As a 13-handicap, I’m notorious for mishitting my golf ball off the toe or heel a few times each round. Yes it’s frustrating — especially since it seems to happen within 140 yards of the green — which adds a few more strokes to each round.
Squaring the clubface at impact is always the name of the game. When done properly, the ball will be hit flush, giving it the best opportunity to travel with optimal distance and accuracy.
Unfortunately, doing this consistently is what amateurs like myself struggle with.
But GOLF Top 100 Teacher Cameron McCormick has an easy drill that can improve your ball-striking and lead to better results.
In the video below, McCormick describes the “jump the fence” golf drill, which helps players keep their clubface square upon impact. All you need is either an alignment stick or another golf club to try it, so take a look below and start testing this out for yourself.
Try this ‘jump the fence’ drill to improve your ball-striking
As McCormick shows in the video above, this “jump the fence” drill will help players who frequently hit off the toe or the heel. And because it doesn’t require much to get started, you can practice this from almost anywhere outside (even if it means using plastic golf wiffle balls).
Here’s what McCormick wants you to do to fix heel shots:
“Start with the club [that you’re holding] on the opposite side of the alignment rod. This is the ‘fence’ that I’m referring to when I’m talking about ‘jumping the fence.’
“Take your stance, start with small, slow swings [in the backswing], landing the club on the same side of the fence as you’re standing. So start on the far side of the fence, land on the close side.
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“Build swing length up. Build speed up. And then, ultimately, turn those practice swings into a live fire rep, where you’re trying to use the same sensations of bringing the club just incrementally closer to you as you’re turning it back to impact — which is bound to make far more center contact.”
For those struggling with hitting off the toe, McCormick describes a similar setup as with the heel, but emphasizes arm extension through impact with the ball.
“For toe, the setup is just the exact opposite, where we’re going to start on the same side of the ‘fence’ with our clubhead as we’re standing,” says McCormick. “Again, we’re going to go small [with practice swings], and land the club on the opposite side of the fence.
“[The toe] requires a little bit more of an arm extension that moves the handle, and, therefore, the clubhead further away from us.”
By trying this easy drill, you should experience better contact and improved results. So give it a try the next time you’re at the range.
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