If there was one lesson golfers kept coming back for in 2025, it was this: ball position matters more than you realize. It influences contact, consistency and even trajectory, and it can be the difference between firing at the flag and scrambling for bogey.
That’s probably why our simple ball-position guide became the most-read golf instruction tip of the year. It provided golfers with fast results without overcomplicating the swing. So let’s revisit that tip— and show you how a small setup change can lead to immediate improvement.
Perfect your ball position with wedges and short irons
To nail your ball position with shorter scoring clubs, GOLF Top 100 Teacher Debbie Doniger recommends starting with your feet together and the ball centered in your stance. From here, Doniger says to follow her two-step process — no pun intended:
1. Take a small step toward the target with your lead foot
2. Make an equal-sized step back with your trail foot
“That’ll put the ball in the middle pretty much every time,” Doniger says.
This quick setup method works well for wedges and short irons. It works great for mid-to-long irons too, but you just need to remember one key adjustment.
For long irons, take a bigger step back
When setting up for a longer iron, Doniger says you want to have the same starting position: feet together, ball centered. The key here, she explains, is your second step:
1. Take a small step toward the target with your lead foot
2. With your trail foot, make a slightly larger step back — this will move the ball forward
“Now the ball is a little more forward,” Doniger says, “Often time because we are shifting, the low point is in front of the golf ball. This will accommodate us shifting forward.”
As clubs get longer, the ball should continue to shift gradually forward. Each time, you’re starting from the same position and only changing the size of that trail-foot step.
“You’re doing the same [process] every time,” Doniger says. “You do that every time, you’ll probably hit the ball a bit better.”
