[Yoda]

I've got a laser. Following the directions of this thread, I've left out the golf club itself. I'm just using the laser in my hand and holding it at PP#3.

My question is: on my downswing while doing this drill, when I get to my impact position - where I expect my body and hands to be - my laser light has not yet returned to the ball. My hands are ahead of the ball and ahead of their address position. Do you think it's possible that I'm allowing the imaginary clubhead/sweetspot get too far behind my hands? I feel like I'm either going to hit it fat, or some other kind of ineffective shot.

If you've taken your Grip and correctly established your Imact alignments in Impact Fix (8-2 and 7-8 ):

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Then, if you return to this position at Impact, then the beam must be pointing at the same place on the Plane Line as it was in Fix.

If, as you say, it is still pointing far behind you, then your Hands have not yet completed their education. In other words, without the Club and Ball, your Hands are incapable of making the correct motion. That must change.

You need to work on the sequenced Release of Accumulators #2 (Wristcock) and #3 (Wrist Roll), from Release (8-9) through Impact (8-10) to the end of the Follow-Through (8-11). Specifically, your work should be per 12-3-0 / Section 9/10/11 Items 37-39 (p. 223 of the 6th edition), the )n-Line Uncocking, On-Line Release Roll and the On-Line Hinge Action. Again, your Hands must be able to produce these motions with their precision alignments monitoring only themselves, i.e., without a Club. Also Study 4-D-0; 6-M-1; 2-B; 6-B-3-0; 2-G; and 7-10.

Finally, per 1-L, mastery of the Pivot (Zone #1) is the essential foundation for the mastery of the Zone #2 Power Components and the Zone #3 Accuracy Components (as dictated by the Hands). Strive for the Turned Shoulder Plane of 10-6-B with its complementing Shoulder Turns of 10-13-B (Flat Backstroke) and 10-13-D (On-Plane Downstroke).

As Homer said, "It's still a struggle. But at least it's a guided struggle instead of a blind one!