How Far To Stand From The Golf Ball

If you’ve been wondering how far away you should stand when addressing the ball then this lesson is really going to help.

 One of the biggest frustrations, for many golfers, is the consistency of their game. However, players who suffer from inconsistencies in their game often don’t require any technical improvements, but rather greater consistency in their setup. We know that one of the things that professional players do well is that they do the small things consistently well. Perfecting your distance from the ball is definitely something that will help improve consistency in your game.

 The problem
There are 2 important variables that need to be consistent each time we address the ball:

1. Distance of the ball from the body.
2. Angle of body tilt relative to the ground.

If we do not maintain a consistent distance from the ball then we are forced to make subconscious, last moment, micro-adjustments to our swing in order to get the clubface back onto the ball. This will be the case whether we’re standing too close or too far from the ball.

 The solution
Here is a simple drill to improve the consistency of your setup when it comes to the distance from the ball and the angle of body tilt relative to the ground:

1. Stand up dead straight, with your body feeling like it’s nice and tall.
2. Hold the golf club parallel to the ground, about a hand and thumb distance away from your hip.
3. Place two hands down on the club.
4. To get down to the ball simply hinge from the hips until the club touches the ground and then slightly flex the knees.
5. Now, here are two checkpoints, or references, to set the correct distance from the ball:
• Close your eyes and get a feeling for your weight distribution. You want to feel like you’re planted in the ground with your body weight distributed across the midsection of your shoelaces, or across the balls of the feet. Another way is to imagine you’re a soccer goalkeeper preparing to save a shot. There should be a nice amount of bounce in your knees.
• The next checkpoint, or reference, is where the golf club is positioned relative to your arms. If you were to let your right hand hang off the club you will see that you can bring that hand directly back onto the grip if your distance from the ball is correct. If you were standing too far from the ball, causing you to reach for it, when you let your right hand hang off the club handle, you will notice it won’t move straight back onto the grip without making an adjustment. Similarly, if you were standing too close to the ball, and you let your trail hand hang, you can see it wouldn’t fit perfectly back onto that grip without adjustment.
6. Shuffle towards the ball until you are in place

Summary:
Stand up straight. Hold the club parallel to the ground, a hand and thumb distance from your belt. Tilt from the hips until the club head touches the ground and flex the knees slightly. Closing your eyes, settle your weight distribution across your shoelaces, like a goalkeeper about to spring into action. Shuffle in towards the ball and you’re ready to go.

This simple drill will give you a great foundation for setting a consistent distance from the ball.

 
Watch the full video here: