Solid Contact

Finding a consistent "bottom" of the swing arc is what leads a golfer to making solid contact with the ball. This "bottom" is the lowest point in the circle of the swing. I have always known this but am curious if there is a effective way to practice achieving this consistency?

If you practiced off of hard pan or sand then you would get the instant feedback whether of not the bottom of your swing way slightly ahead of the ball and therefore you contacted the ball first just ahead of the contact you made with the ground. There is also the chance of somehow making a line on the turf and lining the balls up there so you can see where the divots begin....which tells you the same thing.

My swing when timed correctly contacts the ball first but if I am slightly "off" then I do not have the consistency of a really good ball striker. So I want to try and describe the aspects of my swing which I can pay attention to in order to improve my solid contact. There's nothing better than solid contact and also you absolutely know when the shot looks great but you could feel that your club did not contact the ball first.

I was in Tennessee this week with John and he has tried lots of different ways to help me with this issue. If you can not make solid contact you can not control the trajectory of the ball and the distance your iron shots travel.

Here are the feedback keys for me as I practice making solid contact.

1. the sound.....there is an unmistakable sound the contact makes when the ball has been struck purely.

2. the divot shape and depth.....the divots should be shallow and square and the direction should be left of the target.

3. trajectory.....the ball should be lower and fly through the air with ballooning up usually to the right.

4. distance....when practicing the ball when struck solidly will travel farther and it is helpful to pick a target where I can see the ball land and compare one shot to the next.

On day two I had lots of success with the ball throw swing but it was impossible for me to find any rhythm with this swing on day 3 on the golf course.

Starting the club back slowing without jumping back and turning my head under is where it all starts for me. At the end of the round yesterday I felt like my hands were ahead of the ball with the toe up and open....with my arms on my chest I was able to keep the club a consistent length as I turned back and thru within the confines of my feet/shoes/foundation. That is what I will practice today.