Your Ball Position Can Greatly Affect Your Shot!

Welcome to Golf Tips with Coach Ted Oh! Today, we're diving into a common issue that many golfers face—ball position. In this session, Coach Ted helps young golfer Roxy improve her game by adjusting her ball position. Let’s take a closer look.

 

Meet Roxy

Roxy, an 11-year-old golf enthusiast, has been playing since she was two years old. Despite her young age, she already has eight years of experience under her belt and scores around a plus six. While she excels with her driver, hitting it straight, she struggles with her nine iron, often hitting the top of the ball. 

As Roxy demonstrates her swing, Coach Ted identifies the main issue—her ball position. Roxy tends to sweep the ball, resulting in clipped or picked shots. This happens because her ball position for the nine iron is too far left, making it difficult to compress the ball properly, which is similar to hitting with a wood. 

The Fix: Centering the Ball Position

Coach Ted explains that the ball position should vary depending on the club used. For shorter irons like the nine iron, the ball should be positioned in the middle of the stance. By doing this, Roxy can achieve better compression and more consistent contact.

Roxy adjusts her ball position to the center and takes another swing. Instantly, the improvement is noticeable. The ball flies further and she hits down on it more effectively. This adjustment is crucial as it allows her to start the ball to the right of the target and draw it back, rather than starting left and veering off course. Rather than changing Roxy's swing, all that was required was to change the ball position. 

 

 

Tools For Practice

To help younger golfers like Roxy, Coach Ted recommends using a ruler or alignment stick during practice. This tool helps ensure that the ball position is correct for each club. Proper ball positioning is more important than alignment and can significantly impact the quality of the shot.

 

Conclusion

Roxy’s improved performance highlights a vital lesson for all golfers: sometimes, it's not the swing that needs fixing but the ball position. By simply adjusting the position of the ball in her stance, Roxy was able to enhance her contact and control.

Remember, each club has its optimal ball position, and getting this right can make a significant difference in your game. Next time you're struggling with a particular club, check your ball position—it might be the key to better performance.