Among the first things I was taught during my golf coaching was the correct position for the ball when taking my swing. If you don’t play golf, this seems pretty trivial, but all of you that do play will know there are major differences between the possible positions of the ball.

Your normal golf stance should be with your body sideways to the direction you want the ball to go. There are now 2 elements to where you position the ball. The first is how far away from your body the ball should be. The second is what sort of position the ball should be in between your feet.

Starting with how far from you the ball should be, you basically want to put it on the ground at the distance of the club head during your swing. So that the natural point of impact of the club with the ground is where the ball should be.

To expand this, stand in your normal stance, with your legs apart, and hold the golf club in your normal grip, with the club head on the ground in front of you, as though about to make a swing. The ball should be on the ground where the club head is, such that the club and the direction of the shot are at right angles.

Golf clubs, of course, have different lengths, so the distance of the ball from your body will be determined by the shot you’re playing – ie which club you’re using. Drivers are the longest clubs, so the ball will be at its furthest point from you when playing a driver. When playing a wedge club, the ball will obviously be much nearer to you.

Now you want to find out where to put the ball in relation to being nearer to your left or right foot. Currently, the ball will be in the middle of your stance, a club’s length in front of you at the right distance for making a swing.

With the ball in this position, make an imaginary line through the ball in the direction of the shot, with the line extending along the line both ways from the ball. (ie from the ball along the line in the direction of the shot, and also going beyond the ball away from the direction of the shot).

The ball should now be placed along this line according to which club you’re using. Drivers, woods and long irons should see the ball furthest up the line. (ie nearest to your left foot for right handers). Shorter irons and wedges will see the ball stay where it is now, in the middle of the line, exactly in between your feet.

Mike Jackson runs an online golf equipment store, where you can buy golf clubs, golf balls, golf gifts, golf bags etc.


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