Now what about the FOOLish ideas of the BEST THREE IRON PLAYERS that ever walked the EARTH, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus and Johnny Miller...they all used (in their primes) one forward ball position.
Tonight I received a PM about the Ball location 'problem.' Namely, the fact that some authorities recommend one location (up front) and others, notably one Homer Kelley, recommend moving the Ball progressively farther back as Shaft length decreases (6-E-2). My reply reminded me that I had not yet responded to Brian's post. There are many things that deserve comment, but first the main course, dessert later!
That's a joke, Brian!
Anyway...
Read 6-E-2 and the Fog will lift, or at least it will get you out of the 'pea soup' variety. The ball must be moved back for the shorter clubs.Otherwise, you will struggle constantly for consistency (because the Ball ain't where it's supposed to be).
The 'one position' location -- near or just off the Left Heel -- has long been recommended by many fine teachers, including Jack Grout, who gave Jack Nicklaus his first lesson at the age of ten. And the fact that Jack subsequently became The Greatest Player In The History Of The Game did not diminish the popularity of the recommendation.
In fact, it affected -- infected would be a better word -- an entire generation of golfers, including the above Quote-referenced Mr. Miller. But it didn't influence Hogan. No sir. He had the information way ahead of time, and in 1957, with Jackie Nicklaus just out of knee pants, he published it in his book, Five Lessons.
Now, it truly would be wonderful if that one forward location would be forever and always the best place to put the Ball. Sadly, it is not. And per 6-E-2, it is not going to be -- no matter how many great players recommend it or how many miracle clubs are brought to market or how exaggerated their manufacturers' claims. It just ain't gonna happen. Unless, of course, they start making all clubs the same length! Then, with the Sweet Spot properly located on the face of each club, maybe so! Of course, we might experience some distance control problems. You know, 200-yard sand wedges, that kind of thing.
But I digress. Back to Messrs. Nicklaus, Miller, and Hogan...
First, recall that Jack Nicklaus, in his day, was known as the longest and straightest driver in history. He played the Ball off his Left Heel. At the same time, he was also known as one of the worst wedge players on Tour.He played the Ball off his Left Heel.
Second, both Jack Nicklaus and his emulator, Johnny "It's always better when you beat Jack" Miller, had tremendous 'leg drive.' Good players know that you can move the Ball around a lot in the stance and still hit a perfect Shot. And they do that by where they direct their Thrust through Impact. In The Golfing Machine that is called the Aiming Point, and it is explained in 6-E-2.
So, the good player can artificially adjust his Aiming Point to compensate for an otherwise deficient Ball Location, and that is exactly what these two gentlemen did. But not without effort! Have you ever watched Jack's leg drive?I mean, in person? Feel the swoosh? How about Johnny's? Now "That's a spicy meatball!"
Anyway, there's no question that from that forward Ball location, both men produced a lot of very good golf shots "in their prime."Interestingly though, as time went on, they discovered to their amazement that they hit even more very good golf shots -- and less very bad ones --by moving the Ball back as the Clubs got shorter.
In fact, both Jack and Johnny wrote books -- maybe not as spring chickens but still playing well enough to sell a lot of books -- and in those books they did the ultimate mea culpa. They both said they were wrong to have played the Ball so far forward with their irons all those years. And that now they had corrected that mistake and were playing the Ball farther back. Nicklaus was happy to report that his wedge play had improved markedly. Go figure!But...Oh, say it ain't so, Joe! But say it they did, and they hung it out in print for all to read.
Finally, what of the Wee Ice Mon, Bantam Ben Hogan? And what about what he said in that book of his? Somebody asked one of his favorite playing partners, Jay Hebert, that same question just after the book came out. Here's what Jay had to say:
"I've played hundreds of rounds with the guy, and I can tell you that he plays almost every iron shot in front of or just behind the middle of his stance."
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