Tim Mahoney Golf Blog

Tim Mahoney Golf Blog

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Tim Mahoney Golf Blog


Ball position: The Debate Continues

Ball position: The Debate Continues

By Tim Mahoney

 

One of the interesting concepts about the golf swing is the position of the ball with-in your stance.  One school of thought mentions a ball position in the same spot and another mentions a ball position that moves with the club.  At the Mahoney and Troon Golf Academy we believe that the ball position is the effect of the desired swing angle at the ball and the golfers basic swing tendency.  Keep in mind our ultimate goal is to produce a solid strike every time a golfers hits a shot.  The ball position is constantly being adjusted during a practice session or a round of golf. 

 

The ball position is the effect of your desired impact goals, swing tendencies and the design of the club.  As the club length is varied and the club head design is implemented the basic ball position will be adjusted as well. Shorter irons with more loft the ball will be farther back in the stance and a wood club with less loft and the shaft behind the ball will have a more forward ball position.

 

The desired angle of approach of the club head at impact will effect the ball position as well.  A short game shot that requires a significant amount of back spin and a steeper angle of approach, the golf ball should be positioned back in your stance. A driving club with a golfer’s objective of distance with ground speed requires a shallow angle of approach or slightly upward, a forward ball position is needed. All golfers need to keep in mind that the position of the ball at set-up in relation to your feet and head will effect the angle the club approaches the ball.  Ball back-steep angle and a ball forward shallows the angle.

 

During a round of golf the goal is to get the ball into the hole in the lowest amount of attempts.  Your golf swing is constantly changing as your body and mind set changes as well.  If your swing path is too much in to out, your golf club will bottom out behind the ball.  This swing path will result in a ball position farther back in your stance.  A swing path that is out to in will produce a swing bottom forward of the ball and a more forward ball position.  Golfers need to adapt to the playing positions and your golf swing.

 

Lower scores are the effect of the golfer adapting to the swing and conditions.  Keep in mind that the golf ball relationship within your stance is constantly moving and being adjusted.  A cemented position will produce inconsistencies and an adjusted ball position will result in lower scores.


 
 

Impact for Consistency

Impact for Consistency

By Tim Mahoney

 

As you watch golf on TV across all the different professional tours, you will see different grips, postures, swing shapes and ball flights. Regardless of the differences in all the unique swings, there is one constant in all good ball strikers – they look identical at impact. Perfect impact and your ball striking will improve.

Impact position consists of: a forward leaning shaft, hips open to the target line, shoulders square to the target line, left wrist flat and right wrist bent.  Establish the angles and plane during the backswing and maintain these angles at impact.  Anticipation of the strike or an in-correct mind-set will create impact misery and inconsistenctcy.  Simply rehearsing impact or an isometric exercise will assist you with your impact goals.  Start at address and move into impact

A drill that will assist you with the motion of impact and correct alignments is making small swings into an impact bag.  Allow the power sources to accumulate on the back swing and turn into impact.  As the club strikes the bag, note:  a forward leaned shaft, flat lead wrist, hips open and shoulders square. 

All golf swings are different: upright, flat, close faced or opened face.  But all great ball strikers are perfect at impact.  Work on impact and your scores will lower.