Where do you align your ball in relation to the centre of your stance? Depending on which club you have in your hand, it is recommended that you adjust the ball position between your feet. This is always a great topic of conversation because most golfers understand the concept, but fail in the execution of the process. Unfortunately, ball position is also tied to your swing plane, swing mechanics, and contact position. However, we cannot cover all those topics in one article, so I will focus on how to effectively develop the proper ball position for your swing.
First lets look at the basics of ball position. The following video clear explains how and when to adjust where the ball is located in our stance before contact. I would not that this position might change slightly depending our your swing plane, but the process is a good skill to develop.
There are many potential indicators if your ball is in the wrong position. In my case, I have a tendency to play the ball slightly forward of the proper position. This results in my ‘pulling the ball’ among other things. Properly positioning the ball in my stance does definitely help with my aim, but it also increases the distance (albeit slightly) I hit each club. Having all the moving parts hit the ball in the proper position seems to have residual effects to my game. This is a good thing as long as I remember the proper ball position.
Another important benefit of today’s topic is building consistency in your swing. If we always set the ball in the proper position, we create a strong fundamental skill with which to build your other skills. Having the proper ball position will ensure that your are using the proper building blocks in order to develop your best swing.
If you have not spent much time on ball position, now might be the time to explore this important fundamental skill.
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
The Grateful Golfer 
What Pete is giving us is a good rule of thumb to start out with. But it’s just a beginning. A more accomplished player will adjust ball position to suit the shape and trajectory they are wanting to create.
But there are gotcha’s with thinking these ball positions are perfect for you. That far forward ball position for the driver for instance would not be the position you’d want it you’re trying to stop a slice. It’s going to tend to make the slice worse.
When I wanted to learn to draw the ball, the first thing they had me do was move the ball back farther in my stance. When I got to to having the ball in the center of my stance, I finally started getting the path right and seeing a draw shape start to develop. We often need to overdo a thing to make a change and ball position is something that can help.
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Kevin,
Yes, there is definitely more to this topic. However, for the beginner and less experienced players, this is a great starting point. The more our game develops, the more opportunity to adjust our stance in order to shape shots. It is a matter of practice and confidence.
Cheers Jim
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