When you hit a fairway iron your clubhead should strike the ball first, and then continue downward to take a divot. If an upward hit is desired, as with a driver, the ball should be placed up in the stance and the golfer told only where the swing is to bottom out. Learn whats correct based on the physics of the golf swing and your anatomy. Many times i hit behind the ball, how do i fix this. I think there are 5 types of players who will do well with this set up.
This problem often happens when a golfer is trying to be too careful with. Not to mention, you need to stop hitting those deep divots or else the groundskeeper will be chasing you down. See golf posture for more on this, plus balance and rhythm in the golf swing. True you do need to keep your head back as you reverse directions and you dont want to get it ahead of the ball especially with a driver, but to hit down on the ball and avoid hitting behind the ball, also known as hitting it fat, you do need to feel much more over the ball than you are probably used to. It starts with balance if you want to avoid fat shots, you need to have great balance in your swing.
Centerface contact becomes a lot more difficult to find consistently. Im hitting all my other clubs pretty good and even have decent drives when it hits the ground. Sep 09, 2016 drive it farther by staying behind the ball. All right guys, so theres two main things that i see when people are struggling hitting behind the golf ball, time and time again. In irons, the swing bottoms out just past the ball, the evidence is.
Science proves traditional golf ball position is wrong. When i was hitting with the driver, i think i was hitting at the ball too steeply, so my club would often hit the ground before making contact with the ball, so i popped the ball up and couldnt hit. Hitting behind the golf ball, or hitting it fat, is a common problem, especially with high handicappers. You may even lose your footing with your right foot, which is another way to hit a drive fat. May 06, 2011 most amateurs hang back because the equipment is to strong for them, so they try to add loft and control the ball this way. This will help you become more aware of your swing bottom to see where you are taking a divot. In this video youll learn what determines the bottom of your swing arc so that you can hit crisp iron shots every time and stop chunking the ball or topping it.
Note that without seeing your swing its difficult for me to say what is causing you personally to hit behind the ball. The goal is to feel the club working down, hitting the ball, and then the ground. Its tough to hit a good drive after making a snatchy move like that. How to stop hitting behind the ball impact zone golf. To give yourself the best possible chance at a clean and solid hit with the driver, take it easy and let your distance happen naturally. May 24, 2019 when hitting driver, you want your head to stay behind the ball at impact, and this setup your spine tilted away from the target helps you do that. In this lesson, we teach you a simple method you can utilize to make your driver golf club a little heavier to locate the center of your club face and hit the golf ball farther. Hitting behind the ball with driver instruction and. If you get too close to the ball, you run the risk of making preemptive contact. Think back to those old drills that you would see at a driving range that help. The key to hitting the ball farther with the modern, 460cc driver and modern golf ball which spins much less off of a flat face than balls of the past is high launch angle combined with a low spin rate. Remember, the goal is to hit the driver on the upswing as it will result in maximum ball flight and translate into more distance and carry. Our goal is to get enough spin to achieve lift, while minimizing hopefully eliminating drag. It also results in a loss of clubhead speed, ideal angle of attack and general control over the clubface.
Then kneel down so that youre holding the club head with one hand against the floor. Getting distance on the ball is as much about fundamentals and mechanics as it is. You are not sure where to look when hitting a golf ball. As the title states, ive been hitting the ground before the ball with my driver. Ive probably only met two guys in my life who could hit it farther than me, and it wasnt by much. You want to start with the practice swing, specifically the line drill. Stand so that your golf ball is only a few inches behind your left toe. For more tips on adapting for driver shots, we have some great insights on that, too.
Essentially, you want to make impact just before hitting the low point of your swing. Instruction 3 fivesecond fixes to cure your shanks, putting strike and driving accuracy instruction. Stop hitting the ball fat with this golf drill video lesson by pga pro pete styles now, one of the most frustrating shots out in the golf course is the fat shot. Sep 10, 2015 annabel rolley teaches a drill using a headcover to help you keep your head behind the ball at impact. How i hit drives 56 yards farther with one adjustment. The dreaded fat shot with a driver if a fat shot with one of your irons can be damaging to your score, a fat shot with the driver can be even worse. The hands are neither forwardpressed nor angled behind. How to hit down on the golf ball for your iron shots usgolftv. In my opinion as an instructor who has taught full time for over 20 years, hitting behind the ball is actually much better than topping the ball. When you try to hit the ball too hard, you are likely to dip down and catch the turf before the ball. He is the founder of innovex golf and the author of the art and science of breaking 90. Driving the ball straight off of the tee can be the difference between a birdie and a bogey.
Jan 26, 2017 this video is about how to stop hitting behind the ball in golf. Players who want to swing on a flatter swing plane 4. Oct 05, 2009 as the title states, ive been hitting the ground before the ball with my driver. The next time you spend time practicing your driver swing, work on achieving the key elements of a tourlevel setup position. Rick shiels golf how to stop hitting behind the golf. The first is as i set up to this golf ball my weight is falling away from the target, my right shoulder gets lower and closer to the ground. A high rate of backspin is the enemy of hitting good shots with your driver. One of biggest problems is hitting behind the ball, which is also known as hitting it fat. Aug 01, 2003 this places you on top of the ball instead of behind the ball. The proper tee height should be different depending on the type of shots you prefer to hit.
In golf, what is the main reason for hitting behind the ball. I tee the ball of the instep my lead foot but still have the club 18 or so inches behind the ball. After you get the feel for leading with the hands and hitting the ground, add a golf ball and hit some shots. But i dont think there is one correct tee height for everyone. Too far away and youll have trouble returning the club to the correct impact position. Drill to keep your head behind the golf ball golf channel. Plus, the ball gets up higher, landers softer, and is much more forgiving than a typical long iron. With the right technique and some practice, your golf game will only get better. Getting more out of your driver august 07, 2011 andrew rice. For golfers who dont hit the ball very far, more length can come from staying behind the ball.
The secret to hitting your driver better the left rough. From what ive seen, nerves typically make the backswing fast and short. That prevents your body from moving ahead of the ball before impact, which causes the driver to come into impact too steeply. Rick shiels golf how to stop hitting behind the golf ball.
Experiment and find out what works for best for you personally. Putting the ball further ahead in your stance will reduce accuracy. The low loft of a golf driver is very surprising from the perspective of physics. At impact, his head stays well behind the ball and he is in a great impact position. Before you overthink this, know that hitting a driver vs. As a bit of a prequel, ive really improved my ball striking over the past few months. It will also help you see your progress of moving your swing bottom 4 inches in front of the ball instead of behind the ball.
Dont get fixated with hitting the ball as you may then be subconciously aiming at it and hence hitting down at it as opposed to smoothly connecting with the ball throughout the movement of the swing. If you are struggling with hitting behind the ball, look at it this way at least you are hitting something. The wider stance helps position the head behind the ball exactly where it should be. Okay, so the heavy shot that shot where we hit the ground before hitting the golf ball, it is a horrendous. Hitting behind the ball with driver instruction and playing. Stop hitting the ball fat with this simple golf drill.
In my opinion, hitting behind the ball is actually much better than topping the. If he has a lower ss and has a low lofted driver this will happen. He was using a jetspeed from taylormade, which he was great with, but the g400 just takes it to another level. Many golfers fail to get maximum distance with their drivers.
Obviously, excess height will decrease how far the ball rolls, and it can hurt your carry distance, too. But you will soon realize that the action through the ball with a solid posture that maintains the tush line and prevents the proverbial humping look through the ball is a direct result of a proper focus on a very simple brainless task. The fat shot by definition is hitting the ground before the golf ball. Hitting a driver with too much backspin will cause the ball to balloon up in the air and land with no roll, resulting in lost distance. Even with the driver, i dont believe the clubhead is behind the ball much more than an inch or so. One biggie nobody mentions is thinking the club head travels in a circular instead of an elliptical path. The uphill lie, mccord writes, promotes the feeling of staying behind the ball at impact on drives. Placing the ball here will result in less swing range and more control. Stop hitting the ball fat with this golf drill video. Setting the ball back further in your stance will diminish power.
My friend steve just upgraded to this ping g400 and i havent seen him hit a driver like that before. For more golf tips and drills please make sure to check out for more golf lessons and instructions. Hitting the ground before the ball can have many causes. The correct ball position plays a pivotal role in generating more distance off the tee. Oct 22, 2018 this results in the lead arm being forced to retract into the body so the club avoids hitting the ground steeply and well behind the ball. Every time i use my driver i hit the ground before i hit. Despite my napoleonic stature, i can hit the ball more than 300 yards not on average. When i was hitting with the driver, i think i was hitting at the ball too steeply, so my club would often hit the ground before making contact with the ball, so i popped the ball up and couldnt hit it far.
There are a few different reasons for wanting to add weight to your driver golf club, one of which being centeredness of contact. There are many methods for tee height for a driver shot. Add weight to your driver golf club for more distance pga. In the swing sequence below, you can see just how this golfer demonstrates keeping his head behind the ball at impact. Drives are too high golf tip its possible to hit your drives too high, even when you make solid contact.
One of the problems that many golfers have is the tendency to hit the ground before hitting the ball. For more golf tips and drills please make sure to check out. This video is about how to stop hitting behind the ball in golf. Driving a golf ball as far as you can while maintaining accuracy is a great way to lower your score and get better as a golfer.
So, in that case, the bottom of you swing arc is behind the ball as it should be. Heres the one thing you need to stop missing putts you should make. Basically, lessskilled players were hitting down on the ball while golfers who shoot in the 70s hit up on the ball. However, with the design of a driver and the advantage of a tee under the ball, a sweeping motion is the desired way to attack the shot at impact. Jun 10, 2014 this is due to the design of the irons, and the fact that you are usually hitting them off the turf instead of a tee. Standing on one foot causes you to hit down on the ball, which helps you to hit the ball first. This is often the case with new or highhandicap golfers. Tee shots are usually not a problem because the ball is elevated, but hitting from the fairway is often a completely different story. Fix your golf swing to stop hitting behind the ball. Many people have a ball bound factor or a different swing bottom point when they try to hit a ball verse making a practice swing. If you are hitting behind the ball, you may be standing too close. While common advice is to focus either on the entire ball, a spot in front of the ball, a specific dimple on the ball or the back inside quarter of the golf ball there is no rule here and no proven method.
In terms of hitting behind the ball, lets first define what we want to do, and then well talk about the things you can do to stop that from happening, and ill give you some drills to do. In the swing you will need to feel that you are staying behind the ball with your upper body as you. How can i stop my driver from hitting the ground before. The goal is to feel the clubhead working down and hitting the ground where the ball would be. How to keep your head behind the ball in the golf swing at. Do you struggle to get your fairway woods airborne or make any sort of solid contact with the golf ball. Ive been having a problem this year with hitting all of my irons and wedges. How to stop hitting behind the golf ball top speed golf. Amateur golfers commonly hit down with their drivers, like an iron shot. While hitting behind the ball is often a problem experienced with the irons, we are going to address driver concerns as well. Stay behind the golf ball, driver video by pete styles now, heres a great way of generating maximum power when youre hitting your driver. This is related to the wide narrow wide concept of club path.
If youre someone who gets nervous on the tee box, that mental state is affecting how you physically swing your driver. A good drive will come off the driver with a low amount. When youre hitting shots off the tee, you want hit your low point just before you make contact with the ball so that youre catching the ball on an upward motion. The colorful young player tells readers they dont need to be big to hit the ball far, they just need to set up properly and release correctly. How to stop hitting behind the golf ball simple fix. Taking a big chunk of dirt and grass instead of the ball is more than a little frustrating, but you can remedy. Another huge perk of hitting hybrids over long irons is that they are adjustable like your fairway woods and driver. Turn your left shoulder behind the ball if youre someone who gets nervous on the tee box, that mental state is affecting how you physically swing your driver. Stay behind the golf ball, driver video by pete styles. If you dont have enough power ss then the club will go right.
Everyone in freshman physics learns that the optimal launch angle for a projectile the angle that makes a ball. In irons, the swing bottoms out just past the ball, the evidence is the divot. The correct height should be different from person to person. Popping balls is a sign you are hitting down too much. People may or may not notice the single axis part of the setup but they notice the club way behind the ball. Dec 06, 2017 to help you correct this problem, we are going to offer up some advice in this article. This is because he hits slighlty down on the golf ball with his driver. Sep 04, 2018 in terms of hitting behind the ball, lets first define what we want to do, and then well talk about the things you can do to stop that from happening, and ill give you some drills to do. One of the reasons for hitting behind the ball is that you are trying to assure you will get the ball in the air by swinging up at the ball. This causes the ball to come off the driver with too much backspin. That same swing in the fairway would be a fat shot, as the bottom of your swing would be behind the ball. Maybe you hit three inches behind the ball or chunk your fairway woods making very little progress towards your target. Clubhead position behind ball at address swing surgeon. My thought on this topic is that the ball should only be about an inch or so.
A proper setup, weight shift and swing will help you hit your driver with reduced. Cobra immediately puts you at ease when sliding this f9 behind the ball on the tee. A good drive will come off the driver with a low amount of backspin, allowing the ball to roll forward when it hits the fairway. Jun 11, 2019 hitting down on the ball is the key to better iron shots. As long as you can avoid making any of those mistakes, you should be able to avoid hitting behind the ball when playing your irons from the fairway or off the tee. Best golf drivers for mid handicappers 2020 golf sidekick. How can i stop my driver from hitting the ground before the ball. With driver the objective is to take the ball cleanly off the tee peg. The hybrid club head is the perfect size to make it easy to hit off the deck, in the rough, or even off the tee.
Follow my tips and youll be hitting driver with some confidence in no time. I know that in the past i have made it known that it is okay to hit down on the ball with the driver. With your other hand, place the golf ball against the spot that we discovered was the center of your club face in our previous experiment the spot where you want to hit the. The first divot below is from hitting from behind the ball while the second divot is. This is due to the design of the irons, and the fact that you are usually hitting them off the turf instead of a tee. Hitting a 6 iron here, this golfer exhibits a perfect ball position at address with the left side of his head setup directly on the back of the ball. It is a frustrating mishit that results in added strokes to the scorecard.
Sweep, not steep, with your driver to avoid popups. Correction remember, you want to promote a sweeping motion with the driver, so you must set up behind the ball at address, not on top of the ball. If you deliver your action to the ball on purpose or by default, you should get early extension. About seven or eight years ago i was playing a round down in florida with a few topnotch golfers.
The story behind vice golfs lowcost golf balls and unique business model. There are some tour pros who hover the driver head behind the ball at address. Apr 29, 2011 i just got back from the driving range. When hitting off the tee, you should be contacting the ball on the upswing of your swing arc. Hitting way behind the ball is so frustratingand it can completely destroy your scores. This is achievable for even the most casual golfers if you make small adjustments to move the low point of your swing forward. We were engaged in a friendly team match for a few bucks, and one of the guys in our group was a former. Every golfer wants to know how to hit a driver farther, and were going to explore some actionable methods you can use in this article. In this video, youll discover how to stop hitting behind the golf ball. How to hit fairway woods flush in 4 steps just like the. So for the biggest club in the bag, we actually need to stay back when were hitting the golf ball, which feels counterintuitive because with a lot of the iron shots weve talked about moving. To swing up at the ball, you have to start your swing from below the angle of impact. If i hit my driver properly though, that might get your attention.
If you are topping the ball, you may standing too far away from the ball. I can hit my hybrid and driver great this season, but i seem to hit behind the ball with all of my irons and chunk the ball and i cant seem to fix it. In this video youll learn what determines the bottom of your swing arc so that you can hit crisp iron shots every time and stop chunking the ball or. Precision pro golf helps you improve every aspect of your golf game. Set your driver up like you normally would if you were going to hit a golf ball. Fix your golf swing to stop hitting behind the ball golficity. Practice hitting the ball first by standing on your front foot and hitting golf balls at the range. When a good player sets up to hit the driver, he or she invariably does so with a nice, wide stance and with the ball positioned opposite the left heel. I swing like moe or at least try and club well behind the ball is one of the signature parts of the swing. How to stop hitting the ground before hitting the golf ball. Jan 30, 2020 kevin downey is a golf equipment professional. Head behind the ball to gain distance september 10, 2015 annabel rolley teaches a drill using a headcover to help you keep your head behind the ball at impact.