Skulling the ball often results from a golfer lifting up just before impact - raising his hands, or raising the upper body which in turn lifts the hands. And that can be caused by a feeling of trying to help the ball get into the air - a sense that you need to "scoop" the ball up to get it airborne.
Why are my golf shots chunking?
Right now, you’re chunking golf shots because the low point of your swing happens before you reach the ball. There are a few reasons this might be happening. 1: Ball Position This is the most common mistake I see among amateur golfers.
How do you hit a skull on a golf ball?
Golf irons are designed to strike a descending blow on the golf ball. "Hit down on the ball" is a common refrain among golf instructors. See: Skulls can also happen when a golfer's head moves too far forward (toward the target) at impact, which often starts by setting up with one's head ahead of the ball.
What is a skulled shot in golf?
(Note that a common misspelling of "skull" in its golf context is "scull" or "sculling.") On a skulled shot, the leading edge (the front edge of the club where the bottom of the clubface meets the sole) strikes the golf ball near the ball's middle, sending the ball screaming off on a low trajectory with little or no spin.
How to skull the ball on little pitch shots?
Skulling the ball on little pitch shots comes from swinging up at impact. You need to hit down on the ball. Start with 75 percent of your weight on your front foot and play the ball about middle in your stance. Now you're set up to catch it solid with a descending strike. To make sure you hit down, get the club up in the backswing.
How do I stop chunking my golf shots?
Another insurance policy you can take out against chunked shots is to keep your sternum and head target side of the golf ball. By getting into good posture and placing your upper body and club shaft evenly forward of your ball, this will produce a bottom of your arc that happens after your golf ball.
Why do I skull my golf shots?
Skulls can also happen when a golfer's head moves too far forward (toward the target) at impact, which often starts by setting up with one's head ahead of the ball. This is especially true for short-game skulls (pitching, chipping).
Why do I keep chunking the ball golf?
0:132:56Stop BLADING and CHUNKING Your Irons | TaylorMade Golf - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIt's really comes down to where is the club bottoming out in the arc. Now. We can do that manyMoreIt's really comes down to where is the club bottoming out in the arc. Now. We can do that many different ways but let's talk about some of the two main ones first one would be actually where our body
How do you avoid skull wedges?
1:262:38How to Avoid "Blading" Your Wedge Shots - Plane Truth Golf ... - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIf you suffer from dropkicks. And bladed shots around the green remember ball in the center. TakeMoreIf you suffer from dropkicks. And bladed shots around the green remember ball in the center. Take your chest lean. A little to the left. Make your swing.
What causes a bladed shot?
'Blade' As a Type of Mishit Shot In other words, the impact takes place at or above the equator of the ball. This typically results in the leading edge of the club (usually an iron or wedge) making the first contact with the ball. And that causes the ball to shoot out very low and very fast.
Why am I blading my pitch shots?
4:115:32The Real Reason You THIN Pitch Shots & How to Stop It - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou might be firing the right muscles but that deceleration is really going to affect your ball.MoreYou might be firing the right muscles but that deceleration is really going to affect your ball. Striking.
How do you stop chunking fairway woods?
1:173:32Stop Topping Fairway Woods and Start CRUSHING Them! - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSimple key and that is the entire initiation of the downswing. Starts from your left leg left hip.MoreSimple key and that is the entire initiation of the downswing. Starts from your left leg left hip. So if you understand that the club automatically falls into the slot settles. Down on plane.
Can a strong grip cause fat shots?
Fat shots. One of the other signs of an overly strong grip is the tendency to hit the ball fat, especially on short iron shots. As mentioned above, a strong grip makes it easy to release the club on the way down, and an early release could cause you to stick the club in the ground behind the ball.
Why do I keep blading my wedges?
1:466:24Wedge Week: Chunk and blade it no more | Golf Channel - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThe answer would be too many times that's the chunk swing. If you would just move the ball to theMoreThe answer would be too many times that's the chunk swing. If you would just move the ball to the center of your stance.
Why do I keep blading my irons?
Golfers who hit a lot of thin shots tend to swing the club too steeply into the ball. That's because they slide past the ball on the downswing and have to force the club down to make contact. When they slide too far, they catch only the top half of the ball, hitting it thin.
What does it feel like to chunk a golf shot?
All golfers know the pain of chunking golf shots. You take a powerful backswing, you feel like you’re about to hit a quality shot, then you swing down and feel the club hit the ground. When you look up, you see a huge piece of turf traveling down the fairway. Meanwhile, your ball has only gone a few feet. The chunk shot is a common problem.
What is a chunk shot?
To put it simply, a chunk shot is that aggravating golf shot where the club hits the ground before it hits the ball. In most cases, the leading edge of the club digs into the turf, creating a divot.
Why is the low point of a golf swing important?
This is significant because the low point of your swing follows the pressure in your feet. If most of your pressure is still in your back foot when the club comes back down, the clubhead is going to hit the ground well behind your golf ball. You wind up chunking the shot.
How to swing a golf ball with your feet together?
An easy way to do this is by standing with your feet together and the ball aligned with the center. Then, step your lead foot forward and your trail foot back and equal distance. Second, notice the pressure on your feet as you take your swing.
How to start pressure on a golf club?
You should start with most pressure on the lead foot, shift to the trail foot on the backswing, and shift pressure back to the lead foot as you swing through. You can find more tips on pressure in the feet here. Third, check the butt end of your club at setup.
Where should the ball be in your stance?
You want the ball in the center of your stance. Maybe slightly forward of center, but only slightly. You can learn more about the importance of ball position in iron shots here. To get proper ball position on your irons, simply start with your feet together at address, ball right between your feet. Then, simply take your lead foot ...
How to hit down a golf club?
To make sure you hit down, get the club up in the backswing. Hinge your wrists abruptly, then pull through with your left hand. Keep your weight forward throughout the swing ( right, top ). The feel: Hit with the back of your left hand. The club's loft will send the ball up.
How to hit a little pitch shot?
You need to hit down on the ball. Start with 75 percent of your weight on your front foot and play the ball about middle in your stance. Now you're set up to catch it solid with a descending strike.
Why is Jack Nicklaus' centered turn bad?
In short, swaying is bad, because it means the bottom of your golf swing is moving all over the place during your swing, which is makes it impossible to hit the ball with consistent contact — hence the chunked iron shots. As we wrote about here, weight shift happens in ...
Is hip slide bad?
Why hip slide is bad. If you’re reading this, you’ve probably heard about the concept of ‘shifting your weight’ in the golf swing. You set up to the golf ball, turn over to your trail side on the backswing, and then back to your lead side on the downswing. It sounds pretty simple, because in many ways it is. Shifting your weight like this is ...
Golf 101: Why do I chunk it?
Whether you are a beginner, 10 handicaps, or Rory McIlroy, no one player is immune to the dreaded chunk. How many times have you hit a great drive, breathing down the flag from your favorite yardage and laid the holy sod over one? It’s awful and can be a total rally killer.
Stickney: The only 2 ways to hit a golf ball farther
If I had a dollar for every time someone walked into my Academy (myself included!) and asked how to hit it farther I’d own a bank by now. Golf course agronomy has evolved and the rock-hard fairways of yesterday are gone and have been replaced by soft conditions that require more and more carry off the tee.
Stickney: The evolution of necessary technology in golf instruction
Over time technology has improved so that we (as teachers) can see and understand motion and forces in action during the swing.
The Wedge Guy: You can change your stripes
Over my 40-plus years in the golf industry and a lifetime in the game, I have had the opportunity to observe thousands of recreational golfers of all skill levels. I believe the common thread between all of us – from scratch player to high-handicapper – is that we all would like to get better.
Why does my golf club get stuck in the ground?
If you crowd your club and stand so close that your arms do not have enough room to hang and swing can often result in your golf club getting stuck into the ground. Being too crowded, effectively makes the club too long relative to your body, so it has nowhere to go but into the ground.
Why does my golf club hit the ground before the ball?
As your hips move too much side to side , this can often cause the club to hit the ground before the ball if you do not recenter yourself exactly the same amount. Also, when you stance is too wide, the potential locations the club has to hit the ground increases, which results in more inconsistent strikes.
What is the aiming line on a golf club?
The aiming line on a golf club is the leading edge and the more lofted the club the more crooked the top line may look. Often golfers will not set the club properly on the ground as a compensation — they hit slices, for instance, so they set the club closed at setup.
How to make good contact in golf?
1. Crowded posture. Proper posture is one of the most important fundamentals to good contact. Giving yourself enough room to bow from your hips so that your hands can hang below your shoulders puts you into a balanced position that allows you to be athletic throughout your swing.
What does it mean when you get stuck in your backswing?
If your backswing is a straight line back that tends to go toward the sky and is just a lifted motion, all you will have is straight down, which tends to get stuck. It reminds me of the letter V. Straight back and up equals straight down and dig.
How to know if your golf club hits the ground?
You can easily check this by taking a practice swing and seeing where, relative to your feet, your club hits the ground. If your club hits the ground centered in your stance, it would be greatly to your advantage to place your golf ball there. 3. Flat footed forward swing.
How to keep your sternum from chunking?
By getting into good posture and placing your upper body and club s haft evenly forward of your ball, this will produce a bottom of your arc that happens after your golf ball.
Why do golfers hit thin shots?
Golfers who hit a lot of thin shots tend to swing the club too steeply into the ball. That's because they slide past the ball on the downswing and have to force the club down to make contact. When they slide too far, they catch only the top half of the ball, hitting it thin.
How to hit a driver in golf?
Swing your arms back wide, and make a full shoulder turn. Try to get your back to the target ( YES ). Don't be too eager to hit the ball: Turn to the top, and then turn through . If you make a good move going back, you'll be in position to make a more level strike and stop hitting it thin. Tee up some balls as you would for a driver, ...
How to hit a ball solidly off a high tee?
To hit a ball solidly off a high tee with an iron, your swing has to be pretty level at the bottom. Make a full backswing and feel as if you're staying over the ball through impact. Ranked No. 1 by his peers among Golf Digest's 50 Greatest Teachers, Harmon runs the Butch Harmon School of Golf at Rio Secco Golf Club, Henderson, Nev.
How to hit a golf ball with a 5-iron?
Tee up some balls as you would for a driver, and practice hitting them with your 5-iron. If you move in front of the ball on the downswing, like thin hitters do, you'll swing down too steeply and slide the club under the ball, making contact high on the face.
When should the club head catch up to your hands?
Lastly, the club head should not catch up to your hands until the moment of impact. As long as the club head trails your hands it is still descending. The moment it catches up to your hands it bottoms out and then will start its ascent. Your rear wrist should remain bent backwards until impact.
What factors affect where your club bottoms out?
Factors that affect where your club bottoms out in the swing include weight distribution, ball position, posture and release . Let's explore each of these individually. Weight Distribution - If your weight or center of gravity is leaning back behind the ball, that's where your club will bottom out.
What happens if you hit the ball too far forward?
Ball Position - If you have the ball positioned too far forward in your stance, your club will hit the bottom of its arc before it gets to the ball. Release - If you are releasing the club head to soon and allowing it to catch up to your hands before you get to the ball, you will bottom out too soon.
Does hitting the ground before the ball hurt?
Hitting the ground before the ball hurts! It hurts you physically, but it really hurts your score as you lose significant distance. A thin shot can advance and not put too much of a damper on your score, but when you meet earth before you meet ball, it's never a happy ending. We've all been there.
Why is my golf ball thin?
Another common reason for hitting the golf ball thin is what’s called flipping or casting which happens in the golf downswing. This is when the clubhead overtakes the hands prior to reaching the rear thigh in the downswing and the clubhead reaches the golf ball on an upward trajectory exposing the lower or leading edge of the club.
What is lag shot golf?
The lag shot golf training aid helps you eliminate thin golf shots and hit them flush. The good news is it’s not difficult to fix once you identify what’s causing the shot and then finally implement some simple drills. I used to hit many thin golf shots but learned how to hit compressed golf shots in the Rotary Swing system.
How to maintain lag angle in golf?
2. As you commence the downswing you need to maintain the angle you had at the top of the backswing between your right arm and the shaft (call lag angle). 3. Ideally you’ll want to maintain this angle until you reach the rear thigh and then you can release the golf club at the golf ball.
How to fix lag in golf club?
To fix you need to do a couple of things: 1. Ensure you have a light grip pressure particularly in the right hand (right-hander) so that when you start the downswing you are not pushing against the golf club and reducing the lag angle. 2.
Why is it so hard to catch the sweet spot in golf?
If your golf ball is positioned particularly too far forward in your stance, it makes it difficult to catch the sweet spot because the bottom of the swing arc is usually well before it reaches the golf ball. This exposes the bottom of the clubface leading to thinned golf shots.
How to fix a butt in golf?
To fix this you need to train your body to stay in posture by doing several (at least 30) repetitions of hitting golf shots whilst your butt stays against a chair or similar. You can practice this at home or ideally at the golf driving range.
Why is my golf club flipping?
2. Flipping the golf club or casting in the downswing. 3. Poor ball position in the golf set up. A few other reasons include the reverse pivot in golf which is related to golf weight shift, swaying too much, stance too narrow or wide, standing too tall, and incorrect weight distribution at set up.
