Gordon Jackson's Golf Tip of the Day-July 28, 2010

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU CENTER THE SWEET SPOT OF YOUR CLUB-
FACE APPROXIMATELY ONE-HALF INCH BEHIND YOUR BALL?

Some golfers routinely center the face of their clubs about one-half inch behind their golf ball during their setup proceedings. Typically, through trial and error, they have come to experience a relatively straight ball flight by using this setup procedure.

It theoretically produces a relatively straight ball flight if all the following conditions are met:

First, you must assume a comfortable stance and posture to the ball as well as align your shoulders parallel with your target line while the clubface is positioned about one-half inch behind the ball before assuming a conventional overlap, interlock or baseball style of grip.

Then without moving your feet in any manner, you must assume either a conventional overlap, interlock or baseball style of grip while the sweet spot of your clubface remains centered about one-half inch behind the ball.

Once you assume your grip with the lifeline of your back hand locked squarely on your front-hand thumb, you must the keep your front heel planted, keep both feet in place, keep your head steady and execute a simple backswing and deliver the sweet spot of your clubface to the ball at impact.

This technique theoretically delivers a relatively square clubface to the ball on a path that relatively matches the target line at impact because the clubface is displaced just enough from the back of the ball to square it with the ball during the downswing.

I do not endorse this technique because, unlike my Locked-In Techniques, this procedure does not lock-in a square clubface alignment and an online swing path that remains locked-in during the remainder of the setup proceedings and the golf swing.

It also requires a relatively flat surface.

Nonetheless, you may want to try it just for the experience.