On The Tee with Hank Johnson

BALL POSITION

Issue: Should the ball position be the same for every club or move back in the stance as the club gets shorter?

In my view, with the exception of your driver (where the ball is placed above the ground on a tee) the ball position should be the same for every club.

Here’s why I believe this is proper. The center of the orbit of the club head is the front shoulder socket (left shoulder for right handed golfers). That’s where the lever system of your front arm and club are attached to your body. In a true swing the lowest point of this orbit occurs directly even with this center.

This being the case, the ball should be positioned two ball widths back from this “low point” with every club except the driver. This allows the ball to be struck while the club head is still on the downward part of its orbit.

Because the strike with a driver needs to be more level, the ball should be played even with the front shoulder socket or at the bottom of the club heads orbit.

Here’s why the ball appears to move back with shorter clubs. As the club gets shorter, say a nine iron instead of a five iron, the stance is narrowed by moving the rear foot (right foot for right handed golfers) in toward the front foot. While this may make the ball position appear to be more back toward to center of the stance it’s actually the rear foot that moves to a different location.

Therefore, the message seems clear. If you want to develop a proper golf swing, put the ball where it should go and practice with it there until you can hit it solidly. If you position the ball in an improper place, you’ll have to make an improper swing in order to hit it.

In a proper address posture, the front shoulder socket is even with the inside of the front heel. If you find it easier visually to use the front heel as a reference that’s fine, just play your driver even with your front heel and all other clubs two ball widths inside your front heel.

Hank Johnson, PGA
August 11, 2008

POWER

Final segment in a series: Releasing the Power

At the delivery position:

Weight is flat on both feet, knees and hips are square, shoulders are still closed to the hips because they are being pulled around by the hips, the left arm is still across the chest, the wrist and hands are still turned and cocked and approximately waist high.

The golfer is now ready to fully release all of the elements of the wind up through the ball to the finish.

Releasing the Power!!!

The left hip continues to turn back over the left heel straightening the left knee. This hip rotation powers the rotation of the shoulders through the ball to the finish. As this rotation occurs it allows the hands to move away from the right shoulder and the right elbow to straighten while the hands and wrist uncock and roll to the finish of the swing.

This release should result in a balanced finish position with the golfer’s trunk over the front leg and the arms relaxed and in front of the left shoulder. The right knee should be pulled over to the straight left knee and the right shoulder should be slightly lower than the left.


Hank Johnson, PGA
August 4, 2008

POWER

Third segment in a series: Storing the windup (starting down)

At the top of the swing, the body and arms are wound up or coiled and potential energy is stored in the muscles of the body. For maximum power, the sequence of the downswing must “store” this energy until the proper time for release through the ball.

To accomplish this, two simultaneous movements should happen to start the downswing.

The left knee (for a right handed player) should move back over the left foot where it started.

The right elbow should move back in front of the right hip where it started.

Both of these movements must be accomplished without unwinding the shoulders and upper trunk.

And

Without and uncocking or unturning of the hands and wrist.

At this point:

The weight is flat on both feet
The knees and hips have returned to a square position (where they started)
The shoulders are still turned approximately 45 degrees to the hips
The left arm is still across the front of the chest
The hands and wrist are still turned and cocked and located approximately waist high.

This position is referred to as The delivery position because the golfer is positioned to release maximum power through the ball to the finish of the swing.

Next segment: Releasing the Power


Hank Johnson, PGA
August 4, 2008

POWER!

Second segment in a series. The role of the arms and hands in the wind-up

The arms and hands must be prepared (loaded) to transfer the power of the pivot into the club which ultimately delivers it to the ball.

The hands are a pair of adjustable clamps that attach the club to the arms. Their original placement on the club dictates how efficiently they can allow the club to swing and the clubface to strike the ball squarely.

The wrists are a pair of hinges that must also be properly aligned at address to maximize the potential for an accurate and powerful acceleration of the club through the ball.

Note: The address positioning of these elements is so individual that it is best handled in a lesson from a qualified instructor.

The arms along with the club represent a “lever system” with the lead arm (left arm for a right handed player) acting as The Primary Lever. The rotation of the body (the pivot) swings the lead arm to the top of the swing. The trailing arm functions like a piston that supports the extended but relaxed condition of the lead arm. It also raises the lead arm to the appropriate position at the top of the swing.

To get maximum potential benefit from the wind-up of the body the arms must stay connected or “matched up” to the pivot. This simply means keeping the arms and hands together and in front of the chest (where they started) all the way to the end of the backswing.

Next segment: A properly sequenced forward swing.

Hank Johnson, PGA
July 28, 2008