Ok, So I Can't Hit The Ball With Tour Striker - What Next? :)

Like many beginners I suffer from flipping hands/ fat shots/ hitting behind the ball/ poor impact position...

So, in an effort to rectify this I bought myself a Tour Striker 8 Iron and not surprisingly I can't hit the ball with it (consistently)!

So what's next? Is the Tour Striker designed to fix the problem itself i.e. should i just continue to try and hit balls, and in time I will learn to hit down properly?

Or does the Tour Striker only tell you that you're not hitting the ball properly? i.e. should I also be doing drills with normal clubs etc?

Any ideas or recommendations would be much appreciated!

Lessons???

Impact bag, SwingJacket, Greg Norman's TheSecret, The Impact Zone (book), Brian Manzella web videos...

Have you tried the chalk line drill, two tee or two golf ball drill and just practiced taking divots - beyond the chalk line, tees or golf balls?  The key is finding the low point (bottom) of your golf swing.  If you can consistently take a divot in the same area - then move to hitting the ball.

Remember - when you're hitting your irons... You want to have a descending golf shot - hit down on the ball... Then take a divot - after impact with the ball.

Here is a video which explains the drill - using two golf balls.

Thanks, I'll give that drill in the video a go.

I do get lessons and have been given some drills to work on e.g. placing the ball very forward in my stance (to the left of my left foot) and hitting it from there.

Also, if you are using the tour striker... Make sure you have a forward press with your hands at address. It should look something like this...

Also, once you get the divot drill down...  Ensure you have the forward press.  You could then add this drill - to ensure your weight is on your left side and hit down on the ball.

Try these things and then come back and let us know how you are progressing.

I don't know if this will help, but I feel like this latest drill has helped me a lot. I line the ball with my front foot for all clubs, I feel like when it is that far up it won't let you flip your hands or release to early because the ball is that far up.

I feel like I'm in the same situation as you, I buy every training aid known to man...

I like this article...

http://www.aroundhawaii.com/lifestyle/health_and_fitness/2007-11_tigers_impact_position_how_to_achieve_it.html

... and it is hard to get the ball up with a Tour Striker for those of us who release early or very close to early. That's the point and the reason I like it so much. I can go out before a round one day and hit 10 perfect shots with my TS. The next day, I can't get the ball off the ground. Everything feels the same but is not. That bit of work gets me back on track.

This.  Keep hitting it until you can.

Thanks for the comments guys

When I first got the TS I couldn't hit it either - daisy cutters all day long. My old (normal) shot was to pick the ball off the top (sweeper). Since getting the TS I've learned to take a proper divot and hit down on the ball.You just have to stick at it and as Beachcomber said make sure you have a forward press at address. I even used to exaggerate this forward lean when using the TS. This is one training aid that does work.

PS cool avatar (hail hail!!!)

I'd do a lot of chips and punch shots, 1/2 swings.

One of the things my pro has me do for a drill is to hit 5 irons as low as I possibly can.   Much like a punch shot.  You can use the back of the range or the tree line as a gage of how low you're hitting it.  The range where I practice has a huge net on the right side.   I try to hit my 5i below the top of the net.   You hit some ugly shots but my ball striking and compression improves greatly after one of those sessions.

When you're hitting 5 iron stingers there simply is no way to flip and still hit the shots low.

Is it possible to cast the tour striker and still hit the ball?

You will always hit the ball, but not with the face of the club. The whole point is to get instant feedback on your impact position. If you can't get the ball in the air, chances are good you are casting. There are of course degrees to casting/flipping, but for most that struggle with it, it would be difficult to get the ball in the air.

I have the 8 Iron Tour Striker and after a wee bit of practice today I was hitting the ball high into the air very consistently, with very few of the worm burners that are supposed to result from bad hits. I'd be surprised if my casting problem has been cured so quickly, so I'm a little worried that the 8 Iron is too forgiving and easy to hit with..? I know they have Tour Striker Pro 7 irons as well which are harder to hit with.