Spacing between ball and clubface?

[StrokerAce]

How close do you put the face of your club from the ball when you prepare to swing?

I'll admit this isn't something I've played around with much and I wonder what difference it makes? I have always gone right up next to the ball.

Are you the same or do you try to 'give it some room'?

[No3PuttLaLa]

Im with you, I always go right up to the ball. Never really thought about it any different, will be interested to see what others say and if there is any benefit otherwise.

[cnosil]

About 1/2 inch behind,   

[surfing]

I don't think it matters as long as you keep your eye on the ball (whilst swinging) and aim to get your down swing so as to hit the ball approximately 0.5" to 1" Infront of the ball.

[StrokerAce]

2 hours ago, No3PuttLaLa said:

Im with you, I always go right up to the ball. Never really thought about it any different, will be interested to see what others say and if there is any benefit otherwise.

I wonder if it helps move your weight forward and get better shaft lean....?

[funkyjudge]

About 1/4" to 1/2" (less than 1/4" with wedges and irons, 1/4" with hybrids and fairway metals, up to 1/2" with my driver ..... the closer, the better!

[cksurfdude]

Hmmm my preference is to set up "to" the ball, ie club face right behind it.

For me if there's a gap then I feel I might not be set up properly (stance, posture, ball position, distance to the ball for the given club, etc etc).

 

[Haile]

My irons, fairway wood and wedges go directly behind the ball. My driver sits about 4 inches behind the ball. The idea with the driver is that should be the lowest point of the swing for me. From that point forward, I'm hitting up on the ball and my club face has come back to square because I've allowed my hands to start releasing at that point. That said, it's more of a checkpoint than it is an advantage I think. I can't have to many swing thoughts in my head. In to out and square hands equals a square face. Those have to be my only two thoughts.

[NM01]

I bet if you looked at all pros you will see that the club regardless of iron or wood has a small gap between the face and ball.

i know ive seen it with Tiger, Rory and JT

[Tom the Golf Nut]

Between 1/4 and 1/2 inch regardless of club. 

[Haro]

Funny I was thinking about this yesterday on the putting green after missing short putts that lips out   Came up to the conclusion that I was addressing to close the ball.  If I was at least one ball width away (4.5cm)  I would be more cup conscious and less ball conscious and also can hit ball more on the upstroke and give immediate foreward roll for the ball  to roll along the path to the hole 

Edited May 16 by Haro

[Wildthing]

Setup at address and ball position is not talked about enough in the golf world.  

For example with a driver where the ball is placed more forward in the stance for an ascending strike . If you place your clubface just behind the ball , you will tend to open your shoulder line.

See this video by Michael Breed below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5CNX2dR7A0

Strangely enough I was also wondering why we don't place the ball in a position that fits our dynamic swing.  We tend to position the clubface and ball in our static setup , where the arms are lowered and there is a bit of cupping of the lead wrist .  But obviously in a dynamic swing , the arms and club are pulled into a more straighter alignment (due to centripetal/centrifugal forces), the lead wrist flattens a bit and basically the clubface will probably hit the ball on the heel or you'll end up subconsciously doing some manipulation to get the clubface onto the ball.

Try it yourself and place the ball and clubface as you would normally do in your setup/address position . Then remove the ball and replace it with a marker , without changing your feet position . Then take your setup again , and just make some free swinging perpetual motion swings and see if your clubhead still goes over that marker. If it's wildly off , then your ball position needs changing to match your dynamic swing or you will need to change your swing to match the ball position.

Edited June 6 by Wildthing