Clubface centered on ball at address?
 

Because of conventional golf wisdom, I've always had my clubface centered on the ball (i.e. at the sweetspot) at address.

Now, I have never really looked into this, or applied it to my game, until recently (yes, what a shame) -- that is 2-J-1.

So at address, the ball must be toward the toe of the clubface, otherwise you would have to shorten the radius of the stroke [-X.

And the reason Homer gives is that at Impact, the club is above the ground since it must hit the ball first before it hits the ground (Ben Doyle: "ball-turf"). Club ain't soled at Impact. So if you have the clubface centered at Impact with the club slightly hovering, and the sole it, you will now find the ball more towards the toe.

Any other reasons?
The face is opened at Impact, as it only needs to be square at Separation. So if you center the ball on the face while it's opened, and then square it back again, the ball will be towards the toe.

Also, because the clubface/head continues down-and-out until Low Point, and the fact that the clubface must be soled some distance behind the ball (you can touch the ball at address!) at address, means that you want the ball towards the toe of the face if you want it to be on center at impact.

"Yes".

But your excellent post is easily incubated and I will not only consider it but spend significant time applying some of that stuff.

Did it also buy you less throwaway (tendency)?

"No - towards the toe".

Tong,

2-J-1 is a great nugget of info in the book.

I actually have taken a Sharpie to my last 2 drivers (983 K's) and marked another "sweetspot indicator" on the crown that is about a quarter of an inch towards the toe. I line the ball up to that rather than the factory painted mark.

No, it should be soled towards the toe.

HOWEVER the amount of distance that you place the ball towards the toe (away from the sweetspot) is largest with the driver and shortest with a wedge with it being about "at the center."

The longer the club the more towards the toe, the shorter the club the less amount towards the toe. You can measure this by going to impact fix.

Thanks metallion.

"Spend significant time"? All you gotta do is address the ball slightly towards the toe! How much easier can it get? :D

Indeed, I felt more comfortable and less (or no even!) compensation. There's now more inclination for me to go down and especially out with my hands. You know when you have dirty windows, and you never bother to clean it, because you can still see everything outside? But one day, someone cleans the window, and you realise how much more pleasant it becomes, wishing it was cleaned long ago. That's what it felt like...yes I sound crazy don't I...

Wouldn't it only depend on whether the ball is teed or sitting on the ground?

My thinking is that a wedge would be the same as any other iron....but anything that is teed up would be played more towards the toe......(?)

TEE
 

I believe that the HEIGHT the ball is teed also influences this. Some of these very big headed drivers will be pretty far towards the toe, to get a centered IMPACT. IF YOU SET UP AT ADDRESS(centered hands), the ball should be more towards the toe also. Go back and forth from ADDRESS to FIX and you will see this.

You need some other options..

Club not grounded ball centered
Club grounded ball centered.

Club not grounded ball off toe
Club grounded ball off toe.

Not sure about the heel alignment, need to think when and why you would want that.

I do one of two..

Club not grounded, ball centered
Club grounded, ball off toe

Warning: Particularly with the driver, be aware of visual equivalents.

Charlie

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