Not hitting divot after the ball. Mental problem. How solve it ?

[yanni]

I have problem hitting a divot behind the ball when actually swinging at the the ball. It has much gotten much better but I still happens from time to time so I am hitting the ball fat. I am doing a practise swing where I hit a divot (on practise green) around 10-20cm after the ball. Everything works great without the ball. As soon as I step up to the the ball my mind seems to change. What really helps is to keep concentrating holding the lag angle in my arms. I am trying focus on a point behind the ball in the grass but this seems incredible difficult for me. My subconscious still focusses on the ball. As soon as I don't focus on the ball the contact gets much better. But this does not always work and seems to be very hard for me. Any tipps how to solve this problem ?

 

[Hacker James]

try focusing on a spot 4 inches or so towards the target (in front of the ball); set up at address with your club head 4 inches behind the ball (or hover). This allows a split second more time to square the club through impact.  You may find you have no trouble actually hitting the ball even though you are trying to hit the mark in front. In practice, I often use a penny or small washer, but a piece of  broken tee will work just as well.  This way you are coming in shallow, but still with enough descent to strike the ball and then the penny.

[Vinsk]

39 minutes ago, yanni said:

I have problem hitting a divot behind the ball when actually swinging at the the ball. It has much gotten much better but I still happens from time to time so I am hitting the ball fat. I am doing a practise swing where I hit a divot (on practise green) around 10-20cm after the ball. Everything works great without the ball. As soon as I step up to the the ball my mind seems to change. What really helps is to keep concentrating holding the lag angle in my arms. I am trying focus on a point behind the ball in the grass but this seems incredible difficult for me. My subconscious still focusses on the ball. As soon as I don't focus on the ball the contact gets much better. But this does not always work and seems to be very hard for me. Any tipps how to solve this problem ?

 

The mental part can be very difficult as far as 'tips' to help you. But similar to what @Hacker James said I used to place a towel about 6" behind the ball and hit my entire bucket with the towel there. No harm to the club from hitting the towel. I would then hit balls without the towel but keep the image in my head that it's there. 

[Hacker James]

35 minutes ago, Vinsk said:

The mental part can be very difficult as far as 'tips' to help you. But similar to what @Hacker James said I used to place a towel about 6" behind the ball and hit my entire bucket with the towel there. No harm to the club from hitting the towel. I would then hit balls without the towel but keep the image in my head that it's there. 

 a little OT, those "towels" have lots of good uses. Martin Chuck has a drill where he spreads a towel in front of his stance to help an inside to outside to inside swing, barely nicking the towel on the follow through. I tuck one under my arms if I wish to work on a "connected" swing.

[allenc]

If it makes you feel better, a million mediocre golfers have exactly the same problem.  And that's a low estimate.

[Hacker James]

2 minutes ago, allenc said:

If it makes you feel better, a million mediocre golfers have exactly the same problem.  And that's a low estimate.

`and some not so mediocre. They just do not have to work on it as much. (temporary amnesia effect)

Edited September 23, 2017 by Hacker James

[iacas]

It's probably not really a mental issue. It's probably still a mechanical one, because if you do take a divot, your body feels it's likely to be fat. So your body pulls up because thin shots go better/further than fat ones.

[Buckeyebowman]

5 hours ago, iacas said:

It's probably not really a mental issue. It's probably still a mechanical one, because if you do take a divot, your body feels it's likely to be fat. So your body pulls up because thin shots go better/further than fat ones.

Yup! I forget where I read it, but a tour pro, when asked if he'd rather hit it thin or fat, said thin every time! At least thins go somewhere, fats just die!

[Lihu]

11 hours ago, allenc said:

If it makes you feel better, a million mediocre golfers have exactly the same problem.  And that's a low estimate.

Very low. . .

[Marty2019]

16 hours ago, yanni said:

I have problem hitting a divot behind the ball when actually swinging at the the ball. It has much gotten much better but I still happens from time to time so I am hitting the ball fat. I am doing a practise swing where I hit a divot (on practise green) around 10-20cm after the ball. Everything works great without the ball. As soon as I step up to the the ball my mind seems to change. What really helps is to keep concentrating holding the lag angle in my arms. I am trying focus on a point behind the ball in the grass but this seems incredible difficult for me. My subconscious still focusses on the ball. As soon as I don't focus on the ball the contact gets much better. But this does not always work and seems to be very hard for me. Any tipps how to solve this problem ?

 

Of course, I don't know your individual situation, but I hit the ball fat when I decelerate.  I get too intent on what is about to happen at the bottom of the down swing, and I wind up decelerating my hand swing.   I can get around it by focusing more in accelerating my hand swing and paying less attention to where the club head is.   The club will straighten itself out.  I don't need to help it by decelerating.  

Some people seem to think they need to help the club "whip" by slowing down at the bottom of the down swing.  At least, I used to think that.  

Perhaps you could try not focusing on where the club head is going to hit the ground and let your hands swing all the way around.  Focus on good body rotation, weight shift, acceleration, etc.   Don't focus on the ball or on the ground.  Focusing on a spot on the ground might be causing you to decelerate.  

I still hit fat sometimes, but so do the pros.   I saw several fat shots in the Tour Championship yesterday. 

 

 

Edited September 24, 2017 by Marty2019

[iacas]

Good example of feel not being real there @Marty2019. The hands do slow down before impact. But it can be a good feeling for them not to, definitely.

[Buckeyebowman]

Good point. I think what @Marty2019 is referring to is what some guys call "quitting on the shot". I call it not finishing the swing.

I've noticed something when I go to the golf dome in the Winter to get some practice. In that scenario I'm most concerned with making a good swing, good contact, and my line. Distance doesn't enter into the equation since the back wall of the dome is only 80-90 yards away. I make full, complete swings and strike the ball very well.

Once it's time to hit the course, distance comes into play, as well as trees, hazards, wind, and all the rest. Suddenly, I become much more results oriented than process oriented, and all kinds of weird crap starts to sneak into my swing!

Back when I could really play, all that mattered was the swing. Of course I'd pace off the yardage, but the choice of club was more dependent on how the shot "looked" or "felt" to me. Then just swing the swing, and the results were usually pretty good.

[yanni]

I agree with @Buckeyebowman. I was practising my swing on the range yesterday and was putting some business card in front of the ball. Very pure ballstriking almost no mishits, straight ballflight I swept the card away every the time. I was focusing on my swing and the card. Then we got on the court. First hole perfect ball striking I was able to focus behind the ball and on my swing.  Then second hole I made a mistake with my driver (know the reason now). But anyway my confidence was getting smaller. 200m to the hole. So I got my hybrid out "I have to hit this ball 200m very hard now". I still tried to focus behind the ball and the shot was OK. But far from perfect. From now on from hole to hole ball striking got worse. At the end I even hit in the ground in front of the ball with my sand wedge which never has happened to me before. My head was going "You have to hit this ball now!" No loose swings as on the range before. And no thinking about the loose swing going to the target. The more frustrated I got the more I focussed on the ball.

I was noticing in the end I was focussing in front of the ball and on my swing but when I made the actual downswing my eyes got back to the ball which leaded to terrible shots. I noticed the eyes really jumped. 

What this means to me. I have to practise to change my focus now every time on the range and make this a priority. I also tried widening my focus which really helped. But its a different task to this on the actual court it seems.