2008-01-11 / Sports

Golf Instruction - Pick the Right Ball Position

By Joel Garyn

(A USGTF Golf Professional, you can contact him for lessons at 347-404- 3751.)

The trick? Know where your nose is.

Each club in your bag has a unique length and lie angle (the angle the shaft creates when the clubhead is soled (The bottom surface of the head of a golf club, which is on the ground). Because of this, you must vary where you play the ball in your stance to accommodate the dimensions of the club in your hands.

As a general rule, the longer the club, the more forward you should position the ball in your stance. But the ball should never be to the left of your left shoulder or to the right of your nose: regardless of which club you're using for full swings.

To simplify the object of correct ball position, you should be putting the ball at a point that allows the bottom of the swing arc to make the contact. The bottom of the swing arc is normally 2 to 3 inches off the inside of your left heel. The distance from the ball should change and is determined by the length of the club.

Usually the butt-handle of the club should rest one fist away from the inside of your left thigh on all irons and two for the driver.

As the club gets longer, so you stand further away from the ball. Keep the same ball position in relation to the left foot, which makes ball position easier to understand and to reproduce.

Driver; Position the ball even with the outside of your left shoulder.

Hybrid/Woods; Position the ball even with the center of your left armpit.

3-through 6 iron; Position the ball even with your left ear for long and mid-irons.

Short Irons; Play the ball off your left cheek for short irons and wedges.

Putter-Play; the ball even with your nose to sink more putts. Once you have your ball position set, check your weight distribution and your shaft position.

If you have difficulty making clean contact consistently, press the shaft slightly forward by moving your hands toward the target. This will give you a good chance for ball-first contact.

A great many of my students have this common problem area and I defrom vote a considerable amount of time on the following.

Please read and re-read this and bring this with you to your next practice.

It's that important and once you understand and achieve this area you take a giant step forward in your learning process. LEVELS- THE KEY TO CONSISTENT CONTACTIn

order to contact the golf ball squarely, the body MUST remain level. Any up or down motion in the level at which the clubface contacts the ball is not desirable.

For example, the golf club is merely swinging in a circle around the body. If the body moves up or down so does the circle. There are four areas in the body that can change in levels and compromise solid contact.

The knees. If the knees start in a slightly flexed position at address and straighten or bend excessively through the swing-solid contact is compromised.

The feet. If a player begins the swinging motion with both feet planted and gets to the top of the swing with either foot more than an inch off the ground-solid contact is compromised.

3. The arms. If the lead arm near the target is folded at impact, a major loss in power occurs and it is likely a topped shot will result- solid contact is compromised.

The spine. If the spine angle goes up 3 inches in the backswing it must return 3 inches down at impact to allow the clubhead to contact the ball solidly. This is a tall task to do consistently, because if the spine does not make the correct downswing adjustment, solid contact is compromised.

Obviously all these areas must remain at the SAME LEVEL throughout the swing. If they do not, inconsistency is the result. It only takes one level change to affect solid ball contact. Again, the above is critical to work on during your practice.

I hope some of my ideas have been helpful. Please e-mail me with any questions and I will be glad to help you.

Email me at- asemember@aol.com Next Instruction- The Backswing.

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