Centreness of Strike

[evemccc]

So I’ve been reading and watching a lot of golf tuition websites and YouTube channels during this winter and this has come up as the most important thing with the driver (probably most clubs). Most slices occur through heel strikes and the subsequent gear effect etc. (Assuming the club path and face to path aren’t too extreme)

How can you improve this centreness of strike, and how do you know where you strike it?
I don’t have a trackman or GC quad...Do people really use A-foot spray on the club head?

What can you do in the range to practice and improve this?

Cheers
P.S
If I’m wrong then please correct me on this.
I’m fairly new to golf and trying to learn as much as I can during lockdown - so as I know what to focus on when we get allowed outside to play golf again

 

[Crow]

Most slices occur through out to in swing paths with club faces open to the swing path.

To find where on the face you're striking the ball you can use:

• Made-for-purpose stickers to stick on the face that show where the ball contacted.
• Foot-spray on the club face (make sure it's a powder type)
• Draw a dot on the ball with a felt tip marker and position the dot so it leaves a mark on the club face when you hit the ball.

 

[evemccc]

Most slices occur through out to in swing paths with club faces open to the swing path.

To find where on the face you're striking the ball you can use:

• Made-for-purpose stickers to stick on the face that show where the ball contacted.
• Foot-spray on the club face (make sure it's a powder type)
• Draw a dot on the ball with a felt tip marker and position the dot so it leaves a mark on the club face when you hit the ball.

Thanks Crow person
I’ll get some foot-spray as soon as the courses and ranges open up

Will work on a slight in to out path and a v slightly closed face also

 

[Maninblack4612]

Dampen the clubface (I'll leave it to you as to how you do this). You can clearly see where the impact has occurred.

Most slices occur through out to in swing paths with club faces open to the swing path.

To find where on the face you're striking the ball you can use:

• Made-for-purpose stickers to stick on the face that show where the ball contacted.
• Foot-spray on the club face (make sure it's a powder type)
• Draw a dot on the ball with a felt tip marker and position the dot so it leaves a mark on the club face when you hit the ball.

Usually, but not necessarily. In order to slice all that needs to happen is for the club face to be open in relation to the swing path. If the swing path is in to out, you'll get a push / slice. If it's out to in it'll be a pull slice or one which starts straight & slices, just depends where the club face is in relation to the target line. And the gear effect doesn't cause the slice, it compensates for it by sending the ball left of target to compensate.

This explains it nicely. https://golftec-wordpress.s3.amazon...016/08/Ball-flight-laws-shot-result-chart.jpg

 

[Dibby]

Most slices occur through out to in swing paths with club faces open to the swing path.

To find where on the face you're striking the ball you can use:

• Made-for-purpose stickers to stick on the face that show where the ball contacted.
• Foot-spray on the club face (make sure it's a powder type)
• Draw a dot on the ball with a felt tip marker and position the dot so it leaves a mark on the club face when you hit the ball.

Bonus method - use an inkpad (like those for stamping) and press the ball into it, then place it so the mark is facing the clubface.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I once had a lesson with a pro who used a lipstick to show the strikes. Cheapest one available, easy to get hold of, very effective.

 

[Crow]

I once had a lesson with a pro who used a lipstick to show the strikes. Cheapest one available, easy to get hold of, very effective.

You don't need to buy a lipstick, there are plenty on the greens apparently.

 

[jim8flog]

You are right about where on the club face you strike the ball is a good guide the path of the club face. When I used to hit a very consistent fade my driver ended up with the face very worn just left of centre a few years back I decide to switch to a draw and the marks are now right of centre.

Cheap method is talcum powder either on the club face or on the ball.

 

[evemccc]

You are right about where on the club face you strike the ball is a good guide the path of the club face. When I used to hit a very consistent fade my driver ended up with the face very worn just left of centre a few years back I decide to switch to a draw and the marks are now right of centre.

Cheap method is talcum powder either on the club face or on the ball.

If standing nearer / further away from the ball doesn’t affect where on the driver we hit the ball, how can we affect this...I mean, what part of the swing impacts where we hit the ball on the face?
Maybe that’s too hard to answer, and you just need to practice and first of all you need to be aware of where you’re hitting it

Are there any drills or ways to practice centreness of strike specifically?

I have heard, though may be wrong, that even pros or scratch golfers don’t have full control of where on the club face the ball is hit —-in that there is some variance (though obvs nothing like as varied as mine)

 

[Deleted member 3432]

If standing nearer / further away from the ball doesn’t affect where on the driver we hit the ball, how can we affect this...I mean, what part of the swing impacts where we hit the ball on the face?
Maybe that’s too hard to answer, and you just need to practice and first of all you need to be aware of where you’re hitting it

Are there any drills or ways to practice centreness of strike specifically?

I have heard, though may be wrong, that even pros or scratch golfers don’t have full control of where on the club face the ball is hit —-in that there is some variance (though obvs nothing like as varied as mine)

Best way to improve strike is to use a shorter driver shaft, most of us use drivers than are too long.

 

[evemccc]

This is 100% my plan as soon as lockdown ends! Get my own driver shortened.

Incidentally, I’m hopeful to go for a driver fitting also. Do decent independent fitters have the ability to give a variety of lengths of shaft, when doing a custom fit?

 

[Deleted member 3432]

This is 100% my plan as soon as lockdown ends! Get my own driver shortened.

Incidentally, I’m hopeful to go for a driver fitting also. Do decent independent fitters have the ability to give a variety of lengths of shaft, when doing a custom fit?

A good one should, depends how many demo shafts they have I guess. Last fitting I had Callaway was the only one that had a shorter than -1/2 inch option, can't remember if it was -3/4 or -1 inch. Fitter added additional weight in head to compensate. Improved strike and raised ball speed quite a bit.

 

[Imurg]

You're looking for shortcuts to the Holy grail of golf, and they don't exist.

Hitting the ball out the middle with the face and the path aiming exactly where you want every time is what every single golfer wants.

Best tip, start playing at about aged 10, get loads of coaching and practice, practice, practice and then keep practicing. Oh and hope for a whole load of inbuilt natural talent too...?

So, back in the real world ?, coaching, loads of practice and dedication, and even then you'll be limited by your own ability or lack of. Some people are naturally gifted, most of us less so.

You can watch YouTube til the cows come home, but without the hours and hours of practice, you won't improve.

Sadly, for most of us, this is it.....
I wish I'd started playing as a kid and not waited until I was 30...I could have been a Contender

 

[jim8flog]

This is 100% my plan as soon as lockdown ends! Get my own driver shortened.

Incidentally, I’m hopeful to go for a driver fitting also. Do decent independent fitters have the ability to give a variety of lengths of shaft, when doing a custom fit?

If you want to play a shorter driver shaft hold it lower down the grip.

Middle of the bat strikes just comes down to practice really. With modern drivers you do not have to worry too much as they have big sweet spots. These days I probably middle it about once in every ten shots but I do not practice anymore.

 

[Foxholer]

So I’ve been reading and watching a lot of golf tuition websites and YouTube channels during this winter and this has come up as the most important thing with the driver (probably most clubs). Most slices occur through heel strikes and the subsequent gear effect etc. (Assuming the club path and face to path aren’t too extreme)

How can you improve this centreness of strike, and how do you know where you strike it?
I don’t have a trackman or GC quad...Do people really use A-foot spray on the club head?

What can you do in the range to practice and improve this?

Cheers
P.S
If I’m wrong then please correct me on this.
I’m fairly new to golf and trying to learn as much as I can during lockdown - so as I know what to focus on when we get allowed outside to play golf again

Just listen and feel!
Your ears and hands will tell you how well (and where) on the club-facre you've struck the ball. But, as others have posted, a slice or hook is not somply about where the connection ith the face is - it's also about the direction of the strike and the angle of the face.
The analogy/clarification I use is tennis - where both action and effects are more apparent! Just slice/topspin groundstrokes (especially cross-court) and serves!

 

[Wellout]

I'd try to establish if it's the archer or the arrow causing the slice. If its the arrow then no amount of lessons will eradicate the underlying cause. Could be a swing fault being caused by a club that it too heavy in total weight, shaft weight or swing weight. Have the performance of this problem club or clubs assessed by a specialist fitter.

 

[evemccc]

I'd try to establish if it's the archer or the arrow causing the slice. If its the arrow then no amount of lessons will eradicate the underlying cause. Could be a swing fault being caused by a club that it too heavy in total weight, shaft weight or swing weight. Have the performance of this problem club or clubs assessed by a specialist fitter.

Thanks I will do as soon as things open up again.

Sorry to be dim...archer or arrow, is that golfer or club?

 

[Wellout]

Thanks I will do as soon as things open up again.

Sorry to be dim...archer or arrow, is that golfer or club?

Sorry, yes. Golfer or the club. It’s very common for somebody to blame themselves and their ability when actually a poor strike or a particular miss hit can be attributed to the set up of a particular club.

 

[USER1999]

It is way more common to be a swing fault than one ascribed to equipment.