So should we hit the ground when striking a golf shot? Most people would agree that we don’t want to hit the ground before the ball. That would result in a reduced transfer of energy due to the unclean contact and loss of club head speed.
But what about sweeping the ball off the turf? Surely that’s the best option, right? Wrong! Sweeping the ball off the turf means the swing has bottomed out too early. The club will have extra loft added hitting it higher and shorter. A strike like this will also be more inclined to slice the ball as well!
So that leaves one option, striking the ball followed by hitting the turf. Why is this type of strike so important? Well firstly if we strike the ball then hit the turf it means the club is still moving downward. If the club is still moving downward you will hit the ball harder as gravity is still accelerating the golf club. A lot of people also don’t realise that a downward swing is also an outward swing, that means you will have more chance of drawing the ball!
Finally a downward moving club is normally de-lofted, so basically what I’m saying is you will turn your 7 iron into a 6 iron hitting the shot further.
So realise exactly how your looking to strike a ball, just by understanding you should be hitting down is enough to make a change and improve!
But if you want to work on hitting the ball then the turf here are some simple principles to work from.
Imagine that the golf swing is a big wheel. The hub of the wheel is your sternum, everything moves around it. The point of the wheel that comes in contact with the road is always the bit directly underneath the hub. So to hit the ground more forward, simply put your weight forward at address (say 60/40), this will move your hub forward. Secondly a wheel has spokes, the spokes of the golf swing are the arms. Bent arms will make the club hit the turf first or bottom out too early, so keep the arms straight!
With your “hub” forwards and your “spokes” straight you will hit the ground more forwards and therefore increase the chance of striking ball then turf!
Enjoy the results!
