wider.
Andrew
Feb 18, 2014 at 9:42 pm
Is Photo 3 and 4 the spots you’d actually place the ball to hit a standard drive/wedge shot? If so, it looks like you are playing the ball 3-4″ off the left heel. Photo 1 looks more like just off the right heel.
Daniel
Feb 19, 2014 at 11:58 am
If you put a ball in front of the clubhead in those photos it would be in the proper spot. Photo 1 looks correct because there is a ball in front of the club.
Martin
Feb 18, 2014 at 8:04 pm
I totally agree with the article and this is almost always the problem when I start hitting it bad.
Only does my experience differ with the driver, when I tee it back a bit I tend to hit down on it and hit big ballooning fades with 8 iron spin.
paul
Feb 18, 2014 at 7:28 pm
I totally agree with the title. Its the easiest thing to forget about during setup. Its really easy to put the ball in the same spot everytime regardless of club. I found with my wedges I always hit balls right of the hole (lefty). Moved the ball back 2″ and I hit straight, 2″ more puts balls on the left side of the pin. Now I know where to aim, and put the ball. Can’t wait for the snow to leave and hit the range to experiment.
Dennis Clark
Feb 18, 2014 at 7:56 pm
You and thousands it seems. Im lucky to live in Naples, FL but I hear horror stories north of here! Snow must go!
Pete
Feb 18, 2014 at 8:11 pm
How do I send a swing video to you Dennis?
Dennis Clark
Feb 18, 2014 at 8:31 pm
YOU TUBE and let me know the name/number of the video