Golf Tips 10 - Where Should You Position The Golf Ball?

This is a personal preference area. Acceptable ball position is somewhere between the middle of your stance and heel of target side foot, with your hands slightly touching your target side leg to a hand-thumb out from your leg at address. To find your best spot, hit a ball from all 4 corners of the ball box and gradually adjust until you optimize ball contact and initial direction. Some players find this spot with every club. I think it's more consistent to have one spot for all clubs and change your spine angle and width of stance to accommodate the club you are swinging. Obviously, you can affect direction and trajectory by adjusting the front to back parameter. Front is higher trajectory and possibly in the direction of the front foot. Back is lower trajectory and possibly in the direction of the back foot. I say possibly because you could change your swing path if you wanted to. After all, you can do whatever you want. Understand that a slight realigning (positioning) of your body or clubface may be easier to do.

By Larry O. Krupp, FeelGoodGolf Learning Centers

Golf Tips: Stance Width Ball Position

Golf Tips 9 - Choosing the Right Golf Balls

There is nothing worse for golfers than wasting a good swing. Maybe it was a perfect drive on the range right before tee off. Maybe it was that perfect practice swing. Or maybe, just maybe, you wasted a good swing because your golf ball was not suited for the situation, or was piece of junk altogether.

I see far too many instances where a player uses the wrong type of ball. They might have the Great Big Bertha, some space age composite irons, or even the fancy wing-tipped shoes, but if the golf ball does not suit the player or the circumstance, then the overall outcome of the shot will be adversely affected.

There are essentially three types of balls: balata, two-piece, or a combination of both. Basically, there are two things to consider when choosing the correct ball:

1. What are you looking for?
Are you a low handicap looking for ultimate spin and control? If so, choose a balata. This is essentially just a softer ball, which has a softer cover and allows for more spin. This is what Tiger and a lot of the big boys play (They are also quite a bit more expensive). If you are a higher handicap, you will be looking more for distance and durability. This is where a good two-piece ball will be best. This ball has a harder cover, and hence creates less backspin, which allows for you to hit it farther.
2. The elements?
It's important to look at things like the weather and the course conditions when choosing a ball. If, say, the course has been deluged with rain, then you will need a ball that will travel farther and produces less spin. If you are playing on a rock hard, sun-scorched track, choose something softer that will land soft and spin.

Also, keep in mind things like the temperature. If it's cold out, the ball will not compress as much, so you would want to play a 90-compression. (there are two compressions for men, 90 and 100.) Vice-versa if it's hot out.

Here are my recommendations for golf balls:

* Balata - Maxfli HT or Titleist Professional
* Half balata, half two piece - Precept EV Extra Spin or Titleist HP2 Tour
* Two-piece - Maxfli MD or Wilson Staff TC2

There are more and more pros nowadays going from the pure balata to the half-and-half ball. It's a great type of ball and something I recommend for any playing ability.

Remember, you can cut off a few strokes per round by doing nothing more than choosing the correct ball. It's a good idea to keep a few of each in your bag and practice with them. Learn how they feel. See how you like them. Figure out which one to use so you can get an edge on your playing partners even before you tee off. *

Columns ©1999 Joseph K. Sullivan and GolfLink Inc. All rights reserved.

Golf Tips: Captain Cock attacks golf ball

Golf Tips 8 - Head Movement During the Golf Swing

Does the head stay down and still? NO. If you look at the great players in the game, most have a slight movement of their head going back. It certainly varies from player to player, but it's still present in one form or another. Players like Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods have quite a noticeable head movement on the back swing (especially with their drivers). Other players, like Steve Elkington and Tom Purtzer, hold theirs a bit more stationary.

What's important to note with head movement, just as in the weight shift, is that it's not something you should think of. It is simply just a reaction to what you do with the golf club. When a golfer starts thinking of shifting their head a little bit here, and a little bit there, there is big time trouble awaiting.

Here is the proper head sequence?

On the back swing you have a little natural weight shift. Consequently, you have a little natural head move. This is perfectly O.K. This is the same move that you would make if you were to throw a rock into a lake. You would never think of anything other than the rock and the lake, but your weight and head would shift automatically. If you throw it 2 feet, you don't have any movement. But if you throw it 200 feet, there will be a more noticeable move.

On the downswing is where the key is. YOUR HEAD MUST REMAIN BEHIND THE BALL AT IMPACT. If you look at a face-on picture of any good player in the history of the game, they all have their head behind the ball at impact. You can even see in players like Nick Faldo and Greg Norman, that they actually move their head to the right to start the downswing. This just creates a more powerful, underneath, impact position. If you get your head moving laterally left BEFORE you strike the ball, you basically have no chance. You will be way steep, way over the top, and way far from hitting a good shot!

Post impact, your head will follow the rest of your weight to the left side. You don't want to hang back through the entire shot and snap your spine in half, or at least finish in a reverse-C.

Just remember that a good impact position will make it easier for this natural head movement to happen.

The Bottom Line? With regards to head movement, the idea is to hardly ever think about it (maybe to hold it still to start your downswing is okay). Just try to let it take its natural course.

Also, keep in mind to not freak out if you see it move slightly on the back swing, because Tiger Woods does it also. As I've said, if it's good enough for Tiger, chances are that it will be good enough for you, too.

Columns ©1999 Joseph K. Sullivan and GolfLink Inc. All rights reserved.

Golf Tips - Head Movement

Golf Tips 7 - The 50/50 Feeling to Good Balance

The title of this teaching tip may sound somewhat contradictory, so allow me to explain.

Canadian golf legend George Knudson dedicated an entire instructional booklet on the importance of good balance. All good players and top instructors agree that without balance throughout the swing (both physical and emotional) you have no chance of producing good shots consistently.

For good static balance, I suggest feeling your body weight is 50/50 back to front (heel to toe), and 50/50 side to side (front foot to back foot). Assuming you have a correct spine angle at address, your weight back to front will tend to favor the balls of your feet - which is why you need not over emphasize this sensation. Conversely, if you over emphasize weight on your heels, you may lose your spine angle, and this will throw you out of balance to the rear.

The 50/50 feeling side to side is very easy to achieve, because it is, indeed, "just a feeling." In reality, if you have your upper body positioned properly behind the ball, your body weight will naturally follow, meaning your weight will favor your back foot.

By Bob Wyatt, United States Golf Teachers Federation

Golf Tips Pro Lesson: Posture and Balance