Poor Ballstriking

[wrx_junki]

Any other ~11 handicaps out there with horrible ball striking? I've got to give it to myself, my ball striking has gone to $HIT. I haven't felt a flushed shot on the course in some time. I have one like maybe once every few rounds. Hitting the ball all over the clubface with a crap ass tempo. I've totally become lost lately but still manage to bring together a semi decent round here and there. END RANT.

[Zeph]

I've been in the poor ballstriking camp since I first picked up a golf club. The issues I struggle with is:

Late hands, so I'm flipping
Fat and thin (as a result of the flipping)
Swing bottom too far back (mostly because of flipping)
And arm rotation in the downswing (also flip related)

My hands rotate over and shut the clubface so I'm pulling a lot. I want to look more like Charley Hoffman in the swing video posted in some other thread, with the clubface pointing up after impact, just staying on the plane. I also hit a lot off the heel, which contributes to the left shots, working on standing a bit farther from the ball.

[Range King]

Yes, mee too.
I am shooting in the mid 80s pretty consistently. Only the driver decides if I am playing a good or a bad round.
There are typically 6-8 pars on my round, rest bogeys, with a double here and there.

All that being said, I think I have *never* managed to hit a good solid 5i on a round. 6i are 50/50.
This is probably ridiculous, but I play better when the ball is in the first cut or even moderate rough, compared to the firm fairway.

My problem has always been thin shots, and over-the-top swing.
I am messing around with S&T to get better contacts, which somehow works, but now the ball flight is pretty low
and I get sockets more often, b/c I tend to come OTT more often.

Bottom Line: I suck, but see some potential to break 80 if I just get somewhat better with my ball striking

[inthecup]

I am getting more consistent ball striking by making my arms as passive as possible and sliding my hips forward as explained in another thread. The effect is to eliminate flipping and move the bottom of my swing forward.
For the first time I am taking divots after the ball and really pinching it. It is still a work in progress but I am willing to put in the time and take a few steps backwards before I move ahead.

My swing thought has progressed to Swing Slow Stupid.

[TN94z]

Mine has gotten somewhat worse since going through some swing changes. It is mostly because my tempo goes crazy sometimes. I have noticed that my birdie % has dropped considerably!

[chrisronline]

I have issues too. Like most people, I have a bad habit of flipping my hands and breaking my wrists too early in the downswing. I'm working hard to stop doing this, but it's definitely a hard habit to break.

[colin007]

Yes, mee too.

and youre a 17? shouldnt it be lower? i have gone several rounds without hitting one pure. i have even hit balls that i thought i pured but they only went the average distance, which just tells me that i timed a flip perfectly. i have much better chance of getting the desired contact on little chips and stuff, but im pretty sure anyone whos not almost scratch is a bad ball striker.

[sean_miller]

and youre a 17? shouldnt it be lower?

It depends on his course difficulty, how you define "mid 80s" and, "pretty consistently". For some guys I play with that would be an 87-89 every 3rd round on a course rated at 67.0 / 113.

Personally, when I was in the 10-12 range my biggest problem was the same as it is now. Leaky driver and sketchy putting. Those are a smidgen better and the domino effect is an index drop of ~ 5.

[Range King]

It depends on his course difficulty, how you define "mid 80s" and, "pretty consistently". For some guys I play with that would be an 87-89 every 3rd round on a course rated at 67.0 / 113.

The course is 71.8/131. And with a 85 you are technically a -11 handicap on this course. But I am posting my official Hcp, and that only changes if you play a tournament, which I don't do very often.

[wrx_junki]

Went on a mission to par the first hole of the course that I was playing at since I've been starting out horribly lately. Birdied the first hole only to be met by a horrible round. Birdied the 1st and 18th holes and whatever was in between those two holes it was quite ugly.

[Stretch]

I think you need to get your swing bottom more forward.

[Range King]

I think you need to get your swing bottom more forward.

Thanks, but are you sure that's what the author really wants to tell us?

[ks8829]

practice making solid contact with your wedges by simply chipping around the green. When you chip can you feel the solid contact and the click sound the ball makes when hit solidily?

If you are not making solid contact with your chipping which is a short swing, you need to work on your set up and take away. practice chipping until you begin to make solid contact. chipping backswing should not be higher than your hips.

Once you begin to make solid contact work into a 3/4 swing then a full wedge shot. work your way up the clubs PW, 9, 8 etc.......

The key is your backswing and the position of the shaft at hip high. The shaft should be down the target line and parallal to the ground.

This position helps set your wrist and you will notice making solid contact is very easy when you return to the ball.

The second position that is important is the natural arc on the back swing makes on the backswing. The natural arc should move effortlessly upwards and you can achieve this with your feet together and take a backswing without losing balance.

In any ball striking which includes chipping and pitching your want to achieve the following:

1) solid contact
2) distance control
3) direction

[kafka01]

I have issues too. Like most people, I have a bad habit of flipping my hands and breaking my wrists too early in the downswing. I'm working hard to stop doing this, but it's definitely a hard habit to break.

If you think about it - the moment your right arm straightens out too early, either you are to armsy or your pivot stalls and you have to deliver your arms into the shot - once you run out of right arm you dont have an option but to flip at the ball in trying to rescue the shot - so flipping can be caused by a much more deeper problem like a poor pivoting action in your swing.

[kafka01]

Thanks, but are you sure that's what the author really wants to tell us?

Well getting the "swingbottom" more forward is another way of saying - get your pivot in order. If you only hit with your arms from top your swing, your swing bottom is WAY behind the ball. Now if you start pivoting/turning/shifting whatever - the amount you do that, is getting your swingbottom more forward. And to strike a ball great your swing bottom (not where your divot starts, but where it bottoms out) needs to be quite a bit in front of the ball. Of course aside from that you also need all the other stuff to be in order. Your swingbottom can be way in front but doesnt do anything for you when you come way from the outside or the inside.

[sean_miller]

Any other ~11 handicaps out there with horrible ball striking? I've got to give it to myself, my ball striking has gone to $HIT. I haven't felt a flushed shot on the course in some time. I have one like maybe once every few rounds. Hitting the ball all over the clubface with a crap ass tempo. I've totally become lost lately but still manage to bring together a semi decent round here and there. END RANT.

This may only be one small factor, but how's your fitness? As the season ends little injuries can pile up and it's easy to think hitting more balls is the answer, but if you're starting to make little compensations, making consistent contact can be more difficult.

Extend your pre-season fitness routine (you have one, don't you?) through the whole season. Work on your core strength, leg, forearm, and shoulder strength, balance, and of course flexibility. Anyone who's hit good shots can do it again - as long as their body lets them. A lot of us weekend warrior types don't realize that a summer of golf is taking its toll, until the season is almost over.

[Kieran123]

Any other ~11 handicaps out there with horrible ball striking? I've got to give it to myself, my ball striking has gone to $HIT. I haven't felt a flushed shot on the course in some time. I have one like maybe once every few rounds. Hitting the ball all over the clubface with a crap ass tempo. I've totally become lost lately but still manage to bring together a semi decent round here and there. END RANT.

Yes.....the last 2 months my ballstriking has been diminishing, hence some of the worst rounds of my life.

My tempo has gone way out of whack, probably the reason for the bad ball striking. Thinning hasn't been an issue, hitting it fat has been.

[Stretch]

I'm kind of the opposite. When I'm hitting it badly, I'm usually hitting it thin and low. It's ugly, but doesn't actually punish you too much because thin shots tend to stay straight (very little spin). I absolutely hate the ****ing feel and sound of a thinned iron though. "Clackkkk!" Ugh.