I have a great tip for you that’s going to end all the doubt you had in your mind about golf setup and where the golf ball goes in your stance. It’s called ball position.

A lot of amateurs, unfortunately, address the golf ball, what I call, backwards. They come in and they put their feet down and try to aim where they’re going, either down the fairway or towards the pin, and then they just stand to the golf club that they’re holding onto. Sometimes their golf setup is too far back and sometimes it’s too far forward.

Other amateurs do this. They like to play all of their shots off their front foot. Some like to play all their shots off the middle of their stance. But let me tell you something, and I think this is really going to help you.

This weekend if you’re sitting around watching TV, watch the tour players and watch how they come up and they grip the golf club first, they take a look at where they’re going, and then they stand to the golf club that they’re using.

For instance, put the butt of the pitching wedge across from your belt buckle, and stand to the golf club with the face square and your shoulders going where you want them to go.

What that does is put the golf ball in the middle of your stance for your pitching wedge. Now, keep that stance with your 7 iron.

Now, the 7 iron is three inches longer than the pitching wedge. If you just stand there and grip it with your shoulders square, look how the golf ball is just starting to move forward in your stance over towards your left heel, and it’s about three inches apart.

Now, pick up your long iron and do the same thing. Keep your shoulders square, don’t move your stance, and grip the golf club. And all of a sudden, the long iron starts to move even further forward.

Lastly, watch this. During golf setup, when you hold your driver in your hand. If you just put the butt of the club across your belt buckle, put the club on the ground the way it was built in the factory and stand across from it with your shoulders square, that puts the golf ball across from your left foot.

It’s not complicated, but remember this: During golf setup, stand to the handle of the golf club. Don’t address the golf ball first, but address the golf club to the ball and then take your stance.

Copyright 2006 David Nevogt

Ever wondered who invented golf? It was the Scots! Golf was first played on the coast of Scotland during the 15th century. The game was a little different back then, however. Golfers would actually hit a small rock or pebble in instead of a ball using a stick. Additionally, they would hit the rock around in the sand, rather than on grass like today. It wasn’t until 1750 that golf became what we know it as today. In 1774, golfers in Edinburgh first wrote the Standardized Rules for the game.

The first subject in who invented golf is golf balls. Golfers eventually tired of hitting rocks and tried other things. The first attempt was balls made of leather and feathers. In 1858, Adam Paterson invented the gutta-percha ball. This ball was made from Gutta Tree sap. Then, in 1898, Coburn Haskell invented the rubber cored ball. These balls could reach distances of 400 yards or more. Until 1905, however, golf balls were smooth. Golfers noticed that worn balls were much better and in 1905, William Taylor introduced the first dimpled golf ball.

The second subject in who invented golf is golf clubs. In the early days, golf clubs were carved by the golfers themselves. The earliest known set of specially made clubs was made by a bow-maker for King James IV of Scotland. The construction of golf clubs was time consuming and expensive and included using various types of wood and binding them with leather. In addition, they broke very easily. This, of course, made golf an expensive sport to play and how golf got the reputation of being a high class society sport.

The third subject in who invented golf is golf tees. The word golf tee originally only defined the area where the golfer played and is still used in that context today. The first portable golf tee was made of rubber and had three prongs. It did not, however, stick in the ground, but stand on top of it. It was parented by William Bloxsom and Arthur Douglas in 1889. The first golf tee that stuck in the ground was also made of rubber, but had a metal spike to make it able to penetrate the ground. This tee was patented by Percy Ellis. The tee we know today was patented by PM Mathews in 1897.

Our final subject in who invented golf is rules. The first rules for golf were written and used in the first golf championship in 1744. They included only 13 written rules. Although they were similar to the ones we know today, the number one rule was that you must tee your ball within one clubs length of the hole. Additionally, they included stipulations for your ball hitting a horse. Although the game of golf has certainly evolved, its rich traditions and history remain the same.