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what causes hitting behind the ball in golf

by Violette Hansen DDS Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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What Causes Hitting Behind the Golf Ball?

  • Sweeping Swing. One of the reasons for hitting behind the ball is that you are trying to assure you will get the ball in...
  • Ball Position. Playing the ball too far back in your stance can cause you to hit the ground behind the ball and keep you...
  • Lack of Hip Rotation. A full and complete swing involves rotating the hips during...

Golfers usually hit behind the ball because of poor pressure movement and casting. Usually the two go hand and hand and are seen to occur together. I would recommend that golfers practice small swings focusing on pressing into the lead foot to start the downswing.Nov 19, 2021

Full Answer

What are the causes of hitting behind the ball?

What Causes Hitting Behind the Golf Ball? 1 Overview. Hitting behind the golf ball, or hitting it "fat," is a common problem, especially with high handicappers. 2 Ball Position. ... 3 Sliding the Hips. ... 4 Head Slide. ... 5 Loose Leading Arm. ... 6 Back Shoulder Dip. ... 7 Improper Weight Transfer. ... 8 Early Release. ...

Why do I hit my golf ball fat?

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

Why do I hit the ground instead of the golf ball?

Failing to transfer your weight through your swing correctly can cause a disconnect between you and the club, causing you to hit the ground instead of the ball. On your backswing, your weight shifts to the back foot, if you cannot transfer your weight back through the ball to your front foot, then the ground will end up between you and the ball.

Is it bad to hit behind the ball?

You wind up, make a nice full backswing and really go after it. Then “ouch” you hit 3 inches behind the ball. What’s worse, the embarrassment, the awful result or the tendonitis? There are all sorts of mishits in golf that aggravate us, but hitting behind the ball or ‘hitting it fat’ actually hurts and that can be very discouraging.

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How do I stop from hitting behind the golf ball?

2:197:59How To Stop Hitting BEHIND The GOLF BALL - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipMaking sure that your goal is to achieve. This end position where you're really nicely balancedMoreMaking sure that your goal is to achieve. This end position where you're really nicely balanced facing the target. And everything is out towards the target you've got in the distance. That's.

Why am I hitting behind the ball with driver?

During the backswing, the player's weight is on the back foot. 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.

Why am I hitting behind the ball with my fairway woods?

A common problem is to whip the club inside on the takeaway and over rotate the hips. When this happens the backswing becomes flat and inside and it's very easy to hit behind the ball. To avoid this, feel as though the hands, arms, and club move away as one piece during the takeaway.

Why am I hitting the ground first with my irons?

Instead of keeping their upper body over the ball (where the sternum is directly above the ball at impact), they lean back through the contact. This causes the sternum to move away from the target and the lowest point in the swing arc moves back too - causing the player to strike the ground before the ball.

How do you hit a fairway wood consistently?

1:264:17HOW TO HIT FAIRWAY WOODS EVERY TIME! - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo what we're going to do is put the ball slightly forward in the stance. Okay. So a lot of peopleMoreSo what we're going to do is put the ball slightly forward in the stance. Okay. So a lot of people get it too far back or too far forward literally going to be. Moving.

How do you hit out thick grass?

0:596:263 STEPS TO PLAYING OUT OF THICK ROUGH - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipMore descending blow the reason for that is that's going to eliminate. Or it's going to reduce theMoreMore descending blow the reason for that is that's going to eliminate. Or it's going to reduce the amount of debris that I get between the club and the ball.

Why can't I hit a golf ball off the ground?

If the divot does not take out, or break, the front tee, it means you are not getting enough of your weight moving forward. You aren't moving your “fixed-point” forward enough in the downswing. If there is no divot at all, then you know that you need to be swinging down at the ball into the ground more.

How do I stop hitting fairway woods thin?

1:066:09Stop Topping Your Woods - Learn to Hit Fairway Woods Off the GroundYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipMoving the bottom of your swing. Okay with all swings irons fairway woods drive whatever will tendMoreMoving the bottom of your swing. Okay with all swings irons fairway woods drive whatever will tend to follow where the weight on your feet is so if i keep my weight. Back.

Why am I hooking my 3-wood?

Hooking a 3-wood is a common miss, and it happens for a common reason: Players who struggle with this club tend to set up as if they're hitting a driver. The ball is positioned off their front foot, and the upper body is well behind the ball at address.

Why can't I hit my 3-wood off the fairway?

The 3-wood is hard to hit for a few reasons, namely: it has a long shaft but a small clubhead, leaving little room for error; it looks vastly different to an iron at address which can create anxiety in amateur players; and it doesn't drive through the turf as easily as a short iron when played from the fairway.

How do I stop hitting fairway woods fat?

1:1911:08Stop Hitting Fat or Thin Hybrids & Fairway Woods - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBack behind the ball and then you hit the ball afterwards. Let's call it chunky. So what's happeningMoreBack behind the ball and then you hit the ball afterwards. Let's call it chunky. So what's happening is the lowest point of the swing. Takes. Place. Back behind the ball.

What does it mean when your back shoulder drops?

Dropping the Back Shoulder. Similarly to a loose leading arm, dipping your back shoulder can give the same issue from the opposite side of your body. Allowing your back shoulder to drop causes you to make a scooping motion towards the ball, rather than hitting right through. The scooping motion causes you to take a divot and lose the shot.

What happens when you hit behind the ball?

Hitting fat, hitting heavy, chunking the ball, grounding the club, whatever you call it, hitting behind the ball can cause huge issues in your game. Hitting behind the ball causes a divot to get between your club and the ball, resulting in an ugly mis-hit which tends only to jump 5 or 10 yards forwards. Hitting behind the ball can happen ...

Why does my head move forward in golf?

Moving your head forward causes your weight to shift incorrectly, changing your position over the ball before the club makes contact, causing it to hit the ground.

How to get weight transfer locked in?

Once your weight transfer is locked in, you should turn your attention to how your body is moving during your shot. A common issue is allowing your upper body to slide with your swing. Instead, aim to rotate around the center of your body, while keeping your chest facing down at the ball in the same spot.

Why release the club early?

Releasing the Club Early. Also known as ‘casting’, releasing the club too early disrupts your swing plane, causing you to hit across the ball rather than through it . Not only is this an issue by itself, but it also promotes the hip movement we spoke about earlier.

How to avoid hitting the ball?

To avoid this, focus on your movement after striking the ball and ensure you are doing the following: Follow your swing and allow the momentum to turn your body towards your target. Keep your front foot planted and pivot your back foot to aid proper rotation.

How to keep your lead arm straight?

Your lead arm should be kept straight throughout your swing as if it is bent at the point of impact. Bending the lead arm will shorten your swing and cause you to miss the ball and hit the ground instead. Concentrate on keeping your arm straight, but not tense, at the point of impact.

Why do you hit the ball too far back?

Playing the ball too far back in your stance can cause you to hit the ground behind the ball and keep you from getting the accuracy and distance on the shot that you want. Playing the ball further back in your stance can be useful at times if you want to make sure your shoulders stay closed and you want to punch the ball to the target. But playing the ball too far back will very likely cause you to hit behind the ball, and the result will be a poor shot.

How to swing up at the ball?

To swing up at the ball, you have to start your swing from below the angle of impact. If your timing is anything but perfect, you will hit the ground before you hit the ball, causing you to hit the ball fat and slowing down your clubhead at impact.

What is a lack of hip rotation?

Lack of Hip Rotation. A full and complete swing involves rotating the hips during your downswing. Many golfers fail to either turn their hips or turn their hips completely through the ball. Think of it as a baseball swing. If you are a right-handed power hitter, you want to hit the ball into the left field bleachers.

Why is my swing so grooved?

It takes time and effort to get to the point where your swing is grooved and you don't make basic errors . One of biggest problems is hitting behind the ball, which is also known as "hitting it fat.". This problem often happens when a golfer is trying to be too careful with his swing and he wants to make sure he does not top the ball.

Do you turn your hips when hitting the ball?

In golf, you must turn your hips if you want distance and accuracy on your shot. If you don't, you will likely hit the ground before you hit the ball. References.

Who is the author of The Minnesota Vikings?

Silverman authored The Minnesota Vikings: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly and Who's Better, Who's Best in Football -- The Top 60 Players of All-Time, among others, and placed in the Pro Football Writers of America awards three times. Silverman holds a Master of Science in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism.

Why do I 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.

How to get the perfect swing in golf?

To acquire the perfect golf swing technique will mean that you will hit the ball consistently with power and place it where you would like it to go. However, a lousy technique will reak havoc on your game, causing you to hit the ground before the ball and elevating your handicap. Let’s remedy this.

What is a fat shot?

When you are striking the ball at a shallow angle, the low point of your swing is situated behind the ball, and this will cause you to hit what are known as “fat” shots. You will recognize these types of shots as they will also take divets out of the ground behind where the ball is placed.

What does it mean when you swing a golf club?

To put it in another understandable way, you are trying to hit the ball with an upwards motion. A golf club (your swing) actually moves through the shape of a circle, meaning when you swing your club, you are swinging it in the form of a perfect circle.

What is a downswing hip slide?

Downswing hip slide. A prevalent issue that occurs with many golfers is the hip slide. When the hip moves past your foot that you distribute your weight onto, there is not any firmness, which equates to less rotation, and without rotation, power is drastically reduced.

What happens when you downswing a golf ball?

During the downswing, many players tend to slide their heads or will want to look at where they hit the ball . Unfortunately, this prevents the player from watching the club strike the ball and, in turn, will cause the entire upper body to move forward once again and impede proper recoil.

Why do I have a shorter golf club shaft?

Using a shorter club means you drop the club too much, or your swing is inhibited because your posture is not correct (you have to hunch to get to the ball).

How to get a proper weight shift?

Simply focus on early lower body action to get a proper weight shift to your front foot, make sure to let your head come through the shot and focus on a spot in front of the golf ball. Pure and less painful shots are on their way! Give yourself a goal. Put a tee or penny a couple of inches in front of the ball.

How to get the ball through the ball better?

To get through the ball better and bottom out later in your swing arc just follow these 3 easy steps: 1. Shift your weight from the ground up at the start of your downswing.

Why do golfers look at the target?

Many professional golfers have actually said they look at a spot in front of the ball instead of looking at the ball to make sure that they hit through the shot and don’t catch it fat.

Does hitting behind the ball hurt?

There are all sorts of mishits in golf that aggravate us, but hitting behind the ball or ‘hitting it fat’ actually hurts and that can be very discouraging.

Do you have to keep your head back when you reverse?

True – you do need to keep your head back as you reverse directions and you don’t 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.

Who is Maria Palozola?

Listed as a Golf Digest Best Teacher in State, Maria was the Lead Instructor for the Golf Channel Academy with Maria Palozola in St. Louis, MO. Maria has appeared on the Golf Channel doing golf tips for the Golf Fix, School of Golf and The Morning Drive. Follow Maria on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin.

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