If you want longer more consistent golf shots with fewer fat, duffed, topped, and thin golf shots you need to think a bit about your ball position.

Each golf club you have in your bag is a different length. This means each club has a slightly different swing arc. What does this mean for your golf shots?

Well if you hit your seven iron perfectly then took that exact swing and used your five iron you would hit a fat shot.

The solution is not to change your swing, rather you want to change where the ball is in your stance. Changing your swing leads to terrible inconsistency. Changing the position of the golf ball in your stance is simple repeatable and easy to do.

The best part is that since the lengths of standard golf clubs vary in half inch increments it’s actually quite easy to figure out where each club should be in your stance. Keep in mind there is no hard and fast rule when it comes to ball position, but using this guide will get you pretty close to what will work best for you.

The easiest way to determine the best ball position for each club is to use the seven iron as your standard. The seven iron is the middle length club and should be played in the middle of your stance. Since the eight iron is a half inch shorter it should be played a half inch further back in your stance, and a nine iron should be played a full inch back from center. For longer clubs you’ll move the ball forward in your stance in half inch increments.

The driver is where people have the most difficulty with ball position. The driver is the longest club in your bag and you have probably been told by instructors, magazines, book, or buddies that when hitting your driver the golf ball should be lined up with the inside of your left heel.

I’ve got some news for you, unless your driver is still made out of persimmon wood with a hickory shaft playing the ball off your left heel is simply wrong. Standard driver shafts back in the old days were 43.5 inches long. To be fair many drives were still 43.5 inches long up until about 10 years ago, so your buddy’s advice is outdated but not ancient. The point is most new golf drivers are somewhere between 44.5 to 45.5 inches long.

If you were paying attention earlier you know that a longer shaft means these newer golf drives must be played further forward in your stance. The old guide of using the inside of your left heel won’t work anymore. For long consistent golf drives you need to play the ball a full inch to an inch and a half further forward.

Don’t worry you don’t have to get out a ruler when teeing up. Simply swap the “inside of your left heel” quick guide with “inside of your left toe”. It’s as simple as that. This slightly more forward ball position will compensate for the longer driver shafts and swing arc. The result is a square club face at impact along with longer, and more consistent tee shots.
It doesn’t much easier than that.

For more simple golf tips to improve your swing and your scores click here.

For Better Golf,
Doc O’Leary
Head Golf Nut, OHP Direct