Tips for hitting the ball cleanly

[TheCaddie]

Played yesterday in really bad rain for the full 18 and came away with an absolutely awful score. Really struggled to hit the ball cleanly.... any tips for hitting the ball first in wet weather?

Feel like i've gone back about 5 steps since the summer!!

 

[Capella]

There are two videos by Rick Shiels that really helped me a lot with that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1CGjXw_tSc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29sG1TsVAFI

 

[patricks148]

Played yesterday in really bad rain for the full 18 and came away with an absolutely awful score. Really struggled to hit the ball cleanly.... any tips for hitting the ball first in wet weather?

Feel like i've gone back about 5 steps since the summer!!

go down the beach and hit off the sand, practice not leaving a mark.

 

[Craigg]

go down the beach and hit off the sand, practice not leaving a mark.

Not a golf coach by any stretch of the imagination, but surely that advice is flawed. What happened to a downward strike with an iron?

 

[patricks148]

Not a golf coach by any stretch of the imagination, but surely that advice is flawed. What happened to a downward strike with an iron?

If you are trying to pick it clean, you won't leave a mark or at least i don't when i try this... well not much of a mark anyway. you will know if you have hit its slightly fat anyway

 

[Craigg]

If you are trying to pick it clean, you won't leave a mark or at least i don't when i try this... well not much of a mark anyway. you will know if you have hit its slightly fat anyway

Appreciate that but surely picking it clean is not the ideal strike with an iron. It doesn't matter if you take a 12 ft divot as long as you get ball first/compress. I stand to be corrected of course.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Appreciate that but surely picking it clean is not the ideal strike with an iron. It doesn't matter if you take a 12 ft divot as long as you get ball first/compress. I stand to be corrected of course.

I agree. As long as you are compressing down and striking first with the divot coming after where the ball was you should be fine, even in wet winter conditions

 

[One Planer]

Sergio Garcia takes a bigger divot with his fairways than I do with my irons

 

[bobmac]

Place a second ball 10-12in behind the target ball. Then try and hit the target ball without hitting the second ball.
If you're not confident, use a small headcover instead of the second ball.
Here's the old guy again

[video=youtube;bJ2oBmW37eY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJ2oBmW37eY&index=11&list=PL7Uf2W3sfvqYBJ3 OUldKvQT7ZWYEmPOyW[/video]

 

[Father_Ted]

Place a second ball 10-12in behind the target ball. Then try and hit the target ball without hitting the second ball.
If you're not confident, use a small headcover instead of the second ball.

i was shown that drill some time ago and have used it to good effect since

 

[TheCaddie]

There are two videos by Rick Shiels that really helped me a lot with that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1CGjXw_tSc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29sG1TsVAFI

Big thanks for these links. 2nd one in particular worked wonders for me today, and I really enjoyed my round!!

 

[Hobbit]

Wipe the clubface before you hit the ball................. i'll get my coat

 

[TheCaddie]

Again, another round, and back to breaking a 100 on the new club I'm at. So very pleased!

One question is does this tip apply for the Driver? I found I was skying my drives today and it probably cost me 4 or 5 shots today.

Any advice on this?

 

[Craigg]

Wipe the clubface before you hit the ball................. i'll get my coat

:rofl:

 

[woody69]

Again, another round, and back to breaking a 100 on the new club I'm at. So very pleased!

One question is does this tip apply for the Driver? I found I was skying my drives today and it probably cost me 4 or 5 shots today.

Any advice on this?

Skying the driver is nearly always caused by getting your weight too far forward (i.e. onto the left leg for a r/h golfer) and your hands in front of the ball at impact.

 

[user202001]

Skying the driver is nearly always caused by getting your weight too far forward (i.e. onto the left leg for a r/h golfer) and your hands in front of the ball at impact.

Agreed.
Skying the driver is normally from hitting down.
Would be better to sweep more upwards with the Driver. Ball more in line with front shoulder (left shoulder for a right handed player), and on a high tee peg.
Place a second ball approx 8-12 inches in front of your ball, try to sweep up and over the second ball.

 

[TheCaddie]

Skying the driver is nearly always caused by getting your weight too far forward (i.e. onto the left leg for a r/h golfer) and your hands in front of the ball at impact.

Aaah, interesting, so my Driver swing should be completely different from the iron ones as per the vid?

 

[Craigg]

Aaah, interesting, so my Driver swing should be completely different from the iron ones as per the vid?

Yes. Think of your irons as a downward strike, and your driver as an upward sweep.

 

[Capella]

Rick has nice videos on driver swings as well. Have a look at this one, for example, it sums the most important points up quite nicely:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSmEgRw0Hf0&list=PLKnkfgDBi62lhlp3Bxaszt1V7KIoOfDuo&index=5

 

[JustOne]

I would say that the ideal feel is not to hit down on the ball, or up, but simply feel like you are going to hit the ball no more than 1 inch off the ground (and let the loft do the rest).