causes of why you hit the ground before hitting the golf ball

Hitting the ground before the golf ball is mainly caused by an incorrect golf swing technique. There are many factors to consider, and some can compound others. These include hip slide, head movement, dipping the shoulder, bending your lead arm, releasing the club too early, and not distributing your weight through your swing correctly.

Full Answer

Why does my golf club hit the ground before the ball?

Too often the club will contact the ground before it contacts the golf ball compromising shot distance and flight control. In this video I explain some of the more common reasons for this shot, as well as a progression of drills that will have you hitting the ball solid every time. http://www.derekhoopergolf.com/

Why do I hit the ball first when hitting it?

Trying to get a little more power often causes your back shoulder to dip, which can cause you to hit the ground first. Practice hitting the ball first by standing on your front foot and hitting golf balls at the range. Standing on one foot causes you to hit down on the ball, which helps you to hit the ball first.

Why do I hit the ground before the ball drop kick?

We call hitting the ground before the ball drop-kicking and it can happen with all clubs, but is pretty common with woods. Hitting the ground before the ball can have many causes. Among them are: 1) Hanging back or fall back with your weight onto your rear side through impact.

How do I Stop Hitting the ground before the ball?

Next, you'll see a drill with a Flat Ball to stop hitting the ground before the ball. It's a simple training aid that's the similar to a golf ball, but flat. If you hit on top of the Flat Ball, it'll bounce up and if you hit too far behind it, your club will likely bounce right over it.

How do I stop hitting the ground before the golf ball?

3:385:12HOW TO STOP HITTING THE GROUND BEFORE THE GOLF BALLYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipCheck set up ball. Position weight distribution. And in the goal swing focus on a point two to threeMoreCheck set up ball. Position weight distribution. And in the goal swing focus on a point two to three inches in front of the ball shift. In front of it.

Why am I hitting the ground first with my irons?

Generally speaking, a thin or fat shot is caused by having your swing center too far behind the ball at impact. This error causes your club to bottom out too far behind the ball and will cause you to hit the ground first (a fat shot) or hit the top of the ball (a thin shot).

Why do I hit the ground before the ball when chipping?

The most common movement that causes a chunk shot is that the golfer's weight moves too far behind the golf ball and causes the club to bottom out before the ball. We call this movement a lateral shift.

Why am I hitting the ground first with my driver?

Hitting the ground first is because your angle of approach (angle at which the club is striking the golf ball) is too shallow. To put it in another understandable way, you are trying to hit the ball with an upwards motion.

How do you hit a golf ball first then the ground?

2:369:54How to Hit The Ball Then the Ground | This Just Works! - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo what i want you to do here is put your feet together the ball would be in the middle of your feetMoreSo what i want you to do here is put your feet together the ball would be in the middle of your feet. And i'm going to slide my right foot.

How do you stop hitting behind the ball when chipping?

3:159:00STOP BLADING and STOP CHUNKING your chip shotsYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipRemember I'm not leading with the hands here what I'm doing is rotating the body through I'm usingMoreRemember I'm not leading with the hands here what I'm doing is rotating the body through I'm using the bounce. And I'm letting the club skim along the surface. After the ball my.

How can I improve my golf chipping?

10 basic tips that can help golfers chip better than everBe in proper posture. ... Tweak your stance and setup. ... Understand ball-turf interaction. ... Understand your chipping stroke. ... Develop your feel. ... Adjust your ball position. ... Calibrate your distance control. ... Practice with an alignment rod.More items...•

How do I stop topping the golf ball with irons?

The three things you need to do to correct the issue of topping the golf ball is:Keep your head still throughout the backswing. ... Next, you need to make sure you take a divot at impact. ... Finally, in order to create that divot, you'll need to shift your weight forward to your front side throughout the downswing.

How do I stop my irons from digging?

5:076:30How to Stop Chunking Your Golf Irons (Golf Swing Tips) - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBe well when you're set in there. Just make sure at the bottom of the club. Here. Points at yourMoreBe well when you're set in there. Just make sure at the bottom of the club. Here. Points at your belt buckle that's a good reference.

How do you hit the ball then the turf with your irons?

1:208:46SIMPLE GOLF TIPS - HIT THE BALL THEN THE TURF - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIf our body is leaning back as we come in to hit. It. Again this is where you're going to hit behindMoreIf our body is leaning back as we come in to hit. It. Again this is where you're going to hit behind the golf ball so i've got a mid-iron in my hand here and eight iron.

How do you hit irons pure every time?

3:197:25HOW TO STRIKE YOUR IRONS PURE AND SOLID EVERY SINGLE ...YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipRight hand's on top logo towards the ground we're going to swing. Up rotate. And hold it.MoreRight hand's on top logo towards the ground we're going to swing. Up rotate. And hold it.

Why can't I get any distance with my irons?

The Fix: Spray your club and find out where you are hitting the club face. If you are towards the toe, you may be too far from the ball or your path is too out to in. If you are hitting it towards the heel, you may be too close to the ball or your path is too in to out.

How to hit down on the ball?

Start with pitch shots and wedge shots and feel the weight on the front foot. You’ll most likely notice how this helps you hit down on the ball. After getting the hang of it with the shorter shots, try it with a bigger swing. If it feels strange go back to the shorter swings and gradually work your way up.

How to stay centered in golf swing?

A good way to stay centered is to get more weight on your front foot at address. The centrifugal force of the golf swing naturally tries to pull your weight away from the target. Setting a little more weight forward counteracts this natural tendency.

How to avoid fat shots in golf?

To avoid this, feel as though the hands, arms, and club move away as one piece during the takeaway. If your takeaway starts with the hands pulling inside or the hips turning the golf club will wind up behind your body. This can lead to the dreaded fat shot.

What is a flip in golf?

The “flip” or early release is a killer in the golf swing. Not only can it cause you to hit behind the ball, it is also robs you of power and distance. The release point is where the swing hits it top speed and if it happens before the ball, the club will be slowing down when it gets to the ball. No good!

How to stop flipping?

In order to eliminate the flip you need to get your hands leading at impact. The first step to fixing this is to work on reason #1 and get your weight forward at impact. It’s not easy to lead with the hands if you’re weight is on your back foot.

How to get a golf club to hit the ground?

Loosen your grip on the club, so it is relaxed and you are not squeezing. Loosening your grip helps relax your arms and shoulders and provides a smoother swing. Refrain from swinging too hard when you take your shot. Trying to get a little more power often causes your back shoulder to dip, which can cause you to hit the ground first. ...

When hitting a fairway iron, should your clubhead strike the ball first?

When you hit a fairway iron your clubhead should strike the ball first, and then continue downward to take a divot. Try to sweep the ball off the ground without taking a divot when you hit a fairway wood.

Why are tee shots not a problem?

Tee shots are usually not a problem because the ball is elevated, but hitting from the fairway is often a completely different story.

What happens if you take a divot in golf?

If you take a divot -- whether it's in front of the ball or behind -- put the turf you dislodge back onto the bald spot you created in the fairway. Failure to replace your divots is a violation of golf etiquette.

What happens if you hit a flat ball too far behind it?

If you hit on top of the Flat Ball, it'll bounce up and if you hit too far behind it, your club will likely bounce right over it.

How to stop flipping in golf?

To stop flipping and hit with more forward shaft lean, you'll be introduced to a great training aid called the Impact Snap. It'll help you ingrain forward shaft lean and releasing out in front of the ball. Here are some more technique tips to help you make better contact... Rotate your hips and shoulders open in the downswing.

How to make better contact in golf?

Here are some more technique tips to help you make better contact... Rotate your hips and shoulders open in the downswing. This will help you swing your arms through with forward shaft lean on the club. Also, concentrate on coming in with more lag and shallowing your club in the downswing.

How to get a scorecard for a golf swing?

Try this... Grab a piece of paper (it can be a scorecard). Place it about 3 to 5 inches behind the ball. Take a few practice swings without the ball and concentrate on brushing the grass without hitting the piece of paper. Once you're comfortable, hit some balls with the paper there.

Where is the meaty part of the grip on a golf club?

You’ll see that the pad, the meaty part of my hand here is at the bottom of this grip on top of it.

Can you use a golf swing indoors?

You can use it indoors so that you're not just making practice swings in the air, which can cause you to top shots when you return to the course.

Can you compress a golf ball?

Getting that ground and ball contact happening at the same time, so we can really compress the golf ball. Now the neat part about this video is I’m going to mix it up. I’m going to talk about a couple of mental tricks where you don’t have to worry about changing your technique at all.

Why is the lead hand the most powerful way to throw a ball?

Because the lead hand is ahead and it's the most powerful way to throw a ball and to generate speed - watch from 7 mins to see this exact drill. Get one of these as it will help you add speed and power to this motion. Now make some small swings with it, and toss the dog ball thrower into your practice net.

Does Danny Maude use a dog ball thrower?

One of his drills involves the use of a dog ball thrower. Yes, a dog ball thrower... ...

What happens when you top the golf ball?

Most likely, if you are topping the golf ball, your balance problem is leaving too much weight on your right foot during the downswing. However, it isn't the downswing that you need to fix – it is the backswing. In a good backswing, your weight will never get over onto your right foot in the first place, making it impossible to get stuck there on the way down. As long as you stay balanced during the backswing, it should be rather easy to remain on balance during the downswing.

Why does my golf ball go to the bottom of the arc?

Cause: Poor ball position – Play the ball too far forward (left) in your stance and the club will reach the bottom of its arc too soon, nicking the top of the ball on the upswing. This may be exacerbated by the reverse pivot described above.

How to hit top shot golf?

One way to hit topped golf shots is to use only your arms as you swing the club back and through. If your legs aren't involved in the swing, you will have trouble transferring your weight onto your left foot, and you will be prone to hitting ground balls as a result.

How to get a golf ball to be airborne?

Once you've set up to the ball, don't hold the club too tightly. A grip pressure of 5 (on a 1-10 scale) or less will keep your arms loose and foster a nice, full backswing. Finally, focus intently on the back of the ball until it has left the clubface – chances are, it'll be airborne.

Why does my golf club bottom out?

Cause: Reverse pivot – Your weight should shift to the right foot on the backswing (for right-handed golfers), then left on the downswing and finish. Far too many players suffer from a “reverse pivot,” when the exact opposite shift occurs. This can cause the club to bottom out well behind the ball and barely graze it on the upswing.

What is the difference between amateur golfers and professional golfers?

One of the big differences between amateur golfers and their professional counterparts is the way that the pros use their entire body in the golf swing. When you watch a professional swing the club, it is obvious that they are using their lower body and upper body together in harmony to hit powerful and accurate shots.

How to get the ball in the air?

Getting the ball into the air requires a combination of good technique, ample preparation, and focused execution. Simply hitting a few shots on the driving range prior to starting your round might not be enough to get the job done. Instead, you might need to set aside time for some dedicated practice sessions where you can fine tune your mechanics and work on repeating your swing over and over. Fortunately, these practice sessions don't have to be lengthy to be effective – even spending a half an hour at the driving range once or twice a month can get you on the right track.

Why does my golf club drop behind the ball?

Failure to naturally transfer the weight through the ball and onto the left commonly causes the club to drop behind the ball. The body and the club must work together in a proper weight transfer.

What does it mean when you hit behind the ball?

Hitting behind the golf ball, or hitting it "fat," is a common problem, especially with high handicappers. It is a frustrating mishit that results in added strokes to the scorecard.

What is the dip in golf?

Dipping the back shoulder during the downswing causes the body and hands to scoop at the ball (commonly called a "chili dip"). Keeping the upper body upright during the swing and concentrating on leading with the front shoulder can remedy this habit.

What does it mean when your leading arm is loose?

When the leading arm (left arm for right-handed players) isn't straight, it causes a short backswing and prevents the upper body from making the proper coil. Keep the left arm straight, but not tense, and lead the body into the shot with the head and hips behind the ball.

What happens when you downswing in soccer?

During the downswing, players sometimes have the tendency to slide their head forward. This causes the upper body to slide forward, impeding a proper recoil.

Can a fat shot happen on the right shoulder?

Improper weight transfer and dropping the right shoulder can lead to "fat" shots.