GolfTEC
Official Improvement Center of THP
The goal of a proper ball position is to help the golfer strike the ball in a manner that optimizes the flight of the ball and encourage the proper angle of attack based on how the club is designed to strike the ball. Irons are desigend to strike a ball differently then a driver...
Over the years and the 900+ people I have worked with I have heard so many different thoughts, explanations, previously taught ideas, etc....about where the ball is to be played in the stance. Thoughts that the ball should be played more back in the stance for higher lofted clubs to the ball progressively moving up for longer clubs to playing the ball in the same position for every club. While some of them do make some sense initially, please read through how I explain it and see if this helps any of you out there curious as to where you should play your ball with your irons. I will add more for the hybrids and other woods but its 10:20pm and I was outside teaching from 8am - 7:30pm today with the temperatures in the high 90's and baked right now.
Irons
I teach ONE ball position for every iron for a normal stock shot. I do not teach a varying ball position for longer or shorter irons. Why??? The main goal I hear day in and day out is to be more consistent and to me having a ball position that varies for the irons you play leads to possibly 2, 3, or possibly 8 different ball positions. If you want to be consistent then start with playing the ball in the same spot relative to your left heel. Work on being consistent with one position vs. eight! I like the ball either one clubhead or two golf balls width inside of the left heel (for a right handed player) FOR EVERY IRON. For you leftys it would be the same distance inside of the right heel. If a player desires to flight the ball lower then he/ she can move it back one balls width. For a higher flight play the ball one balls width forward.
Here's where it should start to click if you are doing this at home or work! You don't need a club to do this either...
Instead of varying your ball position, the variable that I teach is the RIGHT FOOT. By narrowing or widening my right foot at setup with the correct ball position relative to the left foot the ball will look more forward or more back in the stance, but the ball position and the left foot are constant/ consistent.
Example#1 - If I were playing a 5 iron vs. a Pitching Wedge I would have wider stance and the ball would appear more forward in my stance vs. with a narrower stance for my Pitching Wedge.
Example #2 - For my chips, I have students narrow their stance so much that the ball appears more back in the stance but relative to my left foot it has not moved from where I play my 5 iron or any other iron shot.
I will work on getting some photos up to show this but not sure when I will be able to do this. Looking forward to hearing what all of you think about that concept!
Over the years and the 900+ people I have worked with I have heard so many different thoughts, explanations, previously taught ideas, etc....about where the ball is to be played in the stance. Thoughts that the ball should be played more back in the stance for higher lofted clubs to the ball progressively moving up for longer clubs to playing the ball in the same position for every club. While some of them do make some sense initially, please read through how I explain it and see if this helps any of you out there curious as to where you should play your ball with your irons. I will add more for the hybrids and other woods but its 10:20pm and I was outside teaching from 8am - 7:30pm today with the temperatures in the high 90's and baked right now.
Irons
I teach ONE ball position for every iron for a normal stock shot. I do not teach a varying ball position for longer or shorter irons. Why??? The main goal I hear day in and day out is to be more consistent and to me having a ball position that varies for the irons you play leads to possibly 2, 3, or possibly 8 different ball positions. If you want to be consistent then start with playing the ball in the same spot relative to your left heel. Work on being consistent with one position vs. eight! I like the ball either one clubhead or two golf balls width inside of the left heel (for a right handed player) FOR EVERY IRON. For you leftys it would be the same distance inside of the right heel. If a player desires to flight the ball lower then he/ she can move it back one balls width. For a higher flight play the ball one balls width forward.
Here's where it should start to click if you are doing this at home or work! You don't need a club to do this either...
Instead of varying your ball position, the variable that I teach is the RIGHT FOOT. By narrowing or widening my right foot at setup with the correct ball position relative to the left foot the ball will look more forward or more back in the stance, but the ball position and the left foot are constant/ consistent.
Example#1 - If I were playing a 5 iron vs. a Pitching Wedge I would have wider stance and the ball would appear more forward in my stance vs. with a narrower stance for my Pitching Wedge.
Example #2 - For my chips, I have students narrow their stance so much that the ball appears more back in the stance but relative to my left foot it has not moved from where I play my 5 iron or any other iron shot.
I will work on getting some photos up to show this but not sure when I will be able to do this. Looking forward to hearing what all of you think about that concept!
