While there are lots of factors in seeing more success on the golf course, one of the simplest ways to lowering your scores (and having more fun) is by properly striking your ball. When you know how to make solid contact with the golf ball, you’ll get the most out of each club, bombing more drives with better accuracy, and having approach shots come off the club cleaner.
Struggling to make solid contact with your irons? Try this
Most amateur golfers struggle with consistently making solid contact with the golf ball, often falling into bad habits like lifting their heads, over-swinging, or failing to rotate their hips, among other issues. And regardless of a player’s skill level, a chunked shot is always in the back of their mind.
But there are ways to improve your ball-striking ability, and GOLF Top 100 Teacher Mark Durland recently posted a video on YouTube of an easy practice drill that will help.
How to make solid contact with the golf ball
Durland says that he regularly sees major swing faults on his lesson tee, with many of his students either casting from the top or improperly transferring their weight. In the video above, he discusses how using a simple alignment stick through a specific protocol can help a student with proper weight transfer, eliminating a cast, forward shaft lean, low-point control, proper sequencing and getting more open at impact.
By applying these tips, players will begin to make solid contact with the golf ball, hitting cleaner shots and lowering their scores.
1. Focus on proper setup
With a mid-iron, place an alignment stick between your feet and the clubhead, with the alignment stick relative to the target. Starting very slowly, and being mindful of not hitting the alignment stick, make divots as far in front of the alignment stick as possible.
2. Experiment with different body motions
Put a ball eight-to-ten inches in front of the alignment stick, with the goal of making contact with the ball without hitting the alignment stick. What the golf ball does is irrelevant. It’s understanding and internalizing the different body motions that allows the club to contact the golf ball.
3. Utilize your practice swings
Address the golf ball as though you’re making a standard golf swing. Take practice swings with the divot as far in front of the golf ball as possible.
4. Execute with consistency
Strike the golf ball with the same swing feeling as the previous practice swings. A word of caution: There are many times (in the video) where the alignment stick ends up 30-to-40 yards down the range. That’s OK. It’s important to remember to start slow, eventually enjoying more solid contact with the golf ball.