When I started golfing several years ago, I assumed I would automatically be a scratch golfer. Come on, how hard can it be to swing a club at a ball, right? Well, an 80 something on 9 holes sure was humbling.
I started paying attention to what other golfers were doing and asking questions. A lot of questions. So many questions the answers started being “I don’t know” when I knew he damn well did know the answer.
Recognizing that I was being a pita and that nobody was going to want to play with me if I kept it up, I turned to the internet. Well, let me tell you if you have not already learned, everyone has an opinion on the right way to golf and nobody agrees!
This was serious, my ego was taking a hit and surprisingly my language got worse than it already was. Plus, my husband started wearing headphones! Talk about making a point!! 😊
Time to Research
Fortunately, I am pretty darn good at research and verifying information with multiple sources. So that is what I did. I would pick one thing I was not sure of and research it until I was satisfied that the information I had was accurate. The next step was making it second nature on the course.
Thought it would be fun to start sharing some of my findings. I would be interested to know if you agree with what I found or if you have a better idea for me to try. I have yet to hit under 100 and this is my year! Follow along and let us see if all my research (and the new 9 wood) will pay off.
One of the first things I was not sure about was where to put the ball in relation to my feet. Seemed everyone did it just a little differently. At 5’3” I struggled following what the men were doing, especially since many of them were almost a foot taller than me.
Below is what I ended up adding to my Golf Tip Book.
Golf Ball Position
The position of the golf ball in relation to your stance depends on the club you are using and the type of shot you want to hit. Here are some general guidelines:
1. Driver: For the driver, you typically want to position the ball off your front heel. This promotes an upward strike on the ball, allowing you to maximize distance off the tee.
2. Irons: As you move down to shorter irons, the ball position should gradually move back toward the center of your stance. For mid-irons (5-7 irons), a good starting point is to have the ball in line with the logo on your shirt. For short irons (8-9 irons), the ball can be slightly further back, around the center of your stance.
3. Wedges: With wedges, such as pitching wedge, sand wedge, or lob wedge, you can position the ball slightly further back in your stance, around one or two inches back from the center. This helps promote a steeper angle of attack, allowing you to control trajectory and spin.
There is no one way
Remember that these are general guidelines, and individual preferences may vary. It is also important to consider factors such as your swing mechanics, the type of shot you want to hit (e.g., high, or low), and course conditions. Experimenting with different ball positions during practice can help you find the optimal position that suits your swing and desired shot outcome.
Still figuring out what is optimal for me but getting close. Let me know if you have any suggestions, I promise to keep questions to a minimum. 😊
