With the wedges, irons and hybrid clubs, the hands should be at varying degrees ahead of the ball at impact to encourage a descending blow and correct swing arc. With the fairway woods and especially the driver, the hands need to be level with, or slightly behind the ball when off a tee, at impact.
What is a good impact position in golf?
A good impact position includes a number of different elements, such as hips that have turned open to the target and eyes that are focused down on the ball. Another component of a great impact position is getting your hands in front of the golf ball.
Should you put your hands in front of the ball at impact?
If you are able to put your hands in front of the ball (meaning closer to the target) at impact, you can be confident that you at least did a decent job of lagging the club head. Getting your hands past the ball at impact doesn't guarantee perfect lag, but it does mean that you are on the right track.
How to hit a driver on the golf course?
Since you normally start your round on the course with your driver, let’s begin there. The ball should be positioned forward in the stance therefore you DO NOT start with your hands ahead of the ball at set up. Because the ball is on a tee, the driver will hit the ball on the upswing and your hands will be in the middle of your body at impact.
Should your hands be forward at impact with the driver?
Your hands will not be forward at impact with the driver! The ball position is also slightly forward in your stance with fairway metals. Once again, don’t position the hands forward of the ball at setup, and at impact, the hands will remain behind the ball.

Should your hands be in front of the golf ball at impact?
The grip and hands must be in front of the clubhead and ball. Many amateur golfers believe that the grip and clubhead come back to the position they are in during the setup. The hands and grip must move forward before the clubhead in order to properly compress and control the ball.
Should hands be forward at impact with driver?
Your hands will not be forward at impact with the driver! The ball position is also slightly forward in your stance with fairway metals. Once again, don't position the hands forward of the ball at setup, and at impact, the hands will remain behind the ball.
Should hands be in front of ball with driver?
6:209:13HANDS AT IMPACT - IRONS V's DRIVER - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWe want to be hitting up on the ball. And if we can get up on it without adding too much loft atMoreWe want to be hitting up on the ball. And if we can get up on it without adding too much loft at high speed the balls gonna go a mile. But for most of us with that ball more forwards. And a slightly
How do you keep your hands in front of an impact ball?
0:187:46HOW TO GET YOUR HANDS AHEAD OF THE BALL AT IMPACT - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo as we come in towards the down swing the right arm should stay bent the elbow should stay eitherMoreSo as we come in towards the down swing the right arm should stay bent the elbow should stay either alongside. Or in front of the hip. Coming in towards the downswing.
Where should my hands be at impact?
2:387:04Golf Hands at Impact - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipTo your left shoulder socket should be an align of impact and that was a wedge. They're going to beMoreTo your left shoulder socket should be an align of impact and that was a wedge. They're going to be about straight up and down as you get back to the driver.
Where should your hands be when using driver?
1:3810:33The Perfect Golf Driver Setup (ADD 30 YARDS DRIVER DISTANCE!)YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipNumber two this is a killer with the driver is the hands are too far in front of the ball. If youMoreNumber two this is a killer with the driver is the hands are too far in front of the ball. If you tend to hit shots on the top of the club. Look at your driver.
What happens if golf ball is too far forward in stance?
If it's too far forward, it may be causing you to hit thin or fat shots and miss shots to the left. If it's too far back, you could be hitting tops, chunks, and missing the ball to the right.
Should I aim in front of golf ball?
Trying to keep your eye on the ball pretty much ensures that your club will bottom out too soon. If you want to hit crisp irons from the fairway, your focus should be well forward of the ball.
How do I make my forward shaft lean at impact?
6:138:47Forward Shaft Lean At Impact Insane Power And Compression - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd they just flip the wrist down there much better approach if you want forward shuffling is to getMoreAnd they just flip the wrist down there much better approach if you want forward shuffling is to get that bowing. And then just rotate.
How do I keep my hands back in the golf swing?
8:4713:31How To Keep The Club Head BEHIND Your Hands For Solid ContactYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo we have to do the opposite of each one so what's the opposite of the hands too far back that'd beMoreSo we have to do the opposite of each one so what's the opposite of the hands too far back that'd be getting the hands more. Forward right now to get your hands forward relative to where your body's.
What is impact in golf?
Impact is the only golf swing sequence where you actually make contact with the ball, the only chance you have to tell the ball where you want it to go.
When hitting a golf club, should you aim to strike the ball?
Conversely, whenever using a club belonging to the woods category, you should aim to strike the ball when the clubhead is rising from its lowest point. This is referred to as hitting up on the ball and it stands in contrast to hitting the ball when ...
What is hitting up on the ball?
This is referred to as hitting up on the ball and it stands in contrast to hitting the ball when the clubhead is still heading lower. Hitting up on the ball is achieved mostly through the careful positioning of the ball forward in your stance as you set up at address.
What is the process of staying down on the ball called?
Such a process is called staying committee to the ball , or staying down on the ball.
How do irons make a solid strike?
A solid strike using irons is made when the club hits the ball first and then proceeds to creating a divot in the ground. This can only happen when the club has not yet reached the bottom of the swing arc when it strikes the ball.
What position should your hands be when hitting a target?
Your hands should also reach a square position at impact, meaning that both the palm and back of the hands should be pointing towards the target.
Should your hands be ahead of the club at impact?
Hands Should be Ahead of the Club at Impact. At impact, your hands should be ahead of the clubhead in what is referred to as “keeping the lag”. The lag in question refers to the fact that the club follows the pace set by the hands and therefore lags them in position. If you had positioned yourself properly while setting up for a shot, ...
Why do drivers hit the ball on the upswing?
Because the ball is on a tee, the driver will hit the ball on the upswing and your hands will be in the middle of your body at impact. Your hands will not be forward at impact with the driver! The ball position is also slightly forward in your stance with fairway metals.
What to do if you slice a ball?
If you slice the ball, do not try and press your hands forward at set up or impact. For straighter and more consistent shots, try and return your hands back to “normal”, which is where they started!
How do irons work?
The irons are naturally set up to have the ball position in the middle of your stance. And, because the irons have a slight, built in offset, the hands will look forward of the ball at set up. In doing so, make certain the club face is square to your intended target. At impact, the hands will return to “normal” which is what it looked like ...
Do you start a golf round with your hands?
Since you normally start your round on the course with your driver, let’s begin there. The ball should be positioned forward in the stance therefore you DO NOT start with your hands ahead of the ball at set up. Because the ball is on a tee, the driver will hit the ball on the upswing and your hands will be in the middle of your body at impact. ...
What is the importance of your hands during a golf swing?
If you think about it, this makes sense – your hands are your only connection to the golf club, so it stands to reason that their positioning is going to play a big role in where the ball goes.
Where do you put a divot in golf?
As a point of reference, you can stick a tee in the turf near the ball (but outside of the path of your club). If your divot starts just after where the tee is located, you are doing a good job of getting your hands in front and hitting down.
Why do amateur golfers backspin?
Backspin not only helps you stop the ball quickly when it lands, but it also helps the ball climb into the air and fall softly onto the green.
What happens if you don't trust your downswing?
If you don’t trust your downswing and believe that you are going to make good contact, you’ll slow the club down and probably not get in front by the time you reach the ball. Once the swing starts, there is no turning back – just commit to it and swing all the way through to a full finish.
What is the difference between amateur golfers and professional golfers?
Generally speaking, pros are better across the board at the various skills needed to play golf. And that makes sense, of course – they are the best players in the world! But one area where they tend to be significantly better than the average golfer is getting their hands in front and creating a downward hit. In fact, an experienced golf teacher can check the position of a player’s hands at impact and quickly assess that player’s ability.
What is a bad setup position?
Also, make sure your left wrist (for a right-handed golfer) is in a relatively flat, firm position. If it is cupped at address, you’ll be more likely ...
Can you hit down through the ball?
It’s basically impossible to hit down through the ball if your hands are behind the ball when you make contact. If your hands are behind the ball at impact, the club is probably making its way back up away from the ground – meaning you are hitting up, not down. This is extremely common in the amateur game.
How do I keep my clubface square through impact?
In order to deliver a square clubface through impact, you must strike the ball with the shaft of your club slightly leaned forward. To do this, your wrists and hands must be ahead of the ball at the moment of contact. Doing this will improve compression and prevent excessive opening or closing of the clubface, hence keeping it square.
How do you control clubface angles in golf?
The best way to control clubface angles in golf is through body rotation and wrist position at impact. The best players in the world are masters of clearing their hips which gives them plenty of space to deliver a square, stable clubface with minimal flipping of the wrists.
Which hand controls the clubface in golf?
For a right-handed player, the right hand has a huge influence on controlling the clubface in golf. The palm of your right hand essentially mimics your face angle – if your palm is open to your target line at impact, the clubface will be open. If your palm is closed to your target line at impact, the clubface will be closed.
Why is my clubface wide open at impact?
If your clubface is wide open at impact, it has likely been caused by one of the following swing flaws: either a severely in-to-out or out-to-in club path; poor rotation caused by sliding of the hips or early extension, leading to a flipping of the hands; an early loss of lag angles; or not enough shaft lean as you strike the ball.
Best drills to practice clubface control
In order to get my clubface under control – which is something I desperately needed to improve when I started developing a two-way miss off the tee – my local golf instructor gave me the following drills to work on.
Final message
If you want to get good at golf, you need to have control of the clubface.
Why is driver different than other clubs?
The driver is different than other clubs because to hit driver well, the low point of your swing should be further back than with other full-swing clubs.
What side of your shoulder do you pull when you are right handed?
If you’re right-handed, your left hand will be on your right shoulder. Now, in your golf posture, push your right shoulder back with your left hand. Breed says you’ll probably feel a little pull on the left side of your torso. That’s a good thing—it means you’re turning more than you usually do.