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When you swing a golf club well you do so without any conscious thoughts. Or in other words you swing the club automatically using your subconscious mind. And the better and more consistent your setup the more you’ll be able to swing automatically.
But one huge determining factor as to whether or not you become a consistent ball striker will be where you position the ball in your stance and how consistently you get the ball positioned where it needs to be for each club. Because if your ball is positioned poorly then you’ll need to make a lot of compensations as you swing and this will mean you’ll greatly lack consistency.
So now you know this, here’s where you need to position the ball in your stance to become a consistent ball striker.
* For your Driver and 3 Wood your ball should be positioned directly off your left foot instep.
* Then for your 2-iron through to 6-iron your ball should be positioned a ball width inside your left instep.
* Finally for your 7-iron through to 9-iron your ball should be positioned two ball widths inside your left instep.
So there you go. That’s where you should position the ball for all the clubs in your bag. But after seeing this you may be wondering why I teach you three ball positions when it would be so much easier to have just one ball position.
Well, here’s the reason.
When you swing a driver you need a more sweeping motion than you do with say a 5-iron. And if you had just one ball position for both of these clubs then you would have to adjust your swing consciously to produce the correct swing motion (i.e. a sweeping one for a driver and a more downward blow with a 5-iron) and that’s not good.
Even though this may look a bit complicated at the moment, just trust me that these three ball positions are just a habit that you need to create. And in The Long Game Improvement Plan I teach you how to turn these ball positions into habits by showing you how to create a ball position template. Once you’ve done that you’ll then be able to practice the correct ball positioning over and over again. And by doing this it will help to give you amazing ball-striking consistency.
Tags: club, consistent, swing
March 6th, 2008 at 11:37 pm
How does widening or narrowing your stance affect these ball positions?
March 7th, 2008 at 12:07 am
It would be helpful if you could post photos of the various positions.
March 7th, 2008 at 3:56 am
Thank you Nick for your consistent guidance. Jamuna
March 7th, 2008 at 10:19 pm
There is so much wrong with my swing.
I don’t know why I even keep playing,
starting with grip,setup,stance.
Knowing where to play the ball in my stance is going to be a big help!
thank you Nick.
March 7th, 2008 at 11:32 pm
What about the wedges? I generally play them about center of the stance unless I am trying a shot that requires some adjustment. Also a low punch shot needs a ball position toward the back foot to de-loft the club and keep the ball under overhanging branches.
March 8th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
Type your comment here.
Thanks for your comments Nick. To John K Hines remember that ball that one day you got hold of and it sailed into oblivion miles down the fairway and in the middle. The thrill you got. That is why I play and why I practice to recuperate that feeling again and again. Keep it up and it will happen more and more. Cheers, Walter Booth.
March 9th, 2008 at 4:54 am
Hmmm… I follow you on the driver and 3 wood, but for the other clubs it sounds a bit far forward to me? I normally go for the ball being somewhere in the middle of my stance (but without giving it too much thought!) I’ll give this a go next time I’m on the course.
sontaya,
Chiang Mai Golf
March 10th, 2008 at 12:34 am
I think Mr. Vaughn’s suggestion is correct.
March 11th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
Neville – widening or narrowing your stance should have no affect on these ball positions. Because if you’re a right hander you should simply be moving your right foot in or out depending on the club you’re using.
Jim – When you’re using your wedges generally you should position the ball in the middle of your stance.
Roy and Aminullah – I have pictures etc. on these ball positions in The Long Game Improvement Program:
http://www.consistentgolfschool.com/longgame.htm
Thanks.
-Nick
April 4th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
Hi Nick,
That last video seamed like your ball position had drifted back in your stance a bit. Maybe camera angle. But I find its something I have to be careful of. Also wondering, have you done any work with the Hogan power move? Ps My swing speed is 117mph