Toe Hits

[snell]

Evening all,

For the past few months I've been struggling massively with hitting the ball out of the toe of the club, up to the point where I'm nearly missing the ball.

I found a little tip online from a coach who's name a cant remember, but it was to look a few cm's to the right of the ball when hitting it....and in the main it works, but I don't really want to get in the habit of not looking at the ball when hitting it.

So do any of the experts out there have any tips......?

 

[the_coach]

what's the normal shot shape pattern prior to the toe strikes - left to right?

 

[snell]

Ive been hitting the ball more right to left at the moment.

But these toe strikes are squirting straight right, almost like a weak push....and at its worst it seems to come off like a shank

 

[the_coach]

Ive been hitting the ball more right to left at the moment.

But these toe strikes are squirting straight right, almost like a weak push....and at its worst it seems to come off like a shank

first off would check not reaching for the ball at set-up.

there's a bunch of ways folks can end up hitting toe strikes am presuming here you speaking mostly about iron strikes, strikes from the ground

- if - you for sure are normally hitting shots right to left so draws, hooks, or pushes when you strike the ball nearer center

this usually means the club shaft is being delivered more upright into impact so the heel is raised the toe is down - really the only part of the club face available to come into contact with the ball you can then get weaker shots going out rightfield

could be a bunch of reasons as to why this is happening

often times if a bunch of pretty sharp transition motion forces the weight to toes and the posture to straighten up some coming into impact, the upper body lifts up some spine gets more vertical which raises the arms hands and handle leading to the upright shaft so the clubhead gets both a little bit drawn in and up, heel up toe down, toe the only part of the club face near the ground that could make contact with the ball

this would only be true -if- the shot descriptions you describe is the case

if this was the issue then would need to pay real good attention to weight staying more centered through the feet and retaining the posture through the downswing so the shaft feels pretty close to the angle it was at a good set-up as it returns to impact

try working on balance and posture keeping pretty steady vertical height feeling the shaft returns more to the angle it was at address - just start making some swings at 50% swing speed so you more can control these things so the strike moves to center again
if you have an alignment stick put it under the center of your feet to help feel the weight and balance staying centered not moving off of the stick on to the toes as you make these 50% swings

start making better contact so 10 decent strikes at 50% up the speed to 60% repeat this til you can find center 10 times at 80% if swinging with more effort puts you back on the toes coming up out of posture and getting toe strikes go back to the last successful % and repeat until you can get back to 80% with center strikes

 

[snell]

first off would check not reaching for the ball at set-up.

there's a bunch of ways folks can end up hitting toe strikes am presuming here you speaking mostly about iron strikes, strikes from the ground

- if - you for sure are normally hitting shots right to left so draws, hooks, or pushes when you strike the ball nearer center

this usually means the club shaft is being delivered more upright into impact so the heel is raised the toe is down - really the only part of the club face available to come into contact with the ball you can then get weaker shots going out rightfield

could be a bunch of reasons as to why this is happening

often times if a bunch of pretty sharp transition motion forces the weight to toes and the posture to straighten up some coming into impact, the upper body lifts up some spine gets more vertical which raises the arms hands and handle leading to the upright shaft so the clubhead gets both a little bit drawn in and up, heel up toe down, toe the only part of the club face near the ground that could make contact with the ball

this would only be true -if- the shot descriptions you describe is the case

if this was the issue then would need to pay real good attention to weight staying more centered through the feet and retaining the posture through the downswing so the shaft feels pretty close to the angle it was at a good set-up as it returns to impact

try working on balance and posture keeping pretty steady vertical height feeling the shaft returns more to the angle it was at address - just start making some swings at 50% swing speed so you more can control these things so the strike moves to center again
if you have an alignment stick put it under the center of your feet to help feel the weight and balance staying centered not moving off of the stick on to the toes as you make these 50% swings

start making better contact so 10 decent strikes at 50% up the speed to 60% repeat this til you can find center 10 times at 80% if swinging with more effort puts you back on the toes coming up out of posture and getting toe strikes go back to the last successful % and repeat until you can get back to 80% with center strikes

Well Coach I have to say you are a genius. Worked on what you said at the range today, and I don't think I've ever had a more proactive range session. Hit 100 of the best shots I've ever hit! Hitting my mid and long irons really crisp and out of the middle. Also blazing my hybrids high and long with a lovely flight. And my driver....I was smashing the thing miles past my usual standards....and to think I was just about to part company with it as I couldn't get it much past 200 yards!