If you’ve ever struggled with drop-kicking — the act of hitting the ground before the ball, and then bouncing the clubface into the ball instead of striking it cleanly — you know that it’s among golf’s most frustrating maladies. But how can you fix it?
I asked instructor Stefanie Shaw, a teaching professional at Ocean Reef Golf Club in Key Largo, Fla., for her advice.
“Many players, and especially women, tend to not swing fast enough,” she said. “And if your swing is slowing down as you get close to the ball, you have a better chance of hitting the ground first.”
Luckily, there’s a solution. Ready to rid yourself of those drop-kicks? Try these two quick fixes.
Put the ball farther back in your stance
Positioning the ball farther back in your stance will reduce your chances of hitting the ground before the ball, Shaw said.
Tee the ball up higher
Teeing the ball up higher can help you force yourself to swing a bit more up on the ball, avoiding the dreaded drop-kick.
Give these simple tips a try, and bid those drop-kicks farewell for good.
