You spend your time perfecting your shot set up and swing shape, yet improvement is still slow. You ask your local golf professional to monitor your swing and they confirm that you are align properly to the target and your swing is on plane. However the ball is still starting left of the target. If you know all of your fundamentals are correct, start troubleshooting your swing by checking your ball position. Harvey Penick called ball position the second most important fundamental. Let’s take a closer look.

Perfect path in the perfect world has the golf club approaching the target line from inside the target line. While the club is traveling over the target line the club faces squares and begins to close slightly, in relation to the target line. After impact the club begins to travel to the inside og the target line again.

We will use this perfect path to illustrate the importance of ball position. Optimally we would place the ball where the club travels along the target line. At this point in the swing the golf club will also reach the bottom of the swing. Assuming a square club face we will strike a straight shot.

If the ball position is too far forward the golf club will pass the point where it is square with the target line. The club begins to travel inside the target line and will then impact the ball. Essentially at impact the golf club simulating a club swung on an outside to inside swing path (For the right handed player). If the club face has remained square a pull will be the resulting shot.

If the ball is too far back in the stance we get the opposite effect. The club will strike the ball before the club can travel down the target line. The club is simulating a club swing on and inside to outside swing path. A square club face will create a pushed shot.

The most common ball position error is having the ball position too far forward. The golfer places the ball here to compensate for a fading/slicing shot. The unfortunate part is that this ball position is ultimately setting up the golfer for failure.

How do we find the correct ball position?

Good ball postion is a result of a good set up postion. If we align our body in a neutral position, parallel to the target line, our hands will be in front slightly in front of our navel. At this point we will let the design of the golf club determine ball position. Each golf club is obviously different in length and loft, they are also different in the shaft lean from the top of the shaft to the bottom while the club is square to the target and soled squarely to the ground. While the driver is square the bottom of the shaft is slightly closer to the target than the top, so the shaft leans away from the target. For a pitching wedge the top the the shaft is closer to the target tha the bottom of the shaft, leaning towards the target. This shaft lean determines where the club head is in relatio to your hands, for the driver the hands appear slightly behind the club head and the pitching wedge hands are in front of the club head. The difference in shaft lean varies the ball position. So the driver will appear to be near the fron foot while the pitcing wedge will be closer to the middle of our stance.

Remember ball position is important because even if everything else in your swing is working well an incorrect ball position has a direct affect on your ball flight. If you are unsure as to where to place the ball in your stance consult a golf professional at your nearest course or teaching facility.