Two Non-Negotiable Elements to Great Ball-Striking

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Almost every golf school I teach, kicks off with a discussion about these two, all important elements: forward shaft lean and a downward attack angle. For all shots played off the ground, that would be chips, pitches, iron shots, hybrids and fairway woods, these two elements are integral to your ball-striking success. They literally make striking the ball well, easier! Watch this…

As you can now see if you’re not leaning the shaft it isn’t possible to hit the ball out the center of the face. Leaning the shaft and delivering the clubhead in a slightly descending fashion gives us the best opportunity to compress the ball and deliver maximum energy transfer.

Key #1

Forward shaft lean at impact gives us:

  • a delofted club face, thus improving ball speed and distance.

  • a sweet spot that can now collide with the golf ball.

  • increased ability to hit down on the ball, thus improving strike quality.

  • an energetic and penetrating ball flight that sizzles off the clubface

I’m sure you’re wondering what you can do to start leaning the shaft more effectively for shots played off the ground. Keep in mind that an open face on the way down will corrupt any ability a player might have of leaning the shaft effectively. Try these ideas:

  • at address, feel that your hands are slightly ahead of the ball and that your weight gently favors the front foot.

  • make sure your club face is in a neutral to strong position on the way down and into impact. Tip it down!

  • practice hitting low, knockdown style shots on a regular basis. Punch the ball.

Key #2

Hitting down on the ball enables:

  • cleaner contact without the ground getting in the way.

  • improved face to ball interaction, leading to increased friction and higher spin.

  • upgraded confidence due to the higher frequency of quality strikes

What can you practice to start doing a better job with a descending attack angle for shots played off the ground? Keep in mind that much like I pointed out above, an open face is going to compromise your ability to both lean the shaft and hit down, so make sure that face is in place on the way down. Try this one:

  • fold up a towel and lay it on the ground one grip length behind the ball. This exercise will ensure that you can only access the ball with a slightly downward attack.

  • this drill also serves as a feedback tool in case you were wondering if you were hitting down or not.

Give these ideas a try to improve the quality of strike, ball flight, distance, feel and outcome of your shots off the ground. I sincerely hope it helps!