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Where to put ball in stance?

token_hottie

token_mommy... oops!
Jan 12, 2006
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How do you know where to place the ball in your stance depending on which club you hit? I'm sure everyone has a different method, and I'm interested in hearing all of them. Up to this point I just hit out of the middle of my stance for every club and I know this isn't right and is probably contributing to a lot of the problems I am having with my swing.

Cheers,
TH
 

Rockford35

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Harvey Penick stated that the only club that should ever be at the inside of your left foot (for a righty) should be the driver. That way, you catch it on the upswing.

I usually start with my fairways and 3 iron about an inch back of off my left heel (the inside of your left foot). Then, I work my way backwards from there about 3/4 of an inch at a time. But, depending on the conditions and the shot trajectory that I'm looking for, that can change. If I want a lower shot, I move it back in my stance.

Does that make sense?

R35
 
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token_hottie

token_hottie

token_mommy... oops!
Jan 12, 2006
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Doesn't sound like a very scientific explanation... is it just what "feels" right?
 

Rockford35

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Pretty much. Everyone is unique.

But, as a rule of thumb, the longer clubs should have the ball lined up with the inside of your left foot and your shortest clubs should be in the middle of your stance or a little farther back. Then just make the appropriate adjustments for each club. For example, if the 3 iron is off the front foot, then the 6 iron would be inbetween where the 3 iron and 9 iron would be, right?

But it's all feel and personal choice. That's just a fundamental to get you started. You'll figure out what works best for you through trial and error.

R35
 
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token_hottie

token_hottie

token_mommy... oops!
Jan 12, 2006
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What does moving the ball in your stance do? Why not hit every ball from the center?
 

Rockford35

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It helps in getting the ball airborne. The more lofted clubs have the loft built into them, so they don't need to be hit on the upswing.

A 3iron is obviously harder to hit than a wedge, no? That's because you're delofting a low lofted club at the center of your stance. Which makes it even harder to hit.

Now, as you learn to hit your long irons better (which never happens in almost every golfers experience, so don't freak if it doesn't work out), you can slowly move the ball back towards center to slightly increase your distance.

But isn't it better to hit a 3 iron 175 yards dead straight instead of 215 yards slicing to the right?

R35
 

Butcho22

Well-Known Member
Feb 16, 2006
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Where you play the ball in your stance is decided by a number of different factors. Most importantly, how you swing. Tour players and low handicappers get through the ball every time. Meaning they have a proper weightshift, allowing the club to strike the ball properly. That is why they can hit a 3-iron with the ball just off the left heel. This gives the shot tremendous hight.
Most golfers however, do not get through the ball properly, which means they have to play the ball more back in their stance. Otherwise the club will hit the ground behind the ball more often than not. We could get into drills about solving this, but i'll just stick to the topic.
For the more advanced....
It all depends on the lie. Uphill? Downhill? Sidehill? Hitting a fade? Draw? Need to hook it or slice it around a tree?
Generally, the further forward the ball is in your stance, the more it will tend to fade, or slice. The further back, the easier it is to draw, or hook the ball. Need to hit a HUGE slice? Put the ball just off your left heel, open the clubface, and let her rip. It's impossible NOT to hit some type of left to right shot using this setup. I'm tired of writing, but basically, just try different things, off different lies, and you'll start picking up on the patterns.
 

Pa Jayhawk

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Nov 15, 2005
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I have found that for beginners alot of instructors will have you keep the ball slightly back in your stance to promote hitting down on the ball until you understand it is needed for irons. I have also heard most recommend the ball be under your heart for Right handed players, although I still keep the ball slightly back from this point and more towards the middle of my stance because I get alot more fat shots if I do not. Probably because I do not hit through the ball and shift my weight as much as I should. This is usually one of the key things I work on while at the range.
 

Eracer

No more triple bogies!!
Oct 31, 2005
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This was taught to me by a club pro.

Hold the club in your normal grip and extend the club straight out from your body at a 45-deg. angle to the ground. Now use only your wrists to make the shaft parallel to your left arm. Do not rotate your shoulders. The grip end should be pointing at your left shoulder. Rotate the club in your hands until the grooves are straight up and down. Now let the club fall into a normal address position, with the shaft lining up with left arm. You will find that the clubhead will fall into the correct ball position. You will notice that that position will seem pretty far back in your stance for the short clubs, and will move forward as the club length increases. Feel ain't real... What seems too far back for you will actually be correct.

More advanced players will find this method produces a ball position that is too far back in the stance (for reasons stated by others in this thread) and it doesn't really work for the driver. But for most players who are new to the game, it's an easy method for quantifying your own ball position.
 

Witmaster

Esprit de Corps
Jan 19, 2006
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When driving or using my fairway woods I start with the ball alligned even with my left eye (like I'm sighting in a gun). This really works well for me since I have a tendency to "scoop" the ball on my swing. From there i adjust forward or back in my stance to get the desired loft.

When swinging my irons, I align up dead center on the ball.
 

ezra76

Well-Known Member
Feb 5, 2006
12,412
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I start off the left heel with the driver and move progressively back as I go up in loft. With 8-PW shots I also open my stance a little. Also there is the ball position on the x axis. I get this position by holding the club at about a 45 degree angle and relaxing my grip, letting the point where my arms and the club connect bend a little. I have found most of my position problems have been on the x not the y axis ie: standing too far away from the ball and reaching for it.
 

EnglishGolfer

Talks a good game
Oct 3, 2005
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token_hottie said:
Doesn't sound like a very scientific explanation... is it just what "feels" right?

Very true. i think that there is a definite way that everybody could do and it would be perfectly adequate, but then it is a matter of small tweaks to suit the individual to maximize our limited golfing ability. Ezra has the right idea by having a set up routine that is repeatable and provides a good foundation for a, lets call it "athletic movement" then you can't go far wrong. I've noticed a marked improvement in my game since I got my set up aligned professionally and developed my own routine to make sure I get it right every time.

I play every iron from about an inch left of the centre of my stance (I'm right handed) then for woods move further left. HOWEVER, I think the left foot is too far to the left. I think your heart is a much better guide. by having the ball aligned with your left foot you are almost reaching for it at impact which makes it very difficult to maintain the angles on the dwonswing until the optimum moment. If you do this ou waste a significant chunk of the potential energy that you took such care to create on your back swing.

My final words on the mater as I've gone on for too long and you've probably nodded of by now, my routine is thus:

1) Align club head behind ball
2) Stand with feet together perpendicular to target at comfrtable distance
3) Take grip
4) Move left foot about 6 inches left
5)Move right foot whatever distance is required for length of club
6) take a second to let everyone gasp at your flawless, professional set up
7) SWING
8) Ask everyone to help you look for your potentially lost ball seeing as you were that busy thinking about the set up that you have duffed the ball in to the trees................... oops!
 

ezra76

Well-Known Member
Feb 5, 2006
12,412
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Thank for the compliment EG. I think that most beginning golfers (myself included) make this a lot more complicated than it really needs to be. I kind of figured it out after I developed a swing I was comfortable with repeating and a little tip I read. That was to aim the face at the target, then take the stance. I would always send my 8-pw left of my target, the face is more open on these clubs, I compensated by opening the stance a little. My GIR's doubled immediately (from 2 to 4) :)
 
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token_hottie

token_hottie

token_mommy... oops!
Jan 12, 2006
580
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My final words on the mater as I've gone on for too long and you've probably nodded of by now, my routine is thus:

1) Align club head behind ball
2) Stand with feet together perpendicular to target at comfrtable distance
3) Take grip
4) Move left foot about 6 inches left
5)Move right foot whatever distance is required for length of club
6) take a second to let everyone gasp at your flawless, professional set up
7) SWING
8) Ask everyone to help you look for your potentially lost ball seeing as you were that busy thinking about the set up that you have duffed the ball in to the trees................... oops!

I will try this method this weekend when I go to the range... thanks!
 

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