Instruction
Strike the ground better for massive improvement
Average golfers are giving away a ton of iron/fairway wood distance and consistency. Their distance control is also really poor, leading to shots that come up short and lack spin. They’re also hitting longer clubs into the green than necessary, which hurts accuracy because almost all golfers are more accurate with their shorter clubs than their longer clubs. And the reason?
They are not striking the ground correctly. Guaranteed.
A professional will first contact the ground in the red area (Photo from Golf Hacks).
Elite golfers can first contact the ground as much as 2 inches in front of the ball, which means they make a divot after the ball, not before it. It also means that their club is traveling downwards at the point of contact, giving a nice crisp and clean strike for maximum distance. This is true even with a wood or hybrid from the ground, although those clubs may come in a little shallower due to the longer club shaft. But it is the same premise.
You are NOT doing this
If your handicap is not scratch, I can pretty much guarantee you are not striking the ball this way. Almost everyone who walks onto my lesson tee is hitting behind the ball to some extent.
How important is it to contact the ground after you contact the ball? Put it this way — for every inch you average behind this “red zone,” your handicap level will likely increase by 5 shots. That’s right! From my experience, 25-handicap golfers make contact an average of 5 inches behind the ball, which is illustrated in the picture below.
The range from front to back is tight, so it is consistent. But the area and pattern are too poor to play good golf. And if you think you are not in that group, think again. I would put big money on the fact that you are hitting behind the ball constantly. Even players who know what they should be doing are horrified when I actually show them what they are really doing. Less than 1 percent of golfers I see are striking the ground in this red zone on average. The other 99 percent are striking the ground behind the ball. And I see a LOT of golfers every year.
Start improving your contact today, and watch your handicap plummet. Theoretically, for every inch farther forward you strike the ground your handicap should come down by around 5 or so shots. So this tip in itself is worth its weight in gold.
How to practice it
To practice, get a bunch of balls and spray paint a straight line on the ground. You can also scrape a line in the turf with a tee, or line the balls up in a straight line. Hit your shots and take a look at your divot after the ball has landed.
Did you make a divot at all? If so, was it in the right place? If not, how far off were you from the “red zone?”
To check your strike, line up your golf balls as shown above.
Notice your divots: No. 1 is no divot (thin shots), No. 2 is a divot behind the line (fat shots), No. 3 is perfect.
The advantages of striking the ground correctly
- Increased distance with irons
- More consistent distance control
- Better accuracy
Now, who wouldn’t want that?
The LPGA Tour is kicking off its 2026 season this week at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando, and the pros are dealing with something most Florida golfers rarely face: freezing temperatures.
“It’s colder here than in the UK at the minute, which is a first,” said England’s Charley Hull during Wednesday’s media day at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.
Even Lydia Ko, who lives at Lake Nona, seemed surprised by the cold snap. “We’re pretty much getting to below zero in celsius here, which maybe in other parts of the country they would be thankful, but when you’re in Florida it is a little bit of a surprise,” she said.
If the world’s best players are adjusting their games for cold weather, recreational golfers should, too. Here’s how to play smart when the mercury drops.
Understand What Cold Does to Your Game
Before you change anything, you need to know what you’re fighting against. Cold air is denser than warm air, which means your ball won’t fly as far. Period.
Hull noticed this immediately during practice rounds at Lake Nona. She mentioned hitting a gap wedge into the 18th hole during a previous win but needing a 4-iron during Tuesday’s practice round. That’s a difference of four or five clubs for the same shot.
Action item: Expect to lose 5-10 yards on every club in your bag when temperatures dip below 50 degrees. Plan accordingly and don’t be stubborn about club selection.
Layer Up Without Restricting Your Swing
Hull admitted she wore three pairs of pants during practice. While that might be extreme for most of us, staying warm is critical to playing well in cold conditions.
Your muscles need warmth to function properly. When you’re cold, your body tightens up and your swing gets shorter and faster. Neither of those things help you hit good golf shots.
Action item: Wear multiple thin layers instead of one bulky jacket. Look for golf-specific cold weather gear that stretches with your swing. Keep hand warmers in your pockets between shots. And don’t forget a good hat because you lose significant body heat through your head.
Take More Club Than You Think You Need
This is where ego gets in the way of good scores. When it’s cold, the ball doesn’t compress as well off the clubface. Combined with denser air, you’re looking at serious distance loss.
The pros at Lake Nona are dealing with a course that measures 6,642 yards but plays much longer this week. If they’re adjusting, you should too.
Action item: Take at least one extra club on every approach shot. In temperatures below 40 degrees, consider taking two extra clubs. It’s better to fly the ball to the back of the green than to come up short in a bunker.
Adjust Your Expectations on the Greens
Cold weather affects putting in ways most golfers don’t consider. The ball is harder and doesn’t roll as smoothly. Your hands are cold, making it harder to feel the putter. And if there’s any moisture on the greens, they’ll be slower than normal.
Ko mentioned that she still sometimes reads the greens wrong at Lake Nona despite being a member for years. Cold weather makes that challenge even tougher.
Action item: Hit putts more firmly than usual. The ball needs extra speed to hold its line on cold greens. Take a few extra practice strokes to get a feel for the speed before you putt.
Embrace the Mental Challenge
Hull said something interesting about cold weather golf: “I like the mental toughness of it.”
That’s the right attitude. Everyone on the course is dealing with the same conditions. The player who stays patient and doesn’t get frustrated by the extra difficulty will come out ahead.
Action item: Lower your expectations by a few strokes. If you normally shoot 85, accept that 90 might be a good score in 40-degree weather. Focus on solid contact and smart decisions rather than perfect shots.
Warm Up Longer and Smarter
This might be the most important tip of all. Cold muscles are tight muscles, and tight muscles get injured easily.
World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul revealed she’s been protecting a wrist injury that bothered her late last season. Cold weather makes those kinds of injuries more likely if you don’t prepare properly.
Action item: Spend at least 20 minutes warming up before your round. Start with stretching, then hit easy wedge shots before working up to your driver. Keep moving between shots on the course to maintain body heat and flexibility.
The pros at Lake Nona this week will adapt and compete at the highest level despite the cold. You can do the same at your local course by following these tips and keeping a positive attitude.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
Brooks Koepka is back on the PGA Tour, and whether you love him or hate him, the guy knows how to win when it matters. After his LIV Golf stint, the five-time major champion returns this week at the Farmers Insurance Open.
What makes Koepka fascinating? He doesn’t fit the mold. His swing isn’t textbook. He doesn’t obsess over mechanics. Yet he’s won three PGA Championships and two U.S. Opens, regularly making it look easier than guys with prettier swings.
So, what can average golfers learn from someone who treats the game so differently? Quite a bit.
Stop Overthinking Every Shot
Koepka describes his approach as “reactionary” rather than mechanical. While most tour pros grind over swing thoughts, Brooks sees the target and hits it. No mental checklist.
This might be the most valuable lesson for weekend golfers who’ve watched too many YouTube swing videos.
How to actually do this:
On the range, hit five balls where you stare at the target for three seconds prior to addressing the ball. Don’t think about grip or stance. Just burn that target into your brain. You’ll be shocked at how pure you hit it when your brain focuses on where the ball is going instead of how you’re swinging.
Next time you play, give yourself a rule: Once you pull the club, you’ve got 15 seconds to hit. Koepka is one of the fastest players on tour because he doesn’t give his brain time to sabotage him.
If you feel tension in your hands at address, you’re trying to control too much. Koepka’s grip pressure is famously light. Loosen up until the club almost feels like it might slip, then add just enough pressure to hold on. That’s your swing thought: soft hands, see the target.
This approach works better under pressure. When you’re standing over that shot with water left and OB right, the last thing you need is a mental checklist. See it, feel it, hit it.
Play to Your Strengths (Even If They’re Not Pretty)
Koepka uses a strong grip that wouldn’t pass muster in some teaching circles. But he’s built his game around what works for him, elite driving distance and recovery skills. He doesn’t try to be someone he’s not.
Here’s how to build your game like Brooks:
Look at your last five rounds and figure out where you’re actually gaining strokes. Bombing it off the tee, but can’t hit greens? Lean into it. Play courses where distance matters more than precision. On tight holes, grip down on your 3-wood instead of trying to thread a driver through a keyhole you’ll miss seven times out of ten.
Koepka knows he can scramble, so he’s not afraid to miss greens. If you’re deadly from 50 to 75 yards, start leaving yourself those distances on the par 5’s instead of going for them in two every time.
Know when to take your medicine. Koepka in the trees at the PGA? He’s punching out to 100 yards, not trying to bend a 6-iron around three oaks. You’re in the rough with a flyer lie and water short? Hit your 8-iron to the middle and move on. That’s not playing scared, that’s playing smart.
Save Your Best for When It Counts
Here’s a wild stat: Koepka’s putting average in majors is often more than a full stroke better per round than in regular events. He elevates when pressure is highest.
How does an amateur tap into that gear? It’s not about trying harder, it’s about caring differently.
Here’s what actually works:
Decide which rounds matter to you. Club championship? Member-guest? That annual trip with college buddies? Circle those dates and treat them differently. Koepka doesn’t care much about regular tour events, but majors? That’s when he locks in.
Two weeks before your big round, change your practice. Stop beating balls mindlessly. Play nine holes in which every shot has consequences. Miss the fairway? Hit from the rough on the next hole too. Three-putt? Twenty push-ups. Koepka’s practice intensity ramps up before majors because he’s rehearsing pressure, not just swings.
Develop a between-shot routine that resets your brain. Koepka is famous for his blank expression after bad shots. Try this: After any shot, take three deep breaths while walking, then find something specific to notice, a tree, a cloud, someone’s shirt. That’s your reset button. By the time you reach your ball, the last shot is gone.
The Bottom Line
Brooks Koepka’s return reminds us there’s no single path to success in golf. His “substance over style” approach proves that results matter more than looking good.
You don’t need a perfect swing; you need a reliable one that holds up under pressure. You don’t need to hit every shot in the book; you need the shots you can count on. And you don’t need to play great every time; you need to play great when it matters.
Welcome back, Brooks. Thanks for the reminder that golf is ultimately about getting the ball in the hole, not winning style points.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
Blades Brown made a big impression last week in the California desert, and not just because he’s only 18. He put up numbers that would catch any weekend golfer’s attention. Most of us won’t hit 317-yard drives or find 86% of our greens in regulation, but there’s a lot to learn from how Brown managed his game at The American Express.
Here are three practical lessons from his performance that you can use on your own course this weekend.
Step 1: Give Priority to Accuracy Over Distance Off The Tee
Brown’s driving stats are impressive. He averaged almost 318 yards off the tee, ranking 12th in the field. More importantly, he hit 76.79% of his fairways, tying for fourth place in the tournament.
Think about that ratio for a second. Brown could have swung harder, chased more distance and tried to overpower the course. Instead, he played smart golf and kept his ball in play.
Your Action Item: Next time you’re on the tee box, ask yourself a simple question before pulling the driver. Do you need maximum distance here, or do you need to be in the fairway? If there’s trouble lurking or the hole doesn’t demand every yard you can muster, take something off your swing. Grip down an inch. Make a three-quarter swing. Do whatever it takes to find the short grass. Brown’s approach illustrates that fairways lead to greens, and greens lead to birdies. He made 22 of them last week, along with an eagle.
The math is simple. When you’re hitting three out of every four fairways like Brown did, you’re giving yourself legitimate looks at the green with your approach shots. That’s when scoring happens.
Step 2: Commit To Hitting More Greens
This is where Brown really separated himself. He hit 62 of 72 greens in regulation, an 86.11% clip that tied for first in the entire field. Read that again. An 18-year-old kid tied for the lead in one of the most important ball-striking statistics in professional golf.
How did he do it? By keeping his ball in the fairway (see Step 1) and giving himself clean looks with mid-irons and wedges.
Your Action Item: Start tracking your greens in regulation. You don’t need a fancy app or a statistics degree. Just mark down whether you hit the green in the regulation number of strokes. Par 3s in one shot. Par 4s in two shots. Par 5s in three shots.
Once you know your baseline, set a goal to improve it by 10%. If you’re currently hitting five greens per round, aim for six. The beauty of this approach is that it forces you to think strategically about club selection and shot shape. Brown’s strokes gained approach number was positive (0.179), meaning he was better than the field average. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be on the dance floor more often.
When you hit more greens, you eliminate the need for heroic short game shots. Brown only had to scramble 10 times all week, and he got up and down 70% of the time. That’s solid, but the real story is that he rarely put himself in scrambling situations to begin with.
Step 3: Minimize Mistakes And Stay Patient
Here’s the stat that jumps off the page: Brown made only three bogeys all week. Three. In four rounds of professional golf against the best players in the world.
He also made just one double bogey. That kind of clean card doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when you play within yourself, avoid the big miss and trust that pars are never bad scores.
Your Action Item: Before your next round, decide that you’re going to play boring golf. No hero shots over water. No driver on tight holes just because you can. No aggressive pins when there’s a safe side of the green.
Brown’s performance shows us that consistency beats flash every single time. He didn’t lead the field in any single strokes gained category, but he was solid across the board. That’s how you post numbers and cash checks.
Give these three steps a try. Your scorecard will thank you.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “The Starter” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
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KK
May 14, 2015 at 7:21 pm
Not saying pickers can’t be good golfers but I’ve heard that the best pickers don’t do as well as the best divot golfers, at least in the pros. The picker shot is shallower and has less spin than the proper divot equivalent, leading to less controlled landings on greens and fewer/less aggressive targets to the green. Rory and Tiger hit towering divot shots to the green and they are two of the best ball strikers in the history of the game.
Mat
May 13, 2015 at 4:03 pm
Wow.. way to rip off Bobby Clampett. Did you read the first chapter of his book and then write this? Wow… just wow.
Jonny B
May 12, 2015 at 8:56 am
I’ve noticed that some portion of not being able to make solid contact and compress the ball can be attributed to a golfer’s release – or lack thereof. A lot of amateurs tend to delay their release, or hold it off entirely. This leads to thin shots or those high fades off the toe that come up short and right of the target. If amateurs would trust their release, finish their swing properly, with hands ahead of the ball and a very quick flick of the wrists through the hitting area it could benefit them tremendously.
Another drill to practice making solid contact and taking a divot after impact is to hit shots off of a slight uphill lie.
Paul
Apr 30, 2015 at 10:07 am
I have done this drill twice now and benefited from immediate improvement and gained distance. It forced me to change my set up by putting the ball farther back in my stance and my hands a little ahead of the club head. The big question is whether I can carry the lessons learned over to the course. Thanks.
Adam young
May 2, 2015 at 9:11 am
Great stuff Paul. In order to improve your ability to carry the skill to the course, you now need to be practicing the drill in a more random practice format. That means changing club and target for each shot, as well as doing a full routine.
Performance should drop a little, but retention of learning will be improved.
Skip
Apr 28, 2015 at 11:37 am
You are NOT Doing this
So all he does is say you’re not making contact with the ground after impact. So where’s the part where he tells you HOW to do it?
“If your handicap is not scratch, I can pretty much guarantee you are not striking the ball this way.” Actually, in my experience a crappy short game is more likely the reason you’re not a scratch. Really lackluster article.
Adam Young
Apr 30, 2015 at 1:00 am
Advanced statistics show that long game is actually a bigger determinant of handicap and scoring – read Every shot counts by Mark Broadie. he does the stats for the tour.
As far as how to do it – I will address this more in later articles. However, in my experience as a coach (and that is a LOT), simply by someone understanding the above info (which the vast majority don’t) helps people close the gap.
“I know I should hit the bullseye on the dartboard, but the author doesn’t tell me how to do it”
1. Most people don’t know there is a bullseye to start with
2. Once you know where the bullseye is and you can see what your result is through feedback, your brain can close in on all of the variables (forces, release points, trajectory, grip pressure) on its own – that’s the beauty of the human mind.
Cliff
May 6, 2015 at 9:56 am
great response!
mr.Smith
Apr 27, 2015 at 2:51 pm
I take beaver pelts with short clubs and am a low handicap
The dude
Apr 27, 2015 at 7:35 pm
And…..?
Double Mocha Man
Apr 28, 2015 at 11:05 am
I do the same and am the Greens Superintendent’s worst nightmare. That is the nature of my swing… my golfing buddies are in awe of my massive divots… there is discussion about them over drinks in the grill after a round. I always replace them. My current GHIN is 2.9. One of my best golfing friends hasn’t taken a divot in years… he even picks his wedges clean… Larry has not destroyed one blade of grass in the last decade.
Mike
Apr 27, 2015 at 1:42 pm
For as much as I agree with the your idea of a perfect strike, I cannot get on board with some of your statements. “25-handicap golfers make contact an average of 5 inches behind the ball”. I’m a 5 handicap and NOT scratch but I’m certainly taking a divot after the ball.
Charlie
Apr 27, 2015 at 1:00 pm
I’m 69 years old with lower back trouble and not too flexible.
I get all the free range balls I want to hit (a bunch per week), and I’ve been trying for 2+ years to bring a divot to the target side of the ball. Oh, I do it once in a while but mostly I hit a bit thin or a bit fat. I often forget to make that lower body first move – which results in both thins and fats. I have a Tour Striker but if you hit off a good lie or off a mat it lets you get away with fat shots. I’ve tried so many drills from Clampet(sp?) and others to get that good clean hit but nothing has worked very well. Lately the drill from Martin Hall that has you first pull back with the back arm and then pull back with the front arm has made a big difference with hitting my driver longer and straighter, but it has not helped much with the irons.
MASSIVE MIKE!
Apr 27, 2015 at 2:49 pm
Take 2 weeks off…… then quit!
Gary Q
Apr 27, 2015 at 8:17 am
I’m a 6 handicap and I am a picker. I rarely leave a divot. Any drills to begin this change?
Ben
Apr 27, 2015 at 11:44 am
I don’t know any drills, but the Tour Striker would help. I’m not a paid endorser but you can’t hit a ball with it unless you have your hands forward and making a descending blow at impact.
Gary Q.
Apr 27, 2015 at 1:44 pm
Which tour striker product? A club or the device you wear
Brutus
Apr 27, 2015 at 2:45 pm
I agree with using the TS as I was thinking the same. The pro version is the 7 iron which offers 1 scoring less of club face surface to strike. The standard is an 8 iron. Obviously both work well, but the 7 forces just a little more exacting of a shot.
I start out every season hitting several buckets of just the TS for irons and then add in some real 7’s. The impact results have been very good. Great investment for ball striking.
Someone used to advocate taking a 8×12″ rectangle of half in plywood, cut a 6×6″ square out along one of the long edges, and then lay that on the ground with the opening forward to practice. Put a ball along the missing edge line in the 6×6 area and learn to hit the ball and miss the board. If it gets too easy, then move the ball back a bit into the open square. It will do the same thing as the tour strike.
Tony Lynam
Apr 27, 2015 at 8:22 pm
Agree. I have the wedge and 7 iron models.
Adam Young
Apr 27, 2015 at 6:04 pm
Hi Gary – if you rarely take a divot, you will need to lower the swing arc – but you will also need a corresponding forward shift.
Feel like you squat down and forwards in transition. Watch Rory and Tiger as they start the downswing
bradford
Apr 27, 2015 at 7:58 am
It’s also important to not that without proper set-up and grip, this will be very difficult to do. Most players I see sport a very weak right hand grip (most likely to compensate for “flipping” the club rather than releasing it). That grip will make it very uncomfortable to make contact after the ball. I switched to the old “Hogan” grip about two years ago, and I was amazed at how easy it became to hit the ground in the right spot. All of the things people talked about now made sense…lag, hands forward, release, grip pressure….and I think I picked up about about a club in distance (not a priority for me). The new players I’ve taught (not a pro) are haunted by my phrase of “swing easy and hit the back of the ball first”.
I believe Mr Penick covered this as well. He’d put a golf tee on the ground one inch in front of the ball and tell his students to hit the tee. The ball becomes “incidental”.
Ted H.
Apr 26, 2015 at 7:27 pm
Any practice drills for us city golfers who have to practice on mats?
Adam Young
Apr 27, 2015 at 1:16 am
Place a thin towel behind the ball and try to strike the ground after the towel. If you are hitting behind, the towel will become dislodged.
intersperse this with clipping bottle caps off the towel to improve low point without being too steep 🙂
RB695
Apr 26, 2015 at 3:14 pm
Good article. If I’m reading correctly, it seems you can still get the proper divot regardless of whether your attack angle is steep or shallow.
That leads me to believe that the swing arc should not be static and that the center of the arc (thus the entire arc) needs to keep moving toward the target. Is that correct? Seems like this would correlate with another big problem for amateurs – getting “through” the shot.
Adam Young
Apr 26, 2015 at 4:03 pm
You are correct – a quality strike can be achieved with a shallow or steep AOA, but I would tend to favor shallower.
You are also correct that the hub(s) move and should move, unlike how most people visualize and try to maintain stable hubs (this actually creates lowered consistency – take a look at how Tiger drops his head height and then gets further from the ball through the hitting area.
Advanced biomechanics is showing that the hands are actually moving upwards and away from the ball as the ground is being struck – this creates incredible speed and consistency. But this is difficult for most amateurs to understand as they think the hands should be moving down at impact (a recipe for disaster)
The clubhead is moving down and forwards, but the hands are doing the opposite
PH
Apr 27, 2015 at 12:44 pm
Incredibly good point. This is something that you might explain in another post. The hands moving through the hit are going back up during impact. The reason this is possible is that the club is behind the hands and releasing towards the ground. Something I am still working on.
Tom Duckworth
Apr 26, 2015 at 12:27 pm
This is one of the real keys to golf . If you don’t do this you will never hit irons with much power or accuracy. Yet I have friends who flip their hands through impact and insist that’s what they must do to get the ball in the air.
Or my favorite “Maybe a new set of irons will do the trick”.
I like Johnny Miller’s brush, brush drill. He draws a line on the ground and makes back and fourth small swings just brushing the grass after the line. Making sure his hands pass the line before the club head. I use to wonder how do I know where the low point of my swing is? That drill got me thinking wherever your hands are that’s the low point of the swing. I think it is best to simplify how you think about swing mechanics. So if you are turning correctly and your hands pass first you should always have ball then divot.
Adam Young
Apr 26, 2015 at 1:35 pm
Hi Tom,
Yes, it is definitely best to simplify things as much as possible while retaining good mechanics intact.
The hand positions do play a role, unfortunately it is infinitely more complicated than that – with swing direction, hand height at impact (or low point height) as well as low point position all playing a role in striking the turf correctly.
Luckily, our subconscious minds are incredible at figuring this stuff out if given the right task. The above article explains this simple task – and getting better at it each day via appropriate feedback and skill development is the way forwards.
Phil
Apr 26, 2015 at 12:23 pm
This is great advice on what should be done but to just say “practice it” I don’t think is enough. How about something that will lead to striking the ground in the red zone? Set up? Ball position? Focusing on the front of the ball or a spot in front of the ball? Getting weight onto the front side during the downswing?
Adam Young
Apr 26, 2015 at 1:40 pm
Phil – none of those things in isolation will guarantee you hit the ground in the right place. It is far too complex to offer one technical cue. Read the above comment.
But everyone I teach gets better at this skill through the appropriate focus and feedback, with a motivational nudge from me 🙂
I sometimes think players are looking for that one bit of swing advice which is a cure all – but the reality is that it is dedicated focus on improving the simple things daily.
EVERYONE can hit the ground further forwards. You have to figure out what is stopping YOU – mostly it is mental. Which is where good coaching comes in.
Brian
Apr 26, 2015 at 11:26 am
I’m a picker. Wish I was not. Any tips for staying down on the ball to get that divot?
Note: I’m 6’2″ with two herniated discs in my lower back from a military injury so my body wants to be upright. But I think I can train it to stay down with the right drill.
Adam Young
Apr 26, 2015 at 1:42 pm
Brian – for a start I wouldn’t ‘stay down. have a look at most of the top strikers and they have an upward trust through impact.
You could add more squat to the transition. That would get the low point of your swing lower – but it would also need a corresponding increase in forward shift (weight shift)
Billy
Apr 27, 2015 at 1:40 pm
Sam Snead and Tom Watson were pickers of the golf ball….
kjond12
Apr 29, 2015 at 1:53 pm
I think that is a very common myth Billy… as I am an instructor and have heard it several times from students. Watch any highlight of Watson in his prime and the most clear one of Snead is from his Shell’s match with Hogan (link below)… both take a divot with every single iron swing they make.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxBmn8HCCQo
blademonkey
Apr 26, 2015 at 9:40 am
do different clubs matter? say someone hitting a GI club versus blades? do blades “dig” more or is that not true?
Adam Young
Apr 26, 2015 at 1:43 pm
If everything in the swing is the same, a blade will likely dig in more due to a thinner sole. but this doesnt matter to an elite player, as they are striking the ball first
Dave S
Apr 27, 2015 at 12:47 pm
So what you’re saying is that for those of us who are not elite players, we could be better off with GI clubs as they would minimize to some extent the negative effect the occasional behind-the-ball strike?
This might be a topic for another post, but is there really ANY advantage of using blades or cavity-back blades for mid-hcp golfers? Would not we all be better served by GI irons?
Jeremy
Apr 27, 2015 at 2:15 pm
I think for most people, if their ego doesn’t get in the way, yes. Although if your goal is to get better and not merely get the most out of the few times a year you play, then you’ll get more feedback from clubs with thinner soles. Mishits will be more penal, but you’ll know you did something wrong and you’ll work to improve.
harleyweewax
Apr 27, 2015 at 2:44 pm
Would like to know the answer to this as well, not so much as an overall topic but specifically in relation to this article. I was a picker from the time I started playing until I started playing a set of Pings (I series) fitted to me – instant divot, increased distance and accuracy versus the wide sole SGI irons I was using at the time. So I truly wonder if the wider soles vs blade or thinner soles makes as big a difference as I am thinking. When the ground gets hard here in the dry Oklahoma summers, I almost have to go back to my wide soles just to keep from a massive shock at hitting the hard ground with my thinner soled clubs….
Adam Young
Apr 28, 2015 at 10:12 am
I would say the majority of players would need to use a GI club. The advantage being slightly more forgiveness on behind hits, and generally a bigger sweetspot.
The disadvantage of a GI club is that, as the Center of Gravity of the club is further back from the face, it creates slightly more gear effect on off center hits.
Chris
Apr 26, 2015 at 7:30 am
This is a great article! I am a high handicapper and went out in the back yard and practiced my chipping after reading this. INSTANT IMPROVEMENT! I have never hit my chips so consistently and accurate. Knowing where your divot should be gives great reference point and place to aim your swing. I have been working on my swing with a golf pro and made some great improvements. Adding this tip to my “toolbox” will really drop my score. I don’t believe this was intended to be a cure-all to your golf game. It’s just ONE of the things that you are most likely doing incorrectly. You can hit your irons pure every shot and if you 3-putt on the green your still going to have a high handicap. Thanks for the article Adam. I bookmarked it to read every once in a while.
Adam Young
Apr 26, 2015 at 1:44 pm
Thanks chris, glad you enjoyed. Sure it is not a cure all. But I have worked on this consistently over the years and now strike the ball similar to the elite professionals.
As you said, it is no cure all, but it is a necessary fundamental
Rich
Apr 25, 2015 at 9:20 pm
A 25 marker hitting behind the ball 5 inches on average? I find that hard to believe. That means that for every shot they hit well (divot in the right place – and they do hit good ones from time to time) they would have to hit one 10 inches behind the ball to even it out? Doesn’t sound right to me. If you hit 10 inches behind the ball at anytime, you are not going to be even a 25 marker. Good point to the article on on how to improve your impact but I think the numbers are a little out of whack.
Adam Young
Apr 25, 2015 at 11:32 pm
Rich – believe it. I’ve been doing a study on it for over a year now.
What 25 handicappers do is learn not to take a divot at all – they just graze the grass behind the ball and the deeper part of the divot starts maybe 4-2 inches behind the ball. Their ‘4 inch behinds’ are their worst shots (the duffs that seem to come out of nowehere), and their 2 inchers are the best ones, but still lost a ton of potential.
Also, the players then learn to flip the club to add more bounce to the club to stop it digging – again sub-optimal.
AussieDanB
Apr 25, 2015 at 7:52 pm
A very good article, I like to read the various articles on this site and often will direct people to this site to read specific articles, this would be one of them. I will say though, with my experience trying to get a bigger handicapper to strike down more and intently so usually leads to then dropping in their swing more and ending up hitting the ball worse. I think the article is Still very valid and heading to your local PGA pro is never going to end up being a bad choice either. 🙂
Adam Young
Apr 25, 2015 at 11:34 pm
Aussie Dan – you are right; I agree and I rarely tell a player to hit down on the ball (although I learned it that way). Science is showing that the hands are actually moving up through impact.
But by making people aware of their divot position, they, in most cases, simply move a decent action more forwards
Nathan
Apr 25, 2015 at 5:31 pm
YOU ARE NOT DOING THIS.!!!
I came in for a leisurely read this morning, Adam I am 28 handicap. Take note that is 28. I think you are totally wrong. I can guarantee you I strike the ball first and then the turf 2inches past the ball. I can also guarantee I will not finish reading. I don’t know how u come up with your assumptions
Adam
Apr 25, 2015 at 8:54 pm
Perhaps you are a 28 handicap because you are an idiot who refuses to listen to others who:
1. Are better than you
2. Golf instructors
3. Take time out of their profession to write articles for those WHO WANT TO IMPROVE.
Maybe your hitting in front of the ball, but something still sucks in your game to be a 28 handicap.
-Peace
Adam 2
Apr 25, 2015 at 9:06 pm
i don’t think this guy is Adam.
Adam
Apr 25, 2015 at 9:25 pm
I’m not, just another guy named Adam.
Adam Young
Apr 25, 2015 at 11:38 pm
lol – way too many Adams in here 🙂
Nathan – I hope that was sarcastic. Also, I know there are high handicappers who strike the ground effectively, and some lower handicappers who fall into the other end of the range. But in my thousands of hours of teaching, I would say less than 1% of the handicap players I see (above 5) strike the ground on average within a couple of inches of the ball.
As always, there are anomalous results. congrats – you are one of them 🙂 now you just have to find out what it is you are doing wrong to not be better
talljohn777
Apr 27, 2015 at 1:07 pm
I call BS…
Billy
Apr 27, 2015 at 1:42 pm
Me too, I have always hit the ball first and never got below a 6…
west
Apr 25, 2015 at 3:20 pm
Pros and low handicappers have their hands well ahead of the club at impact, this also helps create this forward divot.
Adam Young
Apr 25, 2015 at 3:46 pm
True West – that is one of the elements. But you don’t have to have the hands a long way forwards to do this – and the hands should be releasing through impact (not held onto as some believe).
The main reason for the pros having a lot of forwards shaft lean is to try and keep the flight of the ball down at their incredible speeds. If most amateurs were to copy this, they would hit a very low flight.
Rich
Apr 30, 2015 at 5:21 pm
That’s what I found while working on forward lean of the shaft. I play to a 12 and I don’t have enough club head speed to deloft mid to long irons. I can deloft short irons for windy conditions.
I do work hard on using the bounce to “thump” the ground and the more “thump” I get the better the ball flight.
Jake
Apr 25, 2015 at 3:15 pm
Good idea and well written, yet you didn’t explain how average golfers are supposed to achieve this. The article may as well just say, “Go see your PGA professional..”
Adam Young
Apr 25, 2015 at 3:51 pm
Hi Jake – unfortunately, as it is only a short article, it is tough to go through the myriad of technical elements which create this – such as weight position, shaft lean, height of body positions, swing arc direction, release etc. All of which relate to it, and all of which need to be a nice blend. There is no ‘one way’ or ‘perfect way’ to achieve this task.
However, I routinely improve my pupils’ abilities to hit the ground more effectively. The average golfer goes away hitting the ground at least 50% or more closer to the goal (often much more) in one session, simply through understanding and awareness, and quality feedback like the line drill. I used it myself to get to scratch in 3 years.
The problem is, most golfers are so worried about how their swing looks that they are unable to focus or even identify if they have done the divot in the right place.
And 90% or more of the clients through my door don’t even know if or where they should make a divot
Philip
Apr 25, 2015 at 2:49 pm
What if my divot tends to be only a ball divot with a light grass divot with my club? Same thing as #3, right?
Adam Young
Apr 25, 2015 at 3:52 pm
could you rephrase the question philip – I would be happy to answer
Philip
Apr 25, 2015 at 5:18 pm
When hitting good I tend to skim the grass so you can see where my club contacted the ground (a close shave), but there is no clubhead width divot in the ground. Instead you can see a divot mark sometimes left ball by the ball after contact for an inch or so from where the ball was before being hit by the club. The ball mark is not deep.
Adam Young
Apr 26, 2015 at 1:45 pm
wait, are you saying you are topping the ball into the ground?
Philip
Apr 26, 2015 at 2:51 pm
No, it still goes pretty well. I’m going to have to wait and see how it goes in the next few weeks now that the courses are opening up. I’ve improved my swing quite a bit over the winter so it may be a mute point.
Thanks
Rob
Apr 25, 2015 at 1:51 pm
“Elite golfers first contact the ground 2 inches in front of the ball”
“No. 3 is perfect.”
No. 3 is not 2 inches in front of the ball. What am I missing?
Adam Young
Apr 25, 2015 at 2:44 pm
Good spot Rob – it should say elite golfers ‘can’ strike up to 2 inches in front.
MHendon
Apr 25, 2015 at 4:57 pm
Phew thank god you elaborated on that a little more. I was thinking it would be hard to make a divot 2 inches in front of the ball with out catching it a little thin.
Adam young
Apr 26, 2015 at 7:52 am
It is also a little dependant on angle of attack. With a very shallow approach through impact, I have seen top pros start their divot 3 or more inches in front, especially with low spinning wedges.
But with a steeper angle of attack this wouldn’t work. Hitting the dot the ball is resting on is a safe bet…. But have a little experiment around.
My only word of warning is to watch you don’t start hitting a different part of the face. Striking the ground like a pro is useless if you are shanking it 🙂
MHendon
Apr 27, 2015 at 1:56 am
Ok so I think we need further elaboration here. When you say striking the ground 2 inches in front of the ball are you refering to the leading edge of the ball in other words the side you’re striking or the trailing edge. If I look at the picture above the correct strike would appear to have struck the ground about center of the ball. Considering a ball is a little over an inch in diameter that would be striking the ground slightly over 1/2 inch past the contact/leading edge of the ball. Hence my statement above. If you where striking the ground 2 inches past the trailing edge of the ball I believe you’d be thinning it.
TheCityGame
Apr 27, 2015 at 8:02 am
It might be better to indicate what’s BAD, which is contacting the ground anywhere BEHIND the ball.
After a whole article of talking about contacting the ground in front of the ball, your “perfect” picture shows the ground being contacting -.8 inches “in front” of the ball. ‘
I think this article would be really helped with some video links of pros and amateurs making contact. Especially seeing the difference between where the ground is contacted based on the club choice, steepness of swing, etc.