Free Golf Tips Hole 10

10 Setup

Ball position

One ball position for every club is why the contact changes when the club changes.

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The situation

You hit the ground before the ball, or you catch the ball thin, and the thing you keep moving is where the ball sits. Ball position is a landmark between the feet, not a feeling. Get the aim agreed first, then place the ball.

A check you can do

For a mid-iron, a 7-iron or something like it, the ball should sit a ball's width toward the target from the middle of your stance. If your 7-iron ball is already up by the lead toe, contact is late and the ball often starts right or thin. For the driver, the ball belongs opposite the lead heel, not in the middle.

The fix

  1. 01
    Set the feet before you chase the ball Stance width stays quiet. Then place the ball. Do not walk the feet around a ball that is already down and hope the middle appears.
  2. 02
    Mid-iron: a ball forward of center Find the middle by eye, between the arches, and move the ball one ball toward the target. Hands sit slightly ahead of the clubhead, not jammed back past your trail thigh.
  3. 03
    Wedge and chip: center, or a touch back Shorter clubs meet the ball sooner. A ball that is too far forward makes the face add loft you did not ask for, or makes you hit up on a club that wants to hit down a little. The chip uses this same idea.
  4. 04
    Hybrid and fairway wood: between the iron and the driver Forward of the mid-iron spot. Not all the way to the lead heel unless the ball is on a tee. If the driver is the problem, this is often the club that passes the check on the tee shot page.
  5. 05
    Driver: opposite the lead heel Tee it so about half the ball sits above the top line of the face. After you place it, reset the face. Do not let the forward ball drag the shoulders open. An open shoulder plus a forward ball is a slice recipe even with a decent grip.
  6. 06
    Hit three without moving your feet The contact should sound the same. If it only works when you slide the ball around between shots, come back to the mid-iron check and start again.