ball position critical with driver

[keiko]

when it comes to the drop down move I (and go low)advocate, it is critical with driver not to have the ball too far forward, this will cause tops and potential slices due to the lateness of impact. Also, could cause flipping.
I recommend moving the ball back in the stance about 1-2" more inches than normal in order to get your lag impact flush.
Comments are appreciated.

[Lenski]

Re: ball position critical with driver

Great point, I have a tendency to fade my drives and my first thought was to tee it up a little more forward thinking that it would decrease the seveirty of my slice/fade(it isn't so drastic that I can't control it) But found a duck hook more often than not. Also, on another note the article posted several weeks ago about losing the tension in your swing was extremely helpful to me. Much better contact, and distance with a less pronounced (although still there)fade.

[keiko]

Re: ball position critical with driver

Make sure you are shifting your weight from right to left with a gentle push off right foot before you drop the right elbow down, remember to stay behind the ball at impact.
A tendency may be to rush the downswing a little which causes a lot of things not the least of which is to get at or ahead of the ball at impact. Surely if you are doing this, moving the ball back may make things worse.

Great point, I have a tendency to fade my drives and my first thought was to tee it up a little more forward thinking that it would decrease the seveirty of my slice/fade(it isn't so drastic that I can't control it) But found a duck hook more often than not. Also, on another note the article posted several weeks ago about losing the tension in your swing was extremely helpful to me. Much better contact, and distance with a less pronounced (although still there)fade.

[BrianW]

Re: ball position critical with driver

I like to play the ball approximately level with my left armpit, this equates to between 2 and 3 inches inside my front heel with all clubs. With the driver I keep my sternum behind the ball and then the clubhead and my hands are in line at impact with my head just behind the ball.

[Pro Fitter]

Re: ball position critical with driver

when it comes to the drop down move I (and go low)advocate, it is critical with driver not to have the ball too far forward, this will cause tops and potential slices due to the lateness of impact. Also, could cause flipping.
I recommend moving the ball back in the stance about 1-2" more inches than normal in order to get your lag impact flush.
Comments are appreciated.

As as fitter I see all kinds of ball positions. From way in front of the toe to half way back in the stance. Most "players" have it from just inside the heel to the instep. Many weekend golfers have it in the middle of their stance along with every other club in the bag to boil their golf swing down to one simple swing.

Where you play the ball in your stance, or ball position, along with tee height will make a tremendous difference in your angle of attack. AOA is defined as the angle the ball is struck as either positive or negative. In other words are you hitting down on the driver (descending) or hitting up on the driver (ascending).

If you are hitting down you decrease the loft at impact and increase spin with a downward strike. If you are hitting up you increase the loft at impact and decrease the spin with an upward strike. You can change the launch angle this way as well as with tee height. For increased distance if you can control the ball with the ball played forward and teed higher you can use a less lofted driver because of the added virtual loft at impact by and upward strike. If you tee slightly higher and hit the ball slightly above the center of the face you gain vertical gear effect and the shot has less spin and you get more of a boring trajectory and more roll out.

As far as the physics a flatter face gives more ball speed than a slanted face so the less loft you have to use to get the optimum launch angle the more ball speed you can generate.

With the key to all of this being: If you can control the shots.

Playing the ball more forward so that you strike the driver slightly on the upward swing past the bottom of your arc, if you have the ball teed slightly higher so your impact is just slightly above the center of the face, you will get less spin with a lower lofted driver thus getting more ball speed. This will result in more carry distance and more roll out if you have the optimum launch angle.

But, as with all things golf, you are better off with what you can control so hit what keeps you in the fairway.

[keiko]

Re: ball position critical with driver

My point was: since one is dropping down first and creating tremendous lag, the ball needs to be slightly more back in one's stance because the clubhead is coming into impact very late.

As as fitter I see all kinds of ball positions. From way in front of the toe to half way back in the stance. Most "players" have it from just inside the heel to the instep. Many weekend golfers have it in the middle of their stance along with every other club in the bag to boil their golf swing down to one simple swing.

Where you play the ball in your stance, or ball position, along with tee height will make a tremendous difference in your angle of attack. AOA is defined as the angle the ball is struck as either positive or negative. In other words are you hitting down on the driver (descending) or hitting up on the driver (ascending).

If you are hitting down you decrease the loft at impact and increase spin with a downward strike. If you are hitting up you increase the loft at impact and decrease the spin with an upward strike. You can change the launch angle this way as well as with tee height. For increased distance if you can control the ball with the ball played forward and teed higher you can use a less lofted driver because of the added virtual loft at impact by and upward strike. If you tee slightly higher and hit the ball slightly above the center of the face you gain vertical gear effect and the shot has less spin and you get more of a boring trajectory and more roll out.

As far as the physics a flatter face gives more ball speed than a slanted face so the less loft you have to use to get the optimum launch angle the more ball speed you can generate.

With the key to all of this being: If you can control the shots.

Playing the ball more forward so that you strike the driver slightly on the upward swing past the bottom of your arc, if you have the ball teed slightly higher so your impact is just slightly above the center of the face, you will get less spin with a lower lofted driver thus getting more ball speed. This will result in more carry distance and more roll out if you have the optimum launch angle.

But, as with all things golf, you are better off with what you can control so hit what keeps you in the fairway.

[BrianW]

Re: ball position critical with driver

As as fitter I see all kinds of ball positions. From way in front of the toe to half way back in the stance. Most "players" have it from just inside the heel to the instep. Many weekend golfers have it in the middle of their stance along with every other club in the bag to boil their golf swing down to one simple swing.

Where you play the ball in your stance, or ball position, along with tee height will make a tremendous difference in your angle of attack. AOA is defined as the angle the ball is struck as either positive or negative. In other words are you hitting down on the driver (descending) or hitting up on the driver (ascending).

If you are hitting down you decrease the loft at impact and increase spin with a downward strike. If you are hitting up you increase the loft at impact and decrease the spin with an upward strike. You can change the launch angle this way as well as with tee height. For increased distance if you can control the ball with the ball played forward and teed higher you can use a less lofted driver because of the added virtual loft at impact by and upward strike. If you tee slightly higher and hit the ball slightly above the center of the face you gain vertical gear effect and the shot has less spin and you get more of a boring trajectory and more roll out.

As far as the physics a flatter face gives more ball speed than a slanted face so the less loft you have to use to get the optimum launch angle the more ball speed you can generate.

With the key to all of this being: If you can control the shots.

Playing the ball more forward so that you strike the driver slightly on the upward swing past the bottom of your arc, if you have the ball teed slightly higher so your impact is just slightly above the center of the face, you will get less spin with a lower lofted driver thus getting more ball speed. This will result in more carry distance and more roll out if you have the optimum launch angle.

But, as with all things golf, you are better off with what you can control so hit what keeps you in the fairway.

I believe the optimum position for the ball is level with the lead armpit for all clubs. To control whether the hit is descending or ascending then you can change the width of your stance by moving the rear foot back or forwards and tilt your sternum from ahead to behind the ball. These will allow you to move your swing centre while maintaining the ball in an optimum position. Golfers like Jack Nicklaus and Ben Hogan did this to great effect.

[KrudlerAce]

Ball Position

Yeah I'm with Brian. I like to have the ball position with the driver around the left armpit or as I see it just inside the left instep of my left foot. For me it feels the most comfortable position to make solid contact with the driver.

[Ringer]

Re: ball position critical with driver

As as fitter I see all kinds of ball positions. From way in front of the toe to half way back in the stance. Most "players" have it from just inside the heel to the instep. Many weekend golfers have it in the middle of their stance along with every other club in the bag to boil their golf swing down to one simple swing.

Where you play the ball in your stance, or ball position, along with tee height will make a tremendous difference in your angle of attack. AOA is defined as the angle the ball is struck as either positive or negative. In other words are you hitting down on the driver (descending) or hitting up on the driver (ascending).

If you are hitting down you decrease the loft at impact and increase spin with a downward strike. If you are hitting up you increase the loft at impact and decrease the spin with an upward strike. You can change the launch angle this way as well as with tee height. For increased distance if you can control the ball with the ball played forward and teed higher you can use a less lofted driver because of the added virtual loft at impact by and upward strike. If you tee slightly higher and hit the ball slightly above the center of the face you gain vertical gear effect and the shot has less spin and you get more of a boring trajectory and more roll out.

As far as the physics a flatter face gives more ball speed than a slanted face so the less loft you have to use to get the optimum launch angle the more ball speed you can generate.

With the key to all of this being: If you can control the shots.

Playing the ball more forward so that you strike the driver slightly on the upward swing past the bottom of your arc, if you have the ball teed slightly higher so your impact is just slightly above the center of the face, you will get less spin with a lower lofted driver thus getting more ball speed. This will result in more carry distance and more roll out if you have the optimum launch angle.

But, as with all things golf, you are better off with what you can control so hit what keeps you in the fairway.

Fantastic post and explanation! I also recommend that the further you hit up on the ball, the more to the right you must align yourself. The club will be coming back inside and the clubface will be closing. You need to keep this in mind if you are putting the ball up in your stance.

[Ringer]

Re: ball position critical with driver

I believe the optimum position for the ball is level with the lead armpit for all clubs. To control whether the hit is descending or ascending then you can change the width of your stance by moving the rear foot back or forwards and tilt your sternum from ahead to behind the ball. These will allow you to move your swing centre while maintaining the ball in an optimum position. Golfers like Jack Nicklaus and Ben Hogan did this to great effect.

I used to ascribe to the same principle. Trying to be as level through impact as possible and eliminate as many variables as possible.

However recently since tinkering a bit more with the D-Plane I understand how putting the ball forward helps me hit it further. Nearly every ball is a pull draw and I can use this to my advantage by simply aiming to the right. This is what Hogan did.

The upward angle of attack with a delofted face due to closing decreases spin but still produces a higher trajectory. I have actually gained several yards which to me seemed unbelievable. I already hit very well and could keep up with any tour player, but now I've got a few paces more on them.

[kbp]

Re: ball position critical with driver

Brian, don’t forget that Hogan opened his stance incrementally as the clubs got shorter. This can have the same effect as moving the ball back in the stance.

Nicklaus had a self-described large lateral "leg drive" which got his hips and hands very forward at impact with the bottom of the sternum pointing more forward. Austin was another one with a more forward ball position. Also a large hip shift toward the target and hands very far forward at impact. He actually strengthened his grip as the club got shorter to allow for more club shaft lead but with his hands always at the same spot at impact.

IMO, the better the player gets through the ball, the more likely the forward ball position will be productive. Frankly, most players are "stuck" or "blocked" and can’t get there.