This seems to have helped me hit down on the ball...

[paddlefoot]

For the past three weeks I've been practicing a lot trying to hit down on the ball more.  My flight pattern is very high/short, and I'm trying to improve distance.

I tried the towel drill (towel three or four inches behind ball and try not to hit it).  I really can't tell whether that drill has helped or not.

This helped almost instantly:  Imagine a ball just in front of your ball.  On the downswing, try to swing through your ball and hit the imaginary ball.  I noticed an appreciable change in ball contact right when I started doing this.

Just wondering if anyone else has a success (or failure) story in using this technique...

[bwdial]

Bobby Clampett recommends something similar in his book.  Basically, he says to pick a spot about four inches in front of the ball to and try to hit that.

[rossvanwyk]

Pretty much exaclty what I've been doing lately and it is pure awesome.

It's magic with irons but also totally redeemed my driver play. I suffer with OTT top with driver sometimes but I swing to a point in front and to the right of my ball and I'm getting amazing results with the driver.

[adh241]

Sounds like its worth a crack.  I just look at the front of the ball I'm hitting but same principle.  Be careful about not getting too steep in your effort to connect cleanly with your irons lest your driver follow suit.

[DoctorYikes]

I like clampett's book, but the whole aiming point technique messes me up something fierce. I tend to skull it... and in one seemed to swing over it altogether. I manage better looking at the ball and not thinking about it too much. Got a good pic of my divot the other day... bottom out pretty close to four inches past the tee (iron shit). So, it's working, whatever it is. Kinda wish the AP worked a little better for me. Ironically "trust the swing" doesn't feel as reliable as having a specific spot to focus upon.

[Cajun83]

I tried looking past the ball but like others, it seemed to make me hit thin. Started focusing on the ball and forcing my hips to slide forward earlier in my downswing and today, for the first time (after ten hours of practice over the past five days in the net, hitting off of the mat) I now know what an actual golf shot feels like.

[FuzzyB1]

you guys do have your hands in front of the ball at address don't you?

[phillyk]

I posted this in on another thread too, but I'll repeat it.  My dad had a saying in baseball to "dig dirt" in the infield on a ground ball to insure you catch it.  I think this can apply here too.  Don't be afraid to make a divot.  When i play on a damp day, I dig divots up to nearly a foot and still make pure contact with good spin (I have a high swing speed, which helps).  As FuzzyB1 said, certainly make sure the hands are leading at address.  I also would try the pumping drill, or Charles barkley drill as I've heard it, where on your downswing you make sure the shaft is pointing towards the ball as you start to release your wrists, and you pump the club a few times and then swing thru.  This helps with alignment as well as proper release.  I also would use the "dig dirt" here to make sure you're hitting down on the ball while making clean contact.

[DoctorYikes]

I think what helped me the most... or at least what's working for me right now... getting a good feel for lag, particularly on the index finger of my trail hand. Even on very short swings.

[bogey master]

That sounds like a good tip I have been hitting the ball thin and barely making a divot. I am going to the practice range and give it a try tomorrow

[Ernest Jones]

Originally Posted by DoctorYikes

I like clampett's book, but the whole aiming point technique messes me up something fierce. I tend to skull it... and in one seemed to swing over it altogether. I manage better looking at the ball and not thinking about it too much.

Got a good pic of my divot the other day... bottom out pretty close to four inches past the tee (iron shit). So, it's working, whatever it is. Kinda wish the AP worked a little better for me. Ironically "trust the swing" doesn't feel as reliable as having a specific spot to focus upon.

The thing about Clampett's book, which I only caught onto during the second reading, is that he doesn't say to aim the CLUBHEAD at the spot 4 inches past the ball. He says to AIM YOUR HANDS at a spot 4 inches after the ball. I take it to mean that your arms and shaft should be straight inline pointing at a spot after the ball, and that is your release and for me at least, it helps me keep my hands ahead of the clubhead until after impact. Very subtle difference on paper but huge difference in execution.

[Clive Scarff]

The "coin drill" covers this point exactly.

[MEfree]

Just before reading this thread, I was hitting a plastic ball with a half swing in the basement with a 9 iron- I set the club in the middle of my stance but put the ball off my front foot and liked the way I was hitting it (mostly)- was concentrating on lag (bent trail wrist, flat front wrist) but definitely felt it made me slide my hips.  I had been doing a Jeff Evans/Pure Ball Striker drill with the ball in the back of my stance, but felt that it was more productive to move it way up instead.

I have been having some contact issues so I hope that this helps.

[Adam Young]

Easiest way to get this correct is to get a spray paint can, go to the range and spray a paint line on the ground 90 degrees from your target (parallel with clubface at address). Place a ball on top of the line. Commit to hitting a divot, then check where it is in relation to the line. Keep working on getting it furtehr forward until the divot starts on the line and continues in front of the line. If the club hits the ground any point before the line, you are basically losing distance. If you dont hit a divot at all, keep working on it until you can, using practice swings without a ball.

Then keep practicing it until it is ingrained.

Hope this helps you

[Clive Scarff]

Originally Posted by MEfree

Just before reading this thread, I was hitting a plastic ball with a half swing in the basement with a 9 iron- I set the club in the middle of my stance but put the ball off my front foot and liked the way I was hitting it (mostly)- was concentrating on lag (bent trail wrist, flat front wrist) but definitely felt it made me slide my hips.  I had been doing a Jeff Evans/Pure Ball Striker drill with the ball in the back of my stance, but felt that it was more productive to move it way up instead.

I have been having some contact issues so I hope that this helps.

The reason your hips are sliding is because your hands are not releasing. Forget lag (seriously, forget lag) and focus on releasing the clubhead. This will mean a proactive right hand, and allowing your left wrist to fold (as long as you are hitting down at the ball you will NOT need to maintain a flat left wrist - in what other sport on earth do we do this??). This video explains the hands a bit more:

[mikee123]

Originally Posted by Clive Scarff

The reason your hips are sliding is because your hands are not releasing. Forget lag (seriously, forget lag) and focus on releasing the clubhead. This will mean a proactive right hand, and allowing your left wrist to fold (as long as you are hitting down at the ball you will NOT need to maintain a flat left wrist - in what other sport on earth do we do this??). This video explains the hands a bit more:

do you work for hit down damnit?

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by Clive Scarff

The "coin drill" covers this point exactly.

That seems like an awfully expensive drill.  How does he retreive all of the coins out of the bunker?

[Ernest Jones]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

That seems like an awfully expensive drill.  How does he retreive all of the coins out of the bunker?

I bring a small bag of cheerios with me whenever I'm stuck using mats instead of grass, way cheaper than a coin and the squirrels love me ;-)

Extra bonus - cheerios are the perfect height for teeing up irons and hybrids.

If I can practice off of grass I don't bother with the cheerios, I almost always take a divot after the ball but I'm a little leery of mats as they can really screw up your swing if your not aware of any potentially fat shots.