Texas Children's Houston Open

Memorial Park Golf Course



Instruction

Where to play the ball

July 21, 2010
instruction-2010-09-inar01_watson_ball_position.jpg

Most of us need to adjust our ball position as we get older. I used to play the ball more forward, but because I don't swing as aggressively as I used to, moving it back has helped me make consistent contact and control distance. It's also a good thing to do if you have trouble shifting to your front side.

The importance of proper ball position, in general, is misunderstood, and tour pros pay more attention to it than most of you do. The longer the club, the farther forward I play the ball -- even though it's not as far forward as it used to be. For a driver, I play it in line with my left heel. For a middle iron, it's closer to being in line with the center of my stance. For a wedge, a little farther back. At left are the positions I use. I try to adhere to them as closely as possible.

Tom Watson is a Golf Digest Playing Editor and the golf professional emeritus at The Greenbrier, located in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.

MORE THOUGHTS FROM TOM

Some players on the Champions Tour have earned the right to be there, but maybe don't have a chance to win. But the best guys can flat play. There ought to be a tournament, top 30 on the Champions Tour versus top 30 on the PGA Tour, on about a 7,000-yard course, same tees. The results might be surprising.