Why Is Correct Golf Ball Position So Important?
Correct ball position is arguably the second most fundamental concept in golf.
Yet, many golfers often have trouble hitting the ball the way they intend to when they set up to the golf ball.
If you are one of these golfers, or if you want to become one, it’s time to fix your ball position.
Ball position is typically the last thing golfers check before they take their shot, but it should actually be among the first.
Simply put, you can’t hit to your target if you are aiming at the wrong place.
And you really can’t do so if you think you are aiming at the right spot, but your body doesn’t.
Why is that, you ask?
Because the way you naturally move and align your body when you address the ball is the same way you will move when you swing.
So if you have incorrect ball position, you are likely doing something completely different in your swing.
These differences cause your body to compensate and alter your swing mechanics.
So it’s important to ensure your ball position and swing plane are consistent with each other so you can generate the maximum amount of power possible.
That’s why repair your ball position as soon as possible.
Types of Golf Ball Alignment
The golf ball alignment on the face of a golf club is important. It can affect the distance, accuracy, and spin. When you are a beginner to golf, you want to develop your game from all the different aspects. It will surely help you in the long run. The golf ball alignment needs to be addressed at any stage of the game. The alignment should be consistent with the different clubs so you will be accurate with all of them.
You should not entangle with the appearance of the golf ball. You have to be first and focused on the alignment for your driving as well as your putting. So you have to make a decision who to accept the fact that the golf ball alignments are important. Some players will hope that they will be able to overcome this problem with their shots. This is not the right way to approach it.
Here are the two main alignments used for your game.
Ball Alignment for Sand Wedge
A proper weight distribution during a swing is crucial for the ball to travel farther and straighter.
If you are a right-handed player, your clubhead should be closer to your right hip for a sand wedge shot. Any distance before the right hip should be avoided because the club is likely to hit the ball higher. Going just a bit farther back will allow you to achieve a lower-phased swing.
As for your feet, you should reposition them slightly farther from the ball.
To have a strong, lower-phased swing, your lower body should be more active.
You should use both your lower body and the left leg.
This is especially true if you think that the sand wedge hasn’t been effective for you in the past.
Just make sure that your lower body is grounded throughout the process. If you can achieve this, you will definitely hit the shot farther.
Ball Alignment for 7-Iron
Many attribute the success or failure of a one iron shot to the position of the ball. In some cases, they may be correct. However, what is more important than just the ball position is the position of the ball in the stance.
The ball should always be positioned to the middle of the stance. It is then when the power transfers from the ground to the ball that you experience better results.
This is why most golf instructors recommend that you already select a club before you select the ball. The location of the ball in the stance is different for each type of club.
Ball Alignment for 3-Iron
Locate the left side of the handle of your club. In this case, you will start with your left hand. When you put your left hand at the heel of the club, the heel should align with the center of the ball. If, for example, your ball is a Titleist, the Titleist label will be the reference point here.
Ball Alignment for Driver
For golfers, the ball position in driver play is the most basic and fundamental aspect of the golf swing. The golf ball position is something that most golfers get wrong and then wonder why they are going wayward in their long irons and woods.
The ball position in driver for all practical purposes is the position of the golf ball on the face of the driver at the exact point of impact. This is where golfers must place the golf ball so that they can generate the optimal amount of driver face velocity and driver distance.
The position of the golf ball in driver has a very big influence on the golf ball distance and the directional travel when it hits the ground. If the ball is placed too far back on the face of the driver, the ball will have a low spin rate and will travel straight into the ground causing it to stop a lot for the next few feet of its flight.
This puts a lot of stress on the low back muscles of the golfer and also causes a lot of inconsistency since the driver can easily hook off or pull off the golf ball.
If the ball is placed too far forward, it will generate a lot of spin so that it will travel a lot of distance sideways instead of flying straight. This is good on the golf course since it allows you to have a shorter shot from the rough.
What to Consider For Golf Ball Positioning?
According to golf professionals, a beginner should always place their golf ball behind the ball marker, lining up the club with the middle of the ball marker.
This means that the clubface should be aiming directly at the middle of the ball.
Experienced golfers tend to play it by feel.
If the golf ball appears too high up, they’ll move the ball back – toward the ball marker. This allows them to hit downwards on the ball to produce a steeper angle of ascent and descent.
Moving the ball forward lowers the trajectory/angle of the club head.
This is handy when the wind is blowing straight into the player’s face and they also need to play for the bunker at the front of the green.
Experienced golfers also know that a steeper angle produces a shorter shot.
They will often place the ball slightly behind the ball marker if they need to cut off a dog leg on the left – bending the ball slightly upward.
Golf Club
The first thing everyone notices about your golf swing is your golf club face angle. Incorrect club face angle is the most common reason for a poor-looking golf swing. Your golf club should be aligned perfectly when you take your address position. To make sure this position is correct, your golf club face angles should have the same relationship with the target as your toes have with the ground.
Your dominant hand leads the club face at impact as it replaces your guide hand and sets the angle you want your club face pointed.
It is best to start learning about the golf swing setup with your address position and club face angle. When you line these two at the target, you will be 90 degrees to the target line and ready to swing your golf club into impact.
If you have difficulty controlling your ballstriking, the most likely cause is your incorrect club face angle.
No matter how well your golf grip or golf posture is set, your ballstriking will suffer without the correct club face angle. Your swing mechanics will become less than ideal, and you will hit a wedge every time.
Stance
A correctly set up stance makes hitting the ball easy and effortless. It will give you a balanced position to swing from and the correct ball position is also vital for accuracy.
If the ball is too far back in your stance:
- You will be too far to the right when you swing causing you to slice the ball;
- You will tend to hit the ball fat;
The ball will go lower and there is the risk of slicing the ball onto the ground.
If the ball is too far forward in your stance:
- You will be too far to the left when you swing causing you to hook the ball;
- You will tend to hit the ball thin;
The ball will go high and may fade off to the right.
As the ball position changes in your stance it changes the way the clubface is set up. With the ball too far back in the stance:
- The clubface will be open causing you to slice the ball;
- The clubface will be facing more downwards increasing the risk of hitting the ball fat;
The clubface will also be more closed and any impact on the ball has to be through the toe increasing the chances of the ball going higher.
If the ball is too far forward in your stance:
The clubface will be closed causing you to hook the ball;
Target Line
The target line is a guideline that will help you align your club face while facing the ball. The position of the target line is indicated by the straightest line between the point where the club head meets the ball.
Regarded as a superior skill in golfing, the target line will help to save time in the game while scoring perfect. This will also help ensure accuracy in the game. The target line is a narrow target which will help guide you to the center of the ball.
Many golf players usually struggle to identify this target line. In most cases, they have a tendency to miss it. This is because the target line is not easy to find unlike the other normal golf lines. Also, many players find it hard to align the target line with the position of the flag. The correct placement of the target line makes the player win a game. In order to help the golfer align the target line, it is important to know its location.
The target line is the line that the golfers eyes should follow for aiming where the club head should contact the ball. Without properly aligning the eyes, a golf player will miss the ball. One of the best ways to identify the target line is to place the club head on the floor. This will help you align the target line into position.
Body
The ultimate guide to correct ball position is a fundamental key for you to get the most out of your golf club.
In order to attain the proper golf ball position, your body must be properly aligned and position itself in a manner conducive for the full use of your golf club.
Your golf ball position can make or break your shots and is a fundamental key in determining the outcome of your next shot.
It is therefore important that you understand the basic principles behind correct ball position, which is achieved through the correct body position.
What is the Proper Golf Ball Position?
The golf ball position is the position of your swing’s beginning (or end) position, respectively when you are standing or in your address position.
What is the Proper Body Position?
The proper body position is the position you should assume to attain the correct golf ball position:
To attain the correct ball position, you should stand facing your golf ball, with your feet properly positioned.
Your weight should be distributed evenly on your legs and your arms are hanging freely by your side and not in a stress position. They should not be fully stretched nor be relaxed as this will make it difficult for you to deliver a powerful and accurate stroke.
How To Position The Golf Ball Properly?
Golf ball positioning is a technique for optimising the distance and direction of a new or strange golf ball. It involves getting the ball in the right position to maximise the distance your shot will travel. For example, depending on whether you’re more favourable to draw or fade the ball you can position of the ball accordingly.
Many professional golfers employ the position of the golf ball technique to gain that extra yard or two that could make all the difference.
Rules to Correct Golf Ball Placement
Many golfers have the collective image of the perfect ball position as a ball centered in the middle of your stance. But, in actual fact, the ball position’s relation to your stance’s center is not as important as its relation to the target line.
This means that it is more important that you place the ball not too far left or right of the target line and that it be situated just behind the spot on which you make a stable stance.
To learn how to do it the correct and enjoy the benefits of higher scores, read on…
How To Position The Ball At Address
A key component of good golf ball position is to have the ball positioned correctly between your feet at address.
Have the ball located somewhere between your back foot and your front foot, or between your front foot and your forward knee.
Some professionals even place the ball between the front foot and the tip of their toes.
It's not a good idea to have the ball set too far back towards your trailing foot, because this makes it a lot harder to get into the right position.
Some amateur golfers tend to set the ball too far forward, which creates an ugly looking swing plane with a closed club face.
The ball should be placed close to your lead foot for these swings.
The ball should be free to move around from shot to shot, and also allow the club head to release for a more powerful swing.
When moving your ball position closer to your lead leg, your backswing will require more work so that you can move your hands far enough away from your lead foot.
With an open stance, it is important to not place your feet too close together either.
This is because you will want to take a large enough backswing to be able to fill the ball with your irons.
You can slightly pinch the ball between your feet for this purpose. In this case, a closed face at impact will be more likely.
Relative to the Target (Forward, Center, Back)
When learning to setup your ball using the forward, center, back approach, start by setting the ball forward in your stance. This alignment is what you are shooting for under normal conditions.
If the green slopes from left to right, move the ball a little back in your stance. Likewise, if the green is flat to uphill, move the ball a little forward in your stance.
Play the ball straight forward if you struggle with a draw or hook and you like a fade.
Play the ball a little back if you struggle with a hook and you like a draw.
Only adjust the ball back if your ball position is too forward, or if the green is severely sloped left to right.
Relative to your Body (Forward Always or Continuum)
If you’re the kind of golfer that always has a tendency to move your golf ball forward on the clubface; always being crowded towards the toe of your club or never really manages to get centered on the ball, you probably need to read this article.
In order for you to stop moving your golf ball forward or never really liking to get centered on your gear toes, I am going to be showing you a little-used tip that will help you place the ball correctly on your gear toes every time.
I call it a checkpoint method for placing the ball centred on your gear toes. Think of it as a continuum for placing your golf ball relative to your body.
Check out the image below. This is how I prefer you visually hold the ball correctly on your toes.
As you see, the ball is placed on the extreme outside of your left foot. No matter where your ball finishes on your gear toes, the ball will always be positioned on the extreme outside of your left foot.
You should repeat this checkpoint for your right foot as well. This technique will help you get the ball positioned on your toes so you can be consistently centered.
Caution
There is a more serious consideration. Placing the ball too far back in your stance can put the ball on a more difficult target line and trip up your swing.
Instead of coming straight back off the ball when you swing, it will likely pop out in the direction it wants to travel rather than going directly where you are trying to hit it to.
Your best bet is to put the ball back in your stance, but not too far back.
Relative to the Ground (Tee Height)
Evenly divvy up your weight across your left (front) foot, the right (rear) foot, and the right side foot. Tee each ball off with your dominant side foot—left foot for right-handed golfers.
The proper angle from the ground to the top of each golf ball is 2 to 2 1–2 inches. This tee height comes directly out of a golf ball’s center.
Next time you’re on the tee, look at the divot directly behind the golf ball. If it’s inside the golf ball, you’re hitting the ball too low.
If it’s outside the ball, you’re going too high.
Conclusion
Sitting in a quiet corner of the evening sun, a glass of wine to hand and a ball of wool in the basket, sitting in a chair well placed in one corner, and you can knit for hours without feeling bored. It can be very simple or more complicated, following a pattern or inventing your own pretty design. Sometimes you can use some embroidery thread to stitch small flowers on a cushion, or draw a neat and tidy design around the edges.
Knitting is a craft that creates beautiful things and is usually a totally enjoyable hobby.
Knitting has been used throughout human history to make clothing, household goods, and crafts, as well as items such as fishing nets and ropes in the form of giant fishing nets used near Japan.
Knitting also provides great stress relief and relaxation.
With various stitches and patterns, you can make various things over time. When you get more advanced in knitting, you can combine different stitches to make lovely patterns and interesting decorative items.
The good thing about knitting is that it is a cheap hobby, and you don’t require a big set of equipment to begin. All you need are some yarn, knitting needles (fire wire and round), a tapestry needle and a pair of scissors, you are ready to start.