Knowing or figuring out what to fix in your ball striking is a way to improve your golf game, but putting the technique to fix the issue is where practice and skill development come into play.
Have you ever heard anyone say this phrase: “Lose a ball, take a ball. Lose two balls, take two balls. Lose three balls… go to the driving range.”
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“It amazes me how often I meet a new student who doesn’t have a clue about proper ball-ground contact,” said Rob Akins, one of GOLF’s Top 100 Teachers. “Sure, many players fight a slice or a hook, but solid contact with the ball is their biggest problem.”
To hit the ball more solidly, Akins suggests using the “forward thinking” method. Essentially, to practice “forward thinking” in your golf swing, you want to hone your focus on where your ball is sitting, then move your focus to just in front of your ball.
You can practice this method at home or on the range with the rapidly popularizing Pathfinder Impact Mat by Rukket Sports.
Your ball impact will affect your ball flight, and it’s easy to understand if you think about it from a (very simple) physics perspective. To make your ball fly straight, you have to hit the ball in the middle of the face to keep the ball from spinning to the left or right (which creates a hook or a slice).
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If you’re coming in from the inside to impact your ball, your club face is most likely wide open, causing you to hit the ball on the side of the ball facing your body. If you’re a right-hander, this means you’re making the ball spin to the right, which is what causes a slice.
By using the Pathfinder Impact Mat, you can arrange the foam pylons to help you keep your swing on the right plane. For example, if you come in from the inside, you’ll know because you will have hit one of the inside pylons.
Use all four pylons to practice hitting straighter shots or remove pylons to practice hitting draw or fade shots. Use the “velvet” turf to ensure you’re making clean contact with the ball.
