Luke is an avid weekend-warrior golfer from the East Coast who plays golf more than he cares to admit.
Eventually, anyone serious about golf needs to learn how to hit down on a golf ball. What is essential is learning how to do the technique properly, so your play rises above amateur status. It is a challenging skill but no one that is impossible to perfect.
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It might be easier than you think to learn to hit down on the ball. We will cover some information on the topic and how you can master the technique with some practice.
What Is Hitting Down On The Ball?
To better understand hitting down, picture an arc when you take your swing. The lowest point of the arch is called the “low point.” Once you pass the low point, the clubface moves up again. Just before the low point is where you want to strike the ball by hitting down.
Hitting down on the ball is often thought to be essential to better iron shots. Sometimes you just need to make an adjustment to move the low part of the swing forward to hit down. Whether you’re trying to fade around a dogleg or hit it straight, you need to hit down on the ball.
The face of the iron contacts the ball just before it reaches the bottom of the arc of your swing. Visualizing it in your mind can help you when you are ready to try the shot for yourself.
If you are still having difficulty swinging, a few adjustments or a subtle change to your setup can help.
How To Hit Down On A Golf Ball
Hitting down on the golf ball has less to do with timing and more to do with the swing. The goal is to position the low point of the swing just in front of the ball. There are a few suggestions that might assist with hitting down.
1. Handle Position
If you can position the handle just ahead of the clubhead, it will help move the low point forward. You want the clubhead to lift the ball in the desired direction in front of the ball. It will also help you to hit the ball at impact before you reach the low point.
2. Ball Position
It’s best that the ball is in the center of your stance and not too far forward. Center placement makes it easier for you to make contact with the ball in the right place.
3. Transition
It may be helpful to pull the club with the lead hand when you take the golf swing. Leading with your front hand or arm moves the low point forward.
4. Establish a Pre-shot Routine
When warming up, take a few practice swings but with your lead hand only. Allow it to have total control of the golf club. This will likely adapt, so you allow the lead hand to have more control when you take your golf shot.
Check your standing position and make sure it faces the target. Take some practice swings to make sure that it is falling at the bottom point of the ball. The club should come into contact with the ground after it crosses the ball.
After you have taken a few practice swings, stand on the front side of the ball and get into position. Move the iron back as you take the swing with a balanced stance.
5. Do Not Lift the Ball
You may want to hit the ball up, but this is not what you want to do with this technique. The club is designed so it will move the ball up when it contacts the ball. The iron isn’t designed to get under the ball to lift it. The angle is designed to strike the ball as it is descending.
When Do You Hit Down on the Golf Ball?
Hitting down on the ball is important for pure iron shots. You need to hit down to make the ball go up. The iron club is designed with a backward angle. This design helps to hit shots, including hitting down.
Golfers need to understand hitting down on the ball is enough in itself to make the ball go up. It isn’t necessary to add additional force. You can hit down on a ball whether you intend it to go straight or want it to curve high.
You hit down on a golf club when you want to move the ball forward. Though it seems counterintuitive, it does move the ball up, though the term is “hitting down on the ball.”
When Do You Not Hit Down On The Golf Ball?
There may be times when you want to use a different shot during your golf game. It wouldn’t be a game if you used the same shot every time!
Another option when you use a club is to choke down on the swing. With this method, you may take the shot lower, and the ball may fly lower. Many golfers choose this shot due to its accuracy.
Where Can I Find More Information To Improve My Golf Game?
Hopefully, we have provided some helpful tips on how to hit down on a golf ball. Now it’s time for you to get out on the course and practice the method for yourself!
If you want more information on golf, then visit our website and read our blog for all things golf. Our Golf Clubs is proud to be your source of information for all on the sport, including tips and reviews. We hope you will join our community.
