staying behind the ball

[kguldi]

i have a difficult time staying behind the ball at impact. It is easy with my short irons and wedges, but as soon as i need to hit a mid iron or driver my upper body slides towards the ball. On video my head is even or even a little bit in front of the ball at impact. Could this be the reason i am lacking power on my drives? Any tips would be appreciated.

thank you

kurt

[GregJWillis]

Re: staying behind the ball

If you are slicing it, then yes, this would be a reason for a loss of distance. Do these drills to help keeping balance and correct position at impact:

http://mysite.verizon.net/gregjwillis/LESSON2.htm
http://mysite.verizon.net/gregjwillis/LESSON3.htm

[kguldi]

Re: staying behind the ball

i'm not really slicing it, it is more of a straight push or a straight shot with a 10 yard fade. And my ball flight is much lower than in the past.

[Ian Hancock]

Re: staying behind the ball

From what you are saying you are definatley a slider, your swing path is fine if you are pushing, it's the slide that makes you leave the clubface open at impact.

A good drill for sliding is to concentrate on keeping your front foot firmly planted on the ground on the back swing and try to start the followthrough with your right leg pushing the lower body through first.

hope this helps


Ian.

[gord962]

Re: staying behind the ball

A lower ball flight is also definately a symptom of a slide. If your body is moving forward it is essentially bringing the clubhead forward in your address. This effect would be similar of having your driver teed up somewhere between the middle of your stance to your back foot, depending on how much you are sliding.

Your left leg should act like a gate post (solid and stable) and the rest of your body (the gate) should rotate around your left hip. Make sure you keep your hips vertically alligned inside your knees and work on the drills Greg posted.

[dlaville]

Re: staying behind the ball

i have a difficult time staying behind the ball at impact. It is easy with my short irons and wedges, but as soon as i need to hit a mid iron or driver my upper body slides towards the ball. On video my head is even or even a little bit in front of the ball at impact. Could this be the reason i am lacking power on my drives? Any tips would be appreciated.

thank you

kurt

If your upper body is sliding it's because you have no lower body action. Our head stays steady and our feet in place. This leaves only one component available for shifting our weight, our hip motion. We shift our hips (essentially our belly button) left and right of center which shifts our mass left and right of center. This is how we shift our weight back and forth. If we omit the hip motion than we must shift to a slide or sway to get our body mass left and right of center shifting our weight.

One of the best golf aids in the world is an old golf shaft. Place one in the ground vertically against the outside of your target side foot. In the downswing bump the shaft with your hip than turn. This does two things; First it gets your hip motion working. Second, by getting your hips towards the target in tilts your spine back slightly which keeps your head back.

[kguldi]

Re: staying behind the ball

i am using my hips, but the problem is that sometimes my hips unwind and my upper body slides at the same time. i have just heard of a drill where you keep your leading heel off the ground as you swing, would this be a good drill as well?

thanks everybody

[TeachingPro]

Re: staying behind the ball

Hi.

Seems like you have a simple problem here Kurt with a simple solution.

If you're ahead of the ball at impact on your longer clubs only then you need to learn and instill a good body movement on the downswing through impact, and that all hinges on 1 little thing - your left hip. The longer the club the more you need to stay behind the ball and make a 'sweeping' impact.

I like to explain things using practical examples. Get a medium iron and stand as if you were going to address a golf ball at the end of a well-secured bench with your left (assuming you're right handed) foot an inch from the edge. Now swing! If you lose your balance, fall off the edge and break your golf club - you know you've got it wrong. If you slide left side or if you change the spine angle by moving the torso towards the target - you're a gonner.

If you swing back ... coil ... start the downswing by turning the left hip to the left-and-behind you, the body follows then the arms, all moving to impact and passed - really all following the left hip, you be able to stay on the bench.

Try it - it takes some practice and good balance but it works!

When you have it waxed, get off the bench and do the excercise at the range standing a piece of lumber (you will have to tee the ball up a bit so it is level with your feet).

When you have that waxed, swing away on the ground!

No more sliding, but turning!