What Does ‘Hitting Down’ Actually Mean? As simple as it sounds, hitting down on the golf ball means that the force applied during the initial touch of the club on the ball is in a downward direction. This is done by impacting the ball when the club is on its way down from the topmost position.
What does hitting down on the golf ball mean?
As simple as it sounds, hitting down on the golf ball means that the force applied during the initial touch of the club on the ball is in a downward direction. This is done by impacting the ball when the club is on its way down from the topmost position. The clubface should contact the ball first before hitting the ground.
Do you really need to hit down on the ball?
If your ball striking is struggling, one of the most common tips you’ll hear instructors tell you is that you need to hit down on the ball more. But many amateur golfers have a misunderstanding of what hitting down on the golf ball actually is and they do it wrong.
Is hitting behind the ball bad for your game?
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.
How to hit a golf ball from behind the ball?
Head behind the ball. As you might suspect, you want to start with your head positioned slightly behind the ball so it is easy to find that same position at the bottom of the swing. To do this, you will need to set up with the correct ball position based on the club you are using for the shot at hand.
How do I stop hitting the ground behind the ball?
8:3112:36GOLF: Stop Hitting Behind The Ball INSTANTLY!! - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo the weight moving. Forward helps the club hit more forward instead of behind. The shoulderMoreSo the weight moving. Forward helps the club hit more forward instead of behind. The shoulder forward helps the club head hit more forward instead of behind.
How do I stop hitting behind the ball with my driver?
0:010:56Driving: Stop Hitting Behind the Ball | Fix Finder #27 - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipEarly. We know that we're releasing the club too early if you happen to hit the golf ball. You knowMoreEarly. We know that we're releasing the club too early if you happen to hit the golf ball. You know that you're dropping. Making this practice swing above the golf ball listening for that swoosh.
Why do I hit behind the golf ball when chipping?
This is an exaggerated way to keep the weight over the ball and not falter. Remember, that if you are hitting behind the golf ball, it is because your weight shifted back.
Should I aim in front of the 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.
Should a golf driver touch the ground?
He says that setting the club on the ground promotes a hands and arms takeaway. Hovering the club, he said, engages your core from before you even hit the golf ball, which promotes a more powerful turn behind the ball.
Why can't I get my irons in the air?
Clubs are designed to get the ball in the air. In order for a golf ball to get airborne, the club head must contact the ball at the low point of the downswing. The ball gets trapped between the club-face and the ground. The ball then spins up the face of the club, and the loft determines just how high the ball goes.
What is the rule of 12 in golf chipping?
The Rule of 12 In Golf Chipping. The rule of 12 is a golf chipping technique that explains the exact relationship between the loft on a golf club and the amount of roll you will get on a chip shot. We use 12 yards as the total distance we want the ball to carry on the chip.
Should you open club face when chipping?
Chipping Tips You open your stance because most of the time your club face isn't square, you open it a little, so the open stance makes up for that. Also an open stance creates a baby fade on the golf ball, so aiming left helps you play the face.
What does hitting down mean in golf?
What Does ‘Hitting Down’ Actually Mean? As simple as it sounds, hitting down on the golf ball means that the force applied during the initial touch of the club on the ball is in a downward direction. This is done by impacting the ball when the club is on its way down from the topmost position. The clubface should contact ...
Why do people hit down on the golf ball?
If you watch professional golf, you’ve probably seen that players hit down on the golf ball to make it go up. This is counter-intuitive and not usually understood by beginners but is a highly effective method to play long shots in golf and also has to a lot to do with the form and structure of golf clubs. This why on golf courses, you’ll hear golf ...
What happens when a golf ball is lofted at an angle?
Due to the high impact force, the surface of the ball compresses and as the clubface is lofted at an angle, the ball does not push more into the ground but is instead driven forward and upward.
How to hit the ball far with an iron?
When you reach the top of your swing position while preparing for a shot, move your right foot (or left if you are a left-handed player) and hip slightly closer to the ball. The center of your body should also be slightly ahead ...
How to swing a club correctly?
To learn to swing the club correctly to hit down on the ball, practice is key. Before a shot, take a step back and check that your standing position is such that the bottom-most point of your swing is falling to the front side of the ball. If your position is correct, the club will come in contact with the ground after it crosses the ball itself. ...
When should a golf club come in contact with the ground?
If your position is correct, the club will come in contact with the ground after it crosses the ball itself. Instead of just looking at it, you can even take a few practice swings in the air to be sure of it. In no instance should the club come in contact with the ground before it crosses the ball’s position.
When using irons, do you want to hit down on the ball?
When using your irons you want to hit down on the ball. In golf, as we want the ball to go up, our natural instinct is to hit it such that the club lifts the ball. Despite the apparent logic of this, it doesn’t work well as clubs are not designed for such an upward impact. This is a part of the initial confusion among new golf players ...
What happens if you move the handle in front of the clubhead?
If you position the handle slightly in front of the clubhead—more towards the target—the low point moves forward. As a result, you have a decent chance at getting a good iron shot if you move the handle just a little bit in front of the golf ball.
How does the club head move when swinging an iron?
As you swing the iron toward the low point on your forward stroke, the clubhead moves in a descending motion. Once the clubhead passes through the low point, it arcs upward again. Pretty simple, right? Before the low point, your clubhead is descending. After the low point, your clubhead is ascending.
How to get better iron shots?
Hitting down on the ball is the key to better iron shots. Essentially, you want to make impact just before hitting the low point of your swing. This is achievable for even the most casual golfers if you make small adjustments to move the low point of your swing forward. Positioning the ball in the center of your stance.
What is the difference between accelerating down and pulling with the trail hand?
Pulling with the lead hand tends to move the low point forward, whereas accelerating down with the trail hand often has the opposite effect. These may seem like too nuanced an adjustment to make without putting in a lot of practice time, but there’s actually an easy way to get the feel for the difference in your body.
What hand do you use to practice golf?
Here’s what you do: As part of your pre-shot routine, take a few practice swings with your lead hand only. Your trail hand does nothing. It doesn’t touch the club at all. You’re just holding the club in your lead hand and giving that hand total control of your swing movement.
How does the low point of an iron work?
If you position the handle slightly in front of the clubhead—more towards the target—the low point moves forward.
Can amateur golfers hit down on the ball?
It’s common advice. But knowing what you should do it and knowing how to do it are two entirely different things. In fact, many golfers would tell you there’s a reason that the pros can hit down on the ball consistently while many amateur players cannot.
Why do I hit behind the golf ball?
What Causes Hitting Behind the Golf Ball? 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. There are several causes to hitting fat ...
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.
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.
Where should I play a fat shot?
As a general rule, the ball should be played in the middle of the stance and slightly back with shorter clubs.
How to hit down on a golf ball?
To hit down on the ball, your hands must stay in front of the club head and your weight center must be over the ball or slightly ahead of it. If you’re setting up with a wide stance and your spine is tilted “back,” or angled away from the target, you will have difficulty hitting down on the ball.
What does it mean when a golf ball hits the club head?
If the golf ball is struck before the club head gets to its lowest point, we are hitting down on the ball. This also means that we have a downward angle of attack.
How to get into a good backswing position?
Assuming you get into a good backswing position, with your weight on the instep of your back foot, your first move down should be a forward bump of the hips that transfers your weight toward the target. Then stay in your posture and turn through the shot. Feel like you’re turning down and through.
Do golfers hit down on the ball?
The problem is that most golfers fail to translate such terms as ‘hitting down on the ball’ into an actual swing move. It might be explained to them by their local teaching pro; they will nod their head in approval, and then when they go to swing the club they end up hitting these terribly fat shots that go nowhere.
Can you hit down before hitting the golf ball?
They end up striking the turf before the golf ball, which is the exact opposite of what you want. Hitting “ down” is not something that most golfers can simply choose to do or not do — it requires a downward angle of attack.
What does "hit down on the ball" mean?
‘Hit down on the ball’ is a phrase that has been told to golfers struggling to improve their ball striking for decades. The conventional wisdom has always been that better golfers will take a huge divot with their iron shots, and the key to “compressing” the golf ball is to produce an extremely steep club path towards impact.
What is golf swing?
The golf swing is a circular motion, and every circle has a low point. Better players all have the low point of their swing in front of the golf ball (which is indicated by the black line in the image below).
Does hitting down on the ball increase compression?
One of the main points Andrew discusses in this article is that hitting down on the ball does not necessarily increase your compression. Translation – the ball will not go farther, or spin more simply because you are steepening your angle of attack with your irons.
Do golfers hit down on the ball?
The problem is that most golfers fail to translate such terms as ‘hitting down on the ball’ into an actual swing move. It might be explained to them by their local teaching pro; they will nod their head in approval, and then when they go to swing the club they end up hitting these terribly fat shots that go nowhere.
Should I hit down on a golf ball?
It’s the exact opposite of how the pros do it. In my opinion, this is the reason why most golfers should not try to hit down on a golf ball. Your conscious mind will be telling your body something that it will not completely understand, and your results will likely not improve.
Who wrote the article "The Golf Swing"?
Adam Young wrote this article a few months ago that got a lot of attention, and for good reason. He explains a very important concept of the golf swing, and gives a strong visual representation that helps make sense of why golfers fail to consistently hit great iron shots.
Is it better to hit down on the ball or compress it?
Hitting down on the ball on its own does not necessarily produce a better golf shot. You can still properly compress the ball without taking a divot, or a steep angle of attack with the golf club. The pursuit of a steeper golf swing can cause more harm than good by moving the low point of your swing behind the ball.
Why do you stay behind the golf ball?
Staying behind the golf ball will allow you to get the face of the club square to your target line at impact for frequently, leading to straighter shots. From your wedges all the way through your driver, keeping your head back at impact is a fundamental that requires your attention.
What side of the ball do you hit your head on?
Hit into a solid left side and it is almost a certainty that your head will be behind the ball at the bottom of your swing. Expect Some Changes. If you go from hitting shots with your head to the left of the ball to staying behind your shots successfully, you can expect to see some changes in your ball flight.
Why is staying behind the ball important?
Staying behind the ball is a good way to reduce the amount of movement in your swing because you will be taking out most of the lateral motion that you may have been using. The best golf swings are the ones that stay balanced from start to finish, as good balance is the best way to simplify your technique.
What leg do you put your club head on when hitting the ball?
As you send the club head into the back of the ball, think about posting up on your left leg. When the left leg goes straight at impact, there is a great chance that you have stayed behind the ball nicely. Players who slide past the ball in the downswing usually have a soft left leg at impact, with a bent left knee.
Why do you keep your head back in the downswing?
Also, if you are able to keep your head back in the downswing, there is a good chance that your eyes are looking down at the ball. Staying behind the golf ball isn't the only important fundamental in golf, but it is a good way to check on the overall health of your swing mechanics.
What happens when you strike the golf ball cleanly on an iron shot?
When you strike the golf ball cleanly on an iron shot, the face of the club is able to impart maximum spin on the ball. There is nothing wrong with a higher spin rate on your short iron shots, and it can actually be a great advantage, but it is something that you need to be aware of when picking your targets.
What are the two parts of golf?
There are two parts to every golf shot that you hit – distance, and accuracy. You want to get the distance right, of course, but you need to get the line correct as well. By staying behind the ball, you will improve your ability to start the shot on the intended target line.
Is golf a game of opposites?
We have all heard that golf is a game of opposites – and this is true in many respects. However, it is a myth that hitting down on the ball causes the ball to go up. The angle of attack (whether the club is moving up, down or level with the ground at impact) has very little to do with the launch of the ball. Take, for example, the ...
Can a golf club descend on the ball?
And yes, the club can descend on the ball as the hands work up (see below picture of Tiger Woods) The yellow line shows the path of the top of the glove. The white line shows the clubhead movement. Doing this can give us the benefits of increased speed and consistency (directionally and with our strikes).
Can you hit a golf ball if it is resting on the ground?
Well, although hitting up on the ball and hitting down on the ball both work to get the ball in the air, we cannot actually hit up on a golf ball if it is resting on the ground – because the ground is in the way. NOTE – it is possible to have a slightly ascending blow on the ball when it is resting on the turf, ...
