Hands in front of the ball at impact - practice drill?

Hi all. I have searched for a drill that will help me get my hands further in front of the ball at impact, a later release, and I can't find one. I can feel when they are more in front, I take a good divot in front of the ball, and always make great contact when I do it well. When I don't do it well, my trajectory/distance is far less consistent (not so much skulled or fat, but just different launch angles). I have developed a tendency to move my whole body in front of the ball at impact to cheat this shortcoming somewhat. I know that I have a tendency to release too early when I tense up, or try to hit too hard. Aside from working on relaxing and swinging easy, which I consider mental and part of my pre-shot routine, does anyone have some good drills that will make this instinct, not matter how hard I swing?

I also swing a heavy club, which I am confident has added clubhead speed to my swing. But I am worried that it may be throwing off my timing of the release since I started using it. Has anyone experienced something like that from training with a heavy club?

Here is a video of my swing: http://www.geocities.com/mallison_2/7I_faceon.mov

Hi MattinIL,

looked at your swing. It looks good. You asked about a drill for hand in front of ball. Shouldn't this happen with your normal swing, if your shoulder is in front and your left arm - club is straight?

See Gregs lesson for right hand cup:
Golf Lessons - GregJWillis

Looking at your swing and just after impact, I might see you loosing your right hand cup. Your left hand is blocking the view so I am not sure. And I am not sure if it's crucial as this happens after impact? Check this out - hope this is any help...

Hannu - not a pro!

Thanks.

I had looked at the right hand drill, and I know that my right wrist should still be cupped at impact, but the cup angle, and my shaft angle, at impact was/is inconsistent.

I found some drills that have really helped me.

The "pumping drill": where you swing all the way to the ball without releasing your wrists two times, and then hit on the third.

The "legs together drill": helps eliminate my big lower body sway. I also eliminating a lot of this by thinking about it while I practice.

The "steep angle drill": where I have to miss something right behind the ball which can only be done by having a late release.

But I think what has helped me out the most was the swing thought of setting my wrists as early as possible in my backswing. I think the later (closer to the top) of your backswing that you cock your wrists, the sooner they want to release. But the problem is that it is *easier* to set them at the top because gravity helps at that point. This thought added consistency to my swing as I get tired during a round too. I have used it at the range and during one round with fantastic success.

http://www.geocities.com/mallison_2/swings.html
Here are my old swings, and Luke Donald's swing (who I use as a model for a mid-iron swing). I am going to put up a video with the changes once I get my poor girlfriend to come to the range and tape it.

I am working with my swing too. One thought that is helping me at the moment is - to think that I am pulling with my left knee, hip and shoulder. My left arm and club will make a straight "stick". From my back swing I am dropping the "stick" to the ball and the follow through is a whipping feeling. Also I am thinking like playing a tennis backhand, but with my left hand.

For me if I get my weight shift and rotation working, I get a nice contact to the ball.

Also I am hitting the ball with half speed, just to be in control.

I did not know about the deep angle drill. How close behing the ball is the object you need to miss? And do you still get a divot?

You wrote that your distance is inconsistent? When you aim for say 100 meters, how much do you miss? Shoot 10 balls and add up every balls distance from the target. What do you get? (Also known as PEI % - can be counted to any distance - this is just an example)

That´s a good drill to hit the ball before take a divot and get a good shot
1: put a tee about one inche in front of the ball
2: When you begin the downswing, concentrate to hit the tee in front of the ball
It's simple and really works!

Sorry about my broke english, i hope u can understand what i mean

Albatroz

Hi Albatroz,

Just to make sure that I understand:

First the clup hits the ball - then the tee and then it takes a divot?

Thanks guys.

Hannu -
As an example, I carry my PW 125 with 0-5 yards roll, all ten shots will go reasonably straight, but 2/10 will only go about 110 with little roll (hitting just the slightest bit fat or scooping), 3/10 will land 125 and roll 15-20 yards (a little thin, less backspin, assuming I'm going into a green, right off the back), and the other 5/10 will be normal. The thin shots were more of the problem, which I think was because I wasn't staying down on the ball. Since my change, I haven't mishit a PW yet. I've only mishit a 3 iron once and I have lost all ability to hit my 3W. I need to get to the range with my 3W because I think I need to resort out the differences in swings.
For the steep swing drill, just put another ball about 8-10 inches back.

MattinIL,

first of all, I think it's great that you have a clear picture of what is happening with your PW. I'd say you have a "hot" PW, but I do understand that we all want to get better.

Have you thought of other reasons than the wrist for inconsistent impact on the ball? I tend to hit thin, when I come a little out to in. (Still I manage to get the ball to wards the target. )

Also weight shift or hip coil might have something to do with contact. You are missing so little that it's very difficult to say what you do differently in half of the swings. Maybe you need to reflect more on the shots that are OK and just try to repeat them? (I know that that is what you are doing - but maybe there is an other way that you can concentrate more?)

Hi Hannu
The important is you concentrate to hit the ball and the tee all togheter. That will force you to hit the ball before get a divot. Try and i'm sure you'll get a good impact
Albatroz

Hi,
I asked just to make sure is the tee in front of the ball or behind the ball.

I tried it today so that I put the tee after the ball. So that club hits first the ball and then it hits the tee.

How deep to I push the tee? To I want to hit the top of the tee?
I will try it more tommorrow at the range.

BTW. when you aim at the ball, do you aim to hit the bottom of your club just under the ball? Or the sweet spot in the middle of the ball?

Hannu,
1 - push the tee down as you do for an iron, about 1 inch in front of the ball (nearer to the target)
2 - concentrate hiting the ball and push out the tee
It will force you to make a up-to-down swing and hit the ball first, with great contact!
That's all

About the "aim at the ball", i'm not sure i understood the question. Can you reformulate?

Albatroz

This is just an idea about a better contact.

Idea comes from putting. If you have a clear spot - like a letter in a logo of the ball - and spot from the edge of the hole - your putting is better.

So the same idea for a swing would be - to have a very clear spot in your club head to aim with - and a "letter" at your ball.

I just was wondering if people use the bottom edge of the club to aim at the bottom of the ball - or do people aim the center of the club face to the center of the ball. (In both cases you should hit the sweet spot of your club.)