Golf Digest Ball & Driver Placement

I have the November edition of Golf Digest. On the cover, Tom Watson, is teed up with his driver. The ball is placed near the heal of the club. Magazines are meticulous about their covers, and other things, I am just wondering why he would do this.... I am off to the driving range, and I am just wondering if there is a tip here.

Thanks,

James

http://www.golfdigest.com/features/i...magazines.html

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Hello:

I have read where some players purposely sole their driver with the ball near the club's heel because they actually feel that they bring the club back closer to the body during the downswing which would effectively have the ball nearer the sweetspot at impact. Like most things in golf there are some that do it the other way and sole the ball at the toe of the club because they feel they extend the arms which would have the reverse effect.

I would stick with aligning with the sweet spot at set-up. You may want to get some impact tape to see, in fact, where you are hitting the ball relative to the clubface. You can adjust your stance from that point standing slightly nearer or further from the ball accordingly. The tape is very usefull. Many teaching pros use it.

There is also the idea that this picture is taken slightly from the side and not directly face on?

If the club was behind the ball 1 inch, it would look slightly on the heal more the it really is.

Alright I sent an email to Golf Digest, lets see what happens.

I just came back from the driving range - it is getting cold here in Toronto - and I remembered in Jim McLean's video on Ben Hogan there was a well known golfer who was talking about golfers during his era who deliberetly teed the ball close to the heel of their driver. Arising from this they got long straight drives, I forgot about it until the Golf Digest cover. So, I teed the ball, just as it is on the cover and I can tell you my jaw dropped at the result. I am not sure what happened but I hit some very long and straight drives. I am not sure that I will do this all of the time, but next time I am out I will bring some impact tape and see what is going on.

James

a cheap alternative to impact tape is masking tape(2" X 60yds). just rip a peice of tape off and place it very gently on the face...... where the ball hits, the tape will be pressed against the face with the dimples and you will see exatly where you are hitting it at. then just peel the tape off and place if back on lightly. you will usually get about 5 hits per tape before you have to replace the piece. and you would get over 100 pieces for about $3 vs. 50 for $20 with impact tape, can't beat that

Teeing the ball off the heel of club as has rightly been said should make the hands and arms work closer to the body on the downswing and create and inside approach to the ball hence straighter shots.

In the case of the McClean's Hogan DVD and that Hogan actually addressed tha ball on the heel of the club, I think or I interpreted that Hogan actually hit the ball off the heel of the driver, so he could fade the ball, as earlier in his career he was a notorious hooker.

SIR/MADAM
Tips are tis, lesson from a pro is a lesson

You are absolutely correct. I took lessons all summer and I will continue to take lessons. Having said that I have seen many non-technical swings achieve amazing results. I was reading about a young female pro – who I think is with Leadbetter or Harmon – who never had a lesson until she turned pro. I think she was with Harmon, since she said that he builds on what is already working for you and doesn’t rehaul your entire swing, unnecessarily.

At the driving range last week, there was an older guy a few rows away who, may have been using a wedge was driving his balls into the wooden dividers that separated us. I couldn’t imagine how he could get the ball to go almost sideways – and with a terrific ricochet off of the wood. I thought of moving, if one of his balls cleared that ledge or took a bad bounce – and it was endless and distracting. Once or twice I was having a bad day and I just gave my balls away. This guy would widen his stance and swing harder and harder gripping the club tighter and tighter. In the absence of lessons you may repeat the same mistakes for years or your golfing career unaware of them. With lessons, at least you have an idea of what you are doing wrong and need to work on.

James

Thanks!

I think Fuzzy Zoeller plays all his shots off the heel of the club.