Golf Fundamentals: How To Make A Solid Contact
A large percentage of golf errors can be traced back to not making contact on the right spot of the ball. The ever-coveted ‘sweet spot’ is where we want every shot to land, but this is not always the case. There’s a bit of a science to this skill which will be explained further below. Once you gain a better understanding, your game is sure to improve immensely.
Understanding the low point of your clubface
In order to make solid contact with the ball, you need to have the clubface connect at the correct low point. There are three aspects to consider when attempting this:
- Ball position: Where the ball lies in relation to your feet will effect where and when your clubface reaches its low point. On most shots your ball should be in the exact centre of your feet.
- The sweet spot: The sweet spot of the ball is slightly below the centre (height wise) and in the middle (width wise). This is the spot you should be aiming for when you attempt to connect.
- Using the weight of your club: The natural weight from your club should also help your club to reach its low point. This means that you must NEVER lift or bend your knees any further than their original stance at address. Your club will naturally weigh your stroke down at the right time.
The spring effect
The secret to making solid contact is by learning to generate a spring effect in your swing. If you’ve had golfing lessons, you may have heard about this. Using your body as a spring is way better than simply trying to hit the ball as hard as you can. In golf, your aim, distance, and height will turn out better if you engage your entire body into creating a steady, methodical swing that gives your ball a good bounce-off from the clubface.
Clubface angle
You can’t disregard the angle of your clubface either. How you open or close your clubface will determine whether the contact you make delivers the result it’s meant to. A closed clubface will often result in a thin shot, while a clubface that is too open will likely compromise your aim and/or distance. Hitting the sweet spot of your ball will only deliver the correct result if your clubface is angled right, If you have trouble getting this right, consider marking your clubs on the top of the shaft to remind you of where the centre should be.