How to Make Consistent Contact with the Ball
Proper Golf Swing – Part 5
So all of the care we’ve taken over a good setup and address, taking the club back into a good position at the top of the backswing and then making a solid transition into the downswing – comes down to one focal point…
The impact position.
Everything we’ve covered with your set up and golf swing until now is designed to get you into a great impact position – as easily and as consistently as possible.
Remember, it’s what goes before impact (your setup, your backswing etc.) that determines how you reach impact and ultimately, how you strike the ball. Don’t make the mistake of trying to manufacture an impact position around poor fundamentals.
The video below covers some key checkpoints for the impact position.
However, unless you have access to a high speed camcorder, it can be difficult to know what’s actually happening during your swing at impact. So I’ve added a couple of drills and low-cost training aids that can help you with this. You’ll find links to them beneath the video:
Golf Impact Position – Video Summary
If you’ve followed the previous videos and drills in this series, the golf club should be moving along the right path into the ball and the club face should be aiming in the right direction.- The golf club should be coming down at the right height. It should not strike the top of the golf ball but rather towards its bottom. You also need to be careful that the club doesn’t strike the ground before the golf ball, which will produce a fat shot.
- The club should also be moving as fast as possible (faster than at any other point during the golf swing) to generate as much power and distance as possible.
- The majority of the body weight (~80%) should be on the left side and the right heel should have started to lift and be very light at impact.
- The hips and shoulders are in an open position at impact. The head is looking back towards the back of the golf ball.
- Hands are forward of the ball, especially with an iron. Depending on your golf ball position your hands will either be ahead or level with the golf ball at impact.
Golf Practice Drills for the Impact
To help you check and refine your own impact position, see the following 2 drills:
