hitting through the ball

[skudis]

Hi, could someone tell me what the differance is between hitting at the ball and hitting through the ball, and what advantages/disadvantages there is with either shot.

Thanks, John.

[gord962]

Re: hitting through the ball

Hitting AT the ball usually implies a swatting action, and the swing ends when the ball is struck. The followthrough is VERY abbreviated, which usually a result of decelleration before the ball is even struck. This leads to very inconsistant results in distance, trajectory and direction with an increased chance of hittin gthe ball fat or thin. There are no advantages known to man for using this technique.

Swinging through the ball is making a complete swing, striking the golf ball on the way through. Swinging through implies accelerating through the impact zone. This is what you must do to achieve consistant ball striking.

[SlicersHell]

Re: hitting through the ball

There are no advantages known to man for using this technique.

I think the TGM guys would beg to differ.

I would say you would only want to hit at the ball when you're trying to chop it out of deep rough, or have a fried egg lie in a sand trap (even then, you're hitting the sand, not the ball).

Other than that, a swing thought that helps a lot of people is to let the ball get in the way of your swing...or swing through it.

[gord962]

Re: hitting through the ball

You still have to accelerate through - ESPECIALLY on those shots. If you decelerate on the shot types you mentioned, the ball will travel all of 2 feet, if you can get it to go that far.

[SlicersHell]

Re: hitting through the ball

Don't some shot require a chopping axe action where you can't accelerate through, but rather, at?

Like a bunker shot with the ball buried on an incline?

[LowPost42]

Re: hitting through the ball

Yes, Slicer, but you still don't decelerate into those shots - you still chop (full acceleration) until the ground (or whatever) stops you.

[gord962]

Re: hitting through the ball

exactly - you have to still strike THROUGH the ball - even though you will bury the club in the ground or sand, or whatever it may be, you have to accelerate THROUGH the ball.

[SlicersHell]

Re: hitting through the ball

True...in order to truly hit at the ball, you'd have to decelerate, which you never want to do.