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Distance between body and hands at set-up


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Yet another thing to watch out for at address - for me, at least. Do any of you use these tips?

 

If your body is too close or far positioned from the ball, your distance and aim will be greatly effected. First position yourself behind the ball as normal. If you are right handed, grip the club as usual. Let your right hand go from your grip. If you are positioned just right, it will stay in the same location as when you gripped the club. If you are too far from the ball, your hand (when you release it) will fall towards the end of the shaft. If too close, your hand will fall further down the shaft. For lefties, this drill should be done with the left hand. This only takes a couple seconds to do but will improve your distance and accuracy.

 

hand_position.jpg

At address, your hands should hang just forward of your zipper (just off the inside of your target side thigh). The hands-to-body distance varies depending on the club you are hitting. A good rule of thumb is hands "a palm's width" (photo, left) from the body for short and middle irons (4 to 6 inches) and "a palm's length" (photo, right) - from the bottom of the wrist to the tip of your middle finger - for long irons and woods.

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I have always taught my students to let the hands hang directly below the chin no matter what club you are hitting. The hand position forward or back in your stance seems about right. I like the hands staying in the same spot and the ball position moving depending on the club.

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I will implement this next time I play. Last weekend, I really focused on set up, and hit 36 of 54 GIR. The only problem I really had was how far to keep my hands from the body. I remember being both too far and to close and it causing problems.

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I will implement this next time I play. Last weekend, I really focused on set up, and hit 36 of 54 GIR. The only problem I really had was how far to keep my hands from the body. I remember being both too far and to close and it causing problems.

I've learned to pay closer attention to that as well. Usually if I get a bit of a toe or heel shot it's because I got careless about it. I don't measure a distance to the grip, but I've learned how my arms contact my body at address when I'm the right distance away. It's easy to slip on that stuff for sure.

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It's easy to slip on that stuff for sure.

 

That is the essence of playing consistent golf right there. You do not forget how to swing overnight but you let some little thing (not the slot in your irons) but something like hands too far, too much bend at the waist, grip too strong, grip pressure too tight, something, or tempo is too fast and then boom, you are out of control and hitting it poorly.

 

I remember when I first started playing golf, 30+ years ago. I would walk up to the ball, and think, clubhead here, left foot here, right foot here, bend at the knees this much, butt out, chin up, arms relaxed,.....etc. and then do the swing. I do that occasionally now, and hit the sweetest shots you can imagine. Other times I barely stop walking before I hit. In consistency is always bad. However, last three rounds were 77, 76, 77 it is not like I have been that inconsistent.:rolleyes:

 

But in all those rounds, there has been two or three holes, that I set up poorly on and got myself in trouble where I could not get out with a good shot, and had to take my medicine.

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:ping-small:G430MAX 3w  on     T P T    POWER 18 Hi Fairway 

:ping-small:G425 3H on     T P T    POWER 18 Hi Hybrid 

:taylormade-small:P790 Black 4-A 
on :kbs: TGI 80S
 

:mizuno-small: ES21 54-8° & 58-12° on :kbs: Hi Rev

:L.A.B.:DF2.1 on :accra: White

:titelist-small: ProV1  

:918457628_PrecisionPro: Precision Pro  NX7 Pro

All Iron grips are BestGrips Micro-Perforated Mid

Driver, 3w, 3H are JumboMax JMX UltraLite XS 

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That is the essence of playing consistent golf right there. You do not forget how to swing overnight but you let some little thing (not the slot in your irons) but something like hands too far, too much bend at the waist, grip too strong, grip pressure too tight, something, or tempo is too fast and then boom, you are out of control and hitting it poorly.

 

I remember when I first started playing golf, 30+ years ago. I would walk up to the ball, and think, clubhead here, left foot here, right foot here, bend at the knees this much, butt out, chin up, arms relaxed,.....etc. and then do the swing. I do that occasionally now, and hit the sweetest shots you can imagine. Other times I barely stop walking before I hit. In consistency is always bad. However, last three rounds were 77, 76, 77 it is not like I have been that inconsistent.:rolleyes:

 

But in all those rounds, there has been two or three holes, that I set up poorly on and got myself in trouble where I could not get out with a good shot, and had to take my medicine.

Heck, if I can score that low in the next year I'll be excited. I strike the ball well enough if I can get my putting under control and not make stupid mistakes, I might make it. One time this summer I had a 179 par 3 from an elevated tee. I walked up with my 7 iron, and promptly pulled the crap out of it to OB. People I got paired up with who have played much longer than me were watching. So in a hurry I hit another one. Shanked way right. I know I just set up too close. So I put a ball down, calmed down, and set up carefully and stuck it maybe five feet left and a few feet long of the pin. Would have been a pretty good shot if it was on my first ball! Learned a lesson I did I did!

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You do not forget how to swing overnight but you let some little thing (not the slot in your irons)

That's funny :D :D

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