Addressing the ball with the toe of the club... why does this work so well?

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kc8kir

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Ok, I'm really curious to find the root explanation for this one. I've tried standing farther and standing closer to the ball. Fact remains, when the ball is address with its center in line with the toe of the club, I can hit amazingly easy accurate shots. I don't get it. Works with woods and irons. If I put the club a little further in (towards me) I hit a draw. A little more in line with the ball and it fades.

This works so well, it's scary. Wedges and short game too. Just start inside the ball, and swing through. I thought it might be because my club path got too much in-out. Nope. Launch monitor ruled that out.

Explanations?

I don't want to keep doing this if it is a bad idea.

Something to do with impact extension? I'm rather limber, so I imagine this as a possibility.

Watching old footage of Hogan and Snead, they BOTH did this (addressing off the toe).

Staying curious....:rolleyes:
 
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kc8kir

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But I can do it with irons as well. Even wedges. Actually on the short game it is great for touch.

What gives?

Just interesting that's all... consider that Moe Norman always started his swing with the club behind and inside the target line.

Anyone else wanna give it a try and see what it does for them?
 
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Kevin Shields

Super Moderator
The club droop basically makes the club longer, so does the stretching of your muscles, as does the down and out motion of the swing. All combined moves the sweetspot out to the ball. Otherwise you'd have to shorten up to find the middle of the face.
 
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Brian Manzella

Administrator
birdie_man said:
I thought toe droop would make the club "shorter"...? (and the lie angles flatter)

No?
Click to expand...

Ahhh....

It does SEEMS as if, doesn't it.

The problem is that the same thing that pulls the sweetspot in line with the top of the grip (some say the golfer's hands), is pulling EVERYTHING IN LINE, including the arms and hands, which are usually a lot higher at impact.

This outward force, is also pulling everything FURTHER from the ball.

Combine this with the OPTICS of having the ball OUTWARD from the club, and you have a big effect.
 
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kc8kir

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So is this something I shouldn't feel bad about continuing to do? I don't want to program bad habits. :D

I'd still be really interested to hear other people trying / doing it... just out of curiosity.

Could allowing, not resisting, muscular extension through impact be much better for consistency than pulling hard on the club trying to "fit it in" as you approach impact?
 
birdie_man

birdie_man

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Brian Manzella said:
Ahhh....

It does SEEMS as if, doesn't it.

The problem is that the same thing that pulls the sweetspot in line with the top of the grip (some say the golfer's hands), is pulling EVERYTHING IN LINE, including the arms and hands, which are usually a lot higher at impact.

This outward force, is also pulling everything FURTHER from the ball.

Combine this with the OPTICS of having the ball OUTWARD from the club, and you have a big effect.
Click to expand...

I just meant makes the club shorter as in "the shortest distance between 2 points is a straight line."

I do get what you guys mean with the arms being pulled outward.

Not sure what you mean about optics BTW Brian. I'm not getting the image I mean.
 
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Brian Manzella

Administrator
Yeah, baby!

birdie_man said:
I just meant makes the club shorter as in "the shortest distance between 2 points is a straight line."
Click to expand...

You are correct.

But that is ONLY if the hands don't get pulled out.

Iron Byron has to address the ball off the heel.


birdie_man said:
Not sure what you mean about optics BTW Brian. I'm not getting the image I mean.
Click to expand...

Does this help?

opticpath.jpg
 
K

kc8kir

New
Thanks for the diagram Brian!

I am currently setting the far edge of the toe in line with the target line running squarely through the ball. So just a little farther back than the relationship depicted on the right.

-----------------------------

I understand the point about "Band-Aid" fixing.

So if someone finds their hands are getting pulled out and away during the swing... is it better to:

Stand farther from the ball with straighter arms?

Allow for the stretch with the ball to clubhead relationship?

Learn to pull the arms and hands in during the swing, preserving the address radius from the rotating center of the body?

Bend over more from the waist (increase forward tilt)?

Just thinking...

"Yeah, yeah... curiousity killed the cat... but it also made Ben Hogan."
 
birdie_man

birdie_man

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Ahh ok ya I couldn't see it before. That does help thanks B-Man.

...

How much does hand-eye coordination play into solid contact?
 
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