Ball position

Question
Thanks for answering my previous question on my driver trajectory being too low.  However, I'm confused about ball position with  HSS.  In looking at the book on HSS and a video of you hitting a driver with HSS that's on the internet, it looks like you have the ball positioned a little right of center or back of center with your irons and and just a little left of center or barely forwar of center with your driver. I find that, with my driver, if I position the ball as far forward as off my left heel as you suggest in your answer to me, I tend to move somewhat forward at impact to reach the ball and then hit the ball low on the face or thin.  What's correct?  Also, I notice that in the video that's on the internet of you hitting your driver, you appear to set the head of your driver back about a foot behind the ball at address much like Moe Norman did.  Am I wrong on this and is this something you recommend with HSS?

Answer
Hi Tony,

I think we've found the key to your problem.  I'd be willing to wager that you're hanging back on your right side too long through impact.  You mention that if your ball position gets up inside your left heel, you tend to move forward.  While the center of your swing needs to be stable, your weight SHOULD move into the left hip joint and you SHOULD feel that your weight has moved forward at the follow through and finish.  If you still feel your center of gravity back on your right leg after impact (no forward movement at all) you are hanging back too long.

Hanging back on your right side promotes a low point in the arc of your swing that is too far to the right.  That's why you're hitting the ball off the bottom of the clubface.  It may not be comfortable in the beginning but you need to be moving your center to the left leg during the impact-to-finish part of the swing sequence.  That moves the low point in the swing slightly leftward.  There are degrees of this, of course.  You don't want to sway into the ball laterally.  You don't want to get too steep on a driver swing.  But it sure sounds to me that you are much too much the other way (hanging back).

Starting with the clubhead well behind the ball is a Moe Norman trait that I thought might be a good idea.  As Moe said, "You can't get lower or slower going back that starting it from that position."  Try it and see what you think.  

Good luck,

Paul