You're Correct!

Consistent ball striking is difficult to come by, however, it can be a strength in your game with repeatable set up fundamentals.

Golfers who strike the ball consistently will have good, repeatable golf swings but the most important aspect of their game is a solid set up.

There are many key fundamental changes in the set up when using different irons, for example, the ball position of a 3 or 4 iron would be closer to the left heel with a stance slightly wider than your shoulders, however, once it is time to hit a pitching wedge, the stance narrows up and the ball position drops back to the middle of the stance.

As a general rule, for 8 irons to wedges, it is necessary to position the ball centrally in your stance and as you move through the clubs towards the 4 iron, the ball position moves more towards the left heel for a shallower angle of attack. We re-position the ball because each club is half an inch different in length which will increase the angle of attack, this in turn could lead to a heavy strike if the ball position is not altered.

There is approximately three to five degrees difference in loft between each of the clubs so they react differently at impact. A well struck 4 iron being hit from the middle of the stance will encourage the club face to be de-lofted at impact causing a low flight. Whilst practising, make sure your ball positions are correct.

Amateurs try many different theories to reach their eventual goal, and what works on the course one day may not work the next day. This is when most golfers fall into the trap of two wrongs making a right!

A three quarter golf swing could potentially help with centeredness of strike because the swing will be shorter, more compact and slightly slower, however, if this is the case it will be at the expense of distance, also the height of the shot will be reduced due to less velocity and back spin.

There are many theories amateurs will use and experiment with to gain the results they want. Adjusting the ball position is always a popular one. Whether the ball is positioned further forwards or backwards in the stance, it wont help where the ball hits the club face. It will only affect the spin and the balls trajectory.

Putting the ball further back in your stance in order to hit it better, will instead cause a steeper angle of attack depending on the club being used, and could cause heavy shots or even topped shots. Even if it is struck well it will cause a low ball flight and therefore a potential loss of distance.

Players are very quick to change aspects of their set up fundamentals in order to achieve better results from round to round. This leads to a real lack of consistency in their game. Adjusting your feet in relation to the ball whether it is side to side or forwards or backwards will not lead to long term consistency. Standing closer to the ball, unless you are hitting the ball from the toe of the club, will only promote the dreaded shank shot or even cause an adjustment in your swing path.