Where to focus on the ball

[Grogger]

Been hitting a lot of fat shots lately so did some research online and it seems some people who've been suffering from this have said to look an inch or so in front of the ball instead of looking directly at it during the down swing.

Has anyone on here used this method before and does it work or not?

 

[guest100718]

no, but get your weight moving left and you wont hit it fat either.

 

[Snelly]

Been hitting a lot of fat shots lately so did some research online and it seems some people who've been suffering from this have said to look an inch or so in front of the ball instead of looking directly at it during the down swing.

Has anyone on here used this method before and does it work or not?

This sounds crackers to me. Why aim at something you have no intention of hitting?

I suggest you pick a dimple on the ball and focus on it. Watch your clubface hit the ball and you won't hit fat shots.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Must try something this - with sun on my back I am too easily distracted by my own shadow as I start my take-away. It's been a problem I've had for years - and it cost me four shots over two holes yesterday. I look at the ball when addressing it but don't seem to actually focus on the ball as I start my backswing - well I'm not aware that I do - mind kind of goes blank and my head swings the club.

But if sun is on my back I sometimes follow my shadow - and that can be disasterous as a little bit of movement can initiate a s***w up as it is effectively an input to a closed loop feedback system that amplifies that movement.

 

[Foxholer]

I've used this approach - though not having a regular 'fats' problem, never in front of the ball - and it has helped several parts of my game - Driving (dimple near back), chipping (dimple/grass under ball!), putting (dimple at back).

 

[Jumboross]

This is like people who ask if you breathe in or out on the backswing. I actually started to think about that in a competition yesterday. 27 points. QED.

 

[CMAC]

focus on the ball, nothing else! .......'see' the clubface hit the ball'

 

[HomerJSimpson]

If you are hitting fat regularly get a lesson rather than quirky cures

 

[Tommo21]

Mmm……I’ll bet the biggest majority of you skim the grass time after time perfectly with your irons…………am I right, or am I right.

The problem comes when you sit a ball in it’s place, am I right. If only you could skim the grass the same way as you do with that practice swing, am I right. Then you would sweep the ball away time after time, like that practice swing, am I right.

Part two coming up for all you guys who agree with story so far.

 

[Golfmmad]

Mmm……I’ll bet the biggest majority of you skim the grass time after time perfectly with your irons…………am I right, or am I right.

The problem comes when you sit a ball in it’s place, am I right. If only you could skim the grass the same way as you do with that practice swing, am I right. Then you would sweep the ball away time after time, like that practice swing, am I right.

Part two coming up for all you guys who agree with story so far.

No,no,no,no,no. Next!

 

[Grogger]

no, but get your weight moving left and you wont hit it fat either.

Yeah I thought this may have been part of the problem. I've been trying to work on that but only problem I have is knowing when exactly to start shifting the weight to the left???

 

[Pin-seeker]

Mmm……I’ll bet the biggest majority of you skim the grass time after time perfectly with your irons…………am I right, or am I right.

The problem comes when you sit a ball in it’s place, am I right. If only you could skim the grass the same way as you do with that practice swing, am I right. Then you would sweep the ball away time after time, like that practice swing, am I right.

Part two coming up for all you guys who agree with story so far.

I'm on the edge of my seat

 

[Tommo21]

Think about it, you look down at a blade of grass and you easily skim it time after time. So, leave a little more gap between your ball and the face of your club. Look at the blade of grass directly behind the centre line of your ball…then skim the grass again like your practice swing. It works for me and I’m hitting some of the best, purest irons I’ve ever hit in 40 years. Only 3 over parr and another HC cut for me at the weekend.

Unless you have exceptional talent, if you look at the ball in general then your eye can easily wander, IMO. If you look at a very small area then you concentrated much more.

You know you can skim the grass with ease, so do the same with the ball. After all it’s the back of the ball that you are hitting and skimming the grass is what you want the club to do.

It’s a little strange at first, but don’t knock it…try it. Give it a little time and if it doesn’t work then fine.

 

[SocketRocket]

I think its best to look at the back of the ball. If you do this you will keep your head behind the ball which helps to make good impact.

 

[Pin-seeker]

Think about it, you look down at a blade of grass and you easily skim it time after time. So, leave a little more gap between your ball and the face of your club. Look at the blade of grass directly behind the centre line of your ball…then skim the grass again like your practice swing. It works for me and I’m hitting some of the best, purest irons I’ve ever hit in 40 years. Only 3 over parr and another HC cut for me at the weekend.

Unless you have exceptional talent, if you look at the ball in general then your eye can easily wander, IMO. If you look at a very small area then you concentrated much more.

You know you can skim the grass with ease, so do the same with the ball. After all it’s the back of the ball that you are hitting and skimming the grass is what you want the club to do.

It’s a little strange at first, but don’t knock it…try it. Give it a little time and if it doesn’t work then fine.

Maybe you bigged it up a bit too much with Part 1

 

[Tommo21]

Maybe you bigged it up a bit too much with Part 1

Only Hogan had the magic wand. Maybe you expected too much....

 

[Pin-seeker]

Only Hogan had the magic wand. Maybe you expected too much....

Looks like you were right :clap:

 

[Dave B]

Tommo

It helps if you just imagine the ball is there and then you can pretend you've flushed it as you set off on your 180 yd 7 iron walk.

Placing the ball on the ground makes all the difference as it raises the animal instinct of whack it, unlike the practice swing where you think skim it.

You're dead right and a slower, controlled swing like the practice swing can work wonders.

I love golf, it's just a pity I'm crap at it

 

[chrisd]

You're dead right and a slower, controlled swing like the practice swing can work wonders.

Spot on Dave

Almost everyone I see off high handicap hits the ball from the top and, I believe, would benefit from taking at least one more club and hit the ball with a slower, more rhythmic swing.