Have you ever stepped on the tee of your favorite par 3 with confidence and a perfect visualization of the shot you want to play only to hit your common miss, a chunk, and come up 30 yards short? Maybe you’ve had a shot from the middle of the fairway and missed the green on your approach because you forgot to shift your weight forward, pushing the ball short and right as you hit it heavy? Well don’t worry, you are not alone. More solid and consistent contact with approach shots and par 3 tee shots is a common goal for many amateur golfers.
Previously, we looked at the Business Card Drill to give you both visual and audio cues for achieving that consistent “ball first” contact. Today we are taking a different approach with the Ball Forward Drill. This drill is designed to help you achieve two consistent actions in your golf swing:
- Enhance your ability to shift your weight forward, or toward the target, in the downswing
- Create a more downward strike of the club onto the ball for shots played off the ground
The goal of the Ball Forward Drill is to create more solid contact and compression of the ball which will allow a player to gain distance and learn to create and control spin. Enjoy the video of the drill below:
To execute the drill, as illustrated in the video, use an alignment stick or extra golf club and place it alongside your lead foot, perpendicular to the target line. Place the golf ball even with the stick on the target line and take your stance with feet shoulder width apart and standing your normal distance from the ball for the respective club you use.
I recommend a higher lofted club, such as a 9 iron, when executing this drill. Once setup, make a swing length no more than 60% and strike the ball as low as possible down your intended target line. If executed properly, the ball will come off the face of the club very “hot” with little effort. You know you have done the drill properly the shot FEELS very solid and flies relatively low and straight.
Before you know it, you will get used to and enjoy the feel of compressing the ball between the club face and turf – an unmistakable feeling.
If you have any questions regarding the Ball Forward Drill or need help with your golf game, talk to a GolfTEC Certified Personal Coach today!
There is no doubt that this drill will, by exaggeration, get the player used to shifting their weight forward and striking the ball with the hands forward – but please do not promulgate the myth of “compressing the ball between the club face and turf”. This doesn’t happen, as can be seen in high-speed video of the moment of impact between a golf club – of any loft – and a golf ball.
So after practicing this drill, is this the proper alignment I will be using on out?
I don’t think so — it’s an exaggeration, as Gary says above.