Great results by pre setting impact position

[JohnP]

I have had great success recently with setting/practising the impact position as a pre shot routine before my shot. I am cracking a 6 iron about 175 -180 with this method with a lovely audible 'compression' smack coming off the clubface/ball virtually every time.

I have found that if I get into impact position i.e. hips and shoulders slightly open to the target, weight on the left side, hands pressed forward of the ball, clubface still absolutely square though - this seems to produce great results for me.

I have tried this now for the last week or so at the range and on the course and - it is still working! maybe not a road to Damascus moment but it is a move in the right direction.

Don't know why it works but it does (for me)

Give it a try, I hope it works for you too!

PS - I won't mention a certain book but it still hasn't arrived yet

[Started2k3]

Re: Great results by pre setting impact position

I have been doing that for the last two seasons and it has helped my ball striking .... but not my hcp for some reason.

[kbp]

Re: Great results by pre setting impact position

This has always been a great practice drill. As suggested, you can also play this way, when things get desperate.

If you don’t want to look quite so "unique" when you’re playing, you can just use it as a periodic set-up check. Take your address and just move into impact position. Check your balance/weight distribution and your ball position. Adjust as required and move back to address. Then take your backswing.

[ubizmo]

Re: Great results by pre setting impact position

Here's a possibly useful reference on this practice: Impact Fix and its Six Key Alignments!

[JohnP]

Re: Great results by pre setting impact position

Thanks for that link Ubizmo - that explains things a whole lot better than I did!!

[RandomHero1090]

Re: Great results by pre setting impact position

Greg's Right Hand Drill is very similar to this, and I had great success with it.

Both the RHD and rehearsing the impact position will get you focused on NOT releasing the club head too early in the downswing.

Check out this month's Golf Digest, Bobby Clampett covers the "Breaking 100-90-80" section talking about "mastering the impact zone."

To sum it all up, Pro's will HIT THE GROUND about 2 inches IN FRONT OF THE BALL. Where as a 100 shooter will hit the ground 2 inches BEHIND the ball.

A pro, while making a decending blow, keeps his hands in front of the ball well through impact. This delofts the club face and contact is made higher up on the face. This allows you to hit down on the ball, make ball-first contact, and then take a divot.

A 100 shoot, while making a SEVERE decending blow, releases early in the swing, the club head strikes the ground behind the ball, and from there, its a **** shoot of what will happen at impact. This alllows you...well...nothing really.

[bill reed]

Re: Great results by pre setting impact position

hi
one thing i find is if i think of the impact zone to be about 4 inches in front of the ball and not the ball its self, i find my hand always beat the club to the ball and my arms only fully extend a good 6 inches past the ball, this seems to keep the club face going through the ball and taking a divot after the ball is on its way. i think if you focus on the back of the ball you sometimes come in and meet the ground the same time as the ball.
bill

[jambalaya]

Re: Great results by pre setting impact position

hi
one thing i find is if i think of the impact zone to be about 4 inches in front of the ball and not the ball its self, i find my hand always beat the club to the ball and my arms only fully extend a good 6 inches past the ball, this seems to keep the club face going through the ball and taking a divot after the ball is on its way. i think if you focus on the back of the ball you sometimes come in and meet the ground the same time as the ball.
bill

Amen to that last sentence. Very problematic for me and the solution that I was thinking of using is the same as you describe, concentration on a spot in front of the ball instead of the back of the ball.

[mont86]

Re: Great results by pre setting impact position

These are some good points that are being brought up.

Looking ahead of the ball?.? Not everybody recommends this method, but I'm going to try it.

[bulldog2k]

Re: Great results by pre setting impact position

Not everybody recommends this method, but I'm going to try it.

I challenge you to find a swing tip or theory that everyone agrees on

[BrianW]

Re: Great results by pre setting impact position

I challenge you to find a swing tip or theory that everyone agrees on

Never eat yellow snow!

[Started2k3]

Re: Great results by pre setting impact position

I challenge you to find a swing tip or theory that everyone agrees on

Hit the ball into the hole.

[bulldog2k]

Re: Great results by pre setting impact position

Harrumph. You know what I mean...

Nothing worse than an under-developed sense of humour, is there?

[Started2k3]

Re: Great results by pre setting impact position

Harrumph. You know what I mean...

Nothing worse than an under-developed sense of humour, is there?

Sorry I forgot all these ....








Under-developed my as.....

[BrianW]

Re: Great results by pre setting impact position

Harrumph. You know what I mean...

Nothing worse than an under-developed sense of humour, is there?

OK seriously, here's one:

As you start your downswing make sure your right knee is starting to move towards the left at the same time as your right thumbnail starts to rotate towards your left flared foot that is bracing so that you can start hitting against a firm left side with the hands dropping into the slot, the club on plane and coming from inside to out in a manner that the toe of the club is passing the heel with the correct angle of attack allowing the hips to clear enough so that your right elbow does not get trapped behind them.

Now! who could disagree with that? We are so lucky that Archibold Norbington-Hacket passed on this gem of wisdom in his book "The 762 fundamental lessons of modern golf." What a grand old niblick slasher he was.