after watching the John Riegger Basic/Acquired Motion videos
 

Great videos.
It motivated me to go back and read through the other threads on Basic/Acquired/Total Motion.

Questions:

1. Why are we supposed to line the ball up towards the toe of the clubface at address?
2. When I'm practicing with dowels, and I'm starting to trace my plane line with the dowel and right forearm, how long does my right forearm stay pointing to the plane line? Doesn't it come off the plane line at some point on the takeaway (even before the right forearm gets to 90 degrees)? How about on the downswing, when does the right forearm get back to pointing at the plane line?

Thanks

1. Address the ball at Impact Fix with a driver. The clubhead will be hovering in the air, not on the ground. Slightly open clubface contacting slightly on the inside-aft quadrant (on a clock about 3:30). Now lower the clubhead to the ground - more of a conventional address position. Report back with what you see.

2. The right forearm should stay pointing as long as possible. As you mentioned, the right forearm gets parallel to the ground (like an Acquired Motion stroke) at which point you can no longer point it at the straight plane line. However, up until that point, it should still be pointing at the plane line. Imagine that your plane line (or dowels) extend infinitely in both directions, both toward and away from the target. The concept of the Plane is best understood when you extend, in your mind, the lines infinitely in all directions. You can still point the right forearm at the plane line but maybe it'll be pointing somewhere 20 feet behind the ball.

Thanks for your reply, Matt.
I already think of that when I'm using a driver. I never ground my club with the driver.

but I have never thought of it with my irons off the turf. So if I'm hovering my club I don't have to line the toe of the clubface up with the ball?

Thanks

If you're hovering, then hover with the sweetspot in the desired impact position. When you sole the club from this "ideal" impact position, you'll notice the ball is towards the toe of the club. However, I know several people that address the ball on the hosel from wedge to driver. Geometrically correct?...no. Comfortable and subsconciously adjusted for on every stroke?...yes. Like Homer said, psychological considerations must be taken into account.

The bottom line is that if you hover the club, then hover with the sweetspot aligned with your desired impact point on the ball. If you sole the club, get the ball slightly out towards the toe. Overall, it's not going to be the difference-maker between shooting 100 and shooting 70. But every little thing you can do to make your stroke more geometrically sound is worthwhile to me.

Strangest thing
 

I also have seen a very low handicap player do the same thing...I couldn't believe my eyes the first time I saw him do it but it didn't take long for me to realize for him it worked well.

That's amazing....I can't believe the amount of knowledge in that book....there's so many little things like this (about learning the game, building a swing, etc.) that are big things it's pretty much impossible to incorporate them all....