This week I've had the chunks show up. My normal miss on my irons and woods are thinned shots. I rarely hit balls fat. However, this past spring break I was able to get out and play some every day and I hit more chunks in five days then I have in five years. I hit several thin, but I could not get ride of the chunk. I finally tried to start playing fades and that seemed to help some. Normally I set up for slight draws.

It was sickening this week for me. I can deal with a thinned 7 iron but a chunked one that goes forty yards is killer.

I have been trying to focus more on hitting through the ball and less "picking" of it but damn. It was seriously bad this week

As my group likes to say "just stop hitting the big ball first".

Honestly it sounds like you trying to help the ball up so without seeing your swing, the best advice I can give is make sure your not dropping your back shoulder.

This is sometimes caused by ur head dropping or knees bending too much on backswing.

When anything goes down on backswing it must come up on downswing. When timed incorrectly it results in both fat and thin shots. Keep ur head still or watch in a mirror how far ur hip drops from set up to the top of backswing.

A simple drill that has helped me tremendously is to look at a spot directly in front of the ball instead of the ball itself while swinging. Some people actually place a tee in the ground but I just pick a blade of grass a couple of millimeters in front of my ball. I was always a "picker", but this drill really helped me to hit down on the ball. Just focus on hitting that spot with your downswing. You want the club to bottom out when it hits that spot. Since you'll contact the ball before you hit that spot, you can't help but strike the ball with a descending blow. I actually do this on the course with all my iron shots.

93MarineHorn said:

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A simple drill that has helped me tremendously is to look at a spot directly in front of the ball instead of the ball itself while swinging. Some people actually place a tee in the ground but I just pick a blade of grass a couple of millimeters in front of my ball. I was always a "picker", but this drill really helped me to hit down on the ball. Just focus on hitting that spot with your downswing. You want the club to bottom out when it hits that spot. Since you'll contact the ball before you hit that spot, you can't help but strike the ball with a descending blow. I actually do this on the course with all my iron shots.

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Tried this today at the range and I had very positive success. I did hit several off the hosel but I feel that was more of an OTT move. Might've had two shots all together that were heavy. Nothing severely far though.

I honestly used to do this drill a lot and I forgot about it. Thinking I might actually play like this all the time now when on the course. I can't really see any negatives out of doing it full time?

Great to hear that! I've been doing this on all my iron shots for a few years now. I may stop doing it with my wedges though because now I'm almost taking too big a divot.

I fixed my fat shots spell this year by having a buddy watch my swing.

My weight was on my right foot (right handed golfer) and my right shoulder was angled down a bit.

The above drill of looking in front of the ball helped, along with having a club held right in front of my face. The club in the face makes sure you don't swing your head back and then end up digging in.

it could be so many things that are causing you to hit it fat. For me, when I start hitting the ball a little chucky, I simply step on a golf ball with the right side of my right foot, let the golf ball sink half way into the ground. ( I am a right hander). This simply stops me from swaying too much to my right side on my backswing. For me, less swaying equals more consistent low point of the swing and reduces fat shots. The also promotes a better shoulder turn for me.

AustinCountyAg said:

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93MarineHorn said:

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A simple drill that has helped me tremendously is to look at a spot directly in front of the ball instead of the ball itself while swinging. Some people actually place a tee in the ground but I just pick a blade of grass a couple of millimeters in front of my ball. I was always a "picker", but this drill really helped me to hit down on the ball. Just focus on hitting that spot with your downswing. You want the club to bottom out when it hits that spot. Since you'll contact the ball before you hit that spot, you can't help but strike the ball with a descending blow. I actually do this on the course with all my iron shots.

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Tried this today at the range and I had very positive success. I did hit several off the hosel but I feel that was more of an OTT move. Might've had two shots all together that were heavy. Nothing severely far though.

I honestly used to do this drill a lot and I forgot about it. Thinking I might actually play like this all the time now when on the course. I can't really see any negatives out of doing it full time?

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they say many things in golf is just remembering what we forgot.

BAS for life said:

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AustinCountyAg said:

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93MarineHorn said:

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A simple drill that has helped me tremendously is to look at a spot directly in front of the ball instead of the ball itself while swinging. Some people actually place a tee in the ground but I just pick a blade of grass a couple of millimeters in front of my ball. I was always a "picker", but this drill really helped me to hit down on the ball. Just focus on hitting that spot with your downswing. You want the club to bottom out when it hits that spot. Since you'll contact the ball before you hit that spot, you can't help but strike the ball with a descending blow. I actually do this on the course with all my iron shots.

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Tried this today at the range and I had very positive success. I did hit several off the hosel but I feel that was more of an OTT move. Might've had two shots all together that were heavy. Nothing severely far though.

I honestly used to do this drill a lot and I forgot about it. Thinking I might actually play like this all the time now when on the course. I can't really see any negatives out of doing it full time?

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they say many things in golf is just remembering what we forgot.

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So true! I had trouble with my driver for the last year. Last week, I paired up with a random guy and he said a few thing about my swing that reminded me of all my old swing thoughts. The driver is back! Not grooved yet but in attendance.
Golf is a lot more fun when you can smash it down the fairway and hit a short iron/ wedge into the green, or reach a par 5 in 2.

Went and played 9 after work today and I was hitting the ball well. Some of my best ball striking in recent memory.

Thanks for the tip on concentrating on a price of grass in front of the ball and not actually worrying about the actual golf ball. Hopefully this is something that I can stay with and have positive results with for a long time.

When you say you normally set up to hit a draw...are you referring to just closing off your lower body or talking about being laid off?
If lower body is closed, might explain the recent shanks. For an inside out (or just laid off) swing, having that back leg close to the ball is a bad fundamental.
It sometimes causes the face to be laid off/open at address and can contribute to hitting it fat.
Good luck...practice with intention!

Go to PGA Superstore's practice bay or have someone video your swing. Start with the simple stuff. Make sure that your hands are ahead of the ball at impact and that you aren't flipping your hands. Flipping your hands and not having your hands in front of the ball can cause both fat and thin shots.

93MarineHorn's drill is a good one to get you in front of the ball.

oldflyer said:

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93MarineHorn's drill is a good one to get you in front of the ball.

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and it is?

tandy miller said:

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oldflyer said:

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93MarineHorn's drill is a good one to get you in front of the ball.

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and it is?

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from 3/20/17 at 12:37CDT on this thread:

Quote:

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A simple drill that has helped me tremendously is to look at a spot directly in front of the ball instead of the ball itself while swinging. Some people actually place a tee in the ground but I just pick a blade of grass a couple of millimeters in front of my ball. I was always a "picker", but this drill really helped me to hit down on the ball. Just focus on hitting that spot with your downswing. You want the club to bottom out when it hits that spot. Since you'll contact the ball before you hit that spot, you can't help but strike the ball with a descending blow. I actually do this on the course with all my iron shots.

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How about a drill to get me turning my hands over faster?

Icecream_Ag said:

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tandy miller said:

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oldflyer said:

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93MarineHorn's drill is a good one to get you in front of the ball.

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and it is?

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from 3/20/17 at 12:37CDT on this thread:

Quote:

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A simple drill that has helped me tremendously is to look at a spot directly in front of the ball instead of the ball itself while swinging. Some people actually place a tee in the ground but I just pick a blade of grass a couple of millimeters in front of my ball. I was always a "picker", but this drill really helped me to hit down on the ball. Just focus on hitting that spot with your downswing. You want the club to bottom out when it hits that spot. Since you'll contact the ball before you hit that spot, you can't help but strike the ball with a descending blow. I actually do this on the course with all my iron shots.

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Whoops. Didn't read the username.

tandy miller said:

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Icecream_Ag said:

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tandy miller said:

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oldflyer said:

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93MarineHorn's drill is a good one to get you in front of the ball.

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and it is?

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from 3/20/17 at 12:37CDT on this thread:

Quote:

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A simple drill that has helped me tremendously is to look at a spot directly in front of the ball instead of the ball itself while swinging. Some people actually place a tee in the ground but I just pick a blade of grass a couple of millimeters in front of my ball. I was always a "picker", but this drill really helped me to hit down on the ball. Just focus on hitting that spot with your downswing. You want the club to bottom out when it hits that spot. Since you'll contact the ball before you hit that spot, you can't help but strike the ball with a descending blow. I actually do this on the course with all my iron shots.

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Whoops. Didn't read the username.

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we'll just blame it on being the end of the second monday this week

CTGilley said:

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How about a drill to get me turning my hands over faster?

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What problem are you trying to solve?

Leaving the club face open. I was having a path issue but I worked that out.

CTGilley said:

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Leaving the club face open. I was having a path issue but I worked that out.

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I could use this as well. I think I may be getting into a bad position at the top

My swing thought when I'm not getting through the ball and leaving the face open/hitting a sloppy cut is to make sure my back shoulder is firing. Really make sure my back shoulder is throwing the club at the ball. That's generally my problem.

I almost feel like I'm firing my hips early... would this contribute to a slice?

I've seen guys use their hips too much in their back swing causing them to come over the top and have an out to in swing path.
Fix for that is to make sure you bring the club straight back rather than into your body.

Not sure if that's clear or not.

Yea, it could. Especially if they're getting ahead or sliding. Let you arms/body rotate your hips.

why do you feel the need to "turns your hands over faster". This is really not the right approach

not necessarily

CTGilley said:

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Leaving the club face open. I was having a path issue but I worked that out.

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Maybe check your grip?

tandy miller said:

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I almost feel like I'm firing my hips early... would this contribute to a slice?

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I had this issue from sliding and it produced a lovely banana hook

Lt. Joe Bookman said:

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I've seen guys use their hips too much in their back swing causing them to come over the top and have an out to in swing path.
Fix for that is to make sure you bring the club straight back rather than into your body.

Not sure if that's clear or not.

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By "into your body" do you mean yanking it to the inside? I feel like im pretty handsy on my takeaway, so ive been trying to focus on starting my swing by rotating my trail shoulder, and then letting the rest follow. Also trying to keep clubhead outside of hands during first part of takeaway. But im a hack so that could be completely wrong

Like that. That causes some to loop at the top of the backswing and come over the top. I misspoke though, it is really caused by too much shoulder turn, which it sounds like you may be doing.

http://www.golfwrx.com/71781/go-ahead-let-your-hips-turn-in-the-backswing/

i have also been shanking lately, and I wonder if snatching the club inside could be a contributing factor to that as well... Or if im shifting toward the ball

Hips and club face should be open at impact (for a draw)....swing path should be out. Hips being open at impact should be for every shot.

Face will determine where ball starts. Path determines where ball ends up. The ball will end up the opposite of where your path is.

To hit a draw for s right hander face needs to be pointing right (open) and path needs to be right of target. Ball will start right (because of face) and come back left (because of path)

Sometimes this is hard to see/feel...trackman helps tremendously with this showing both face and path with positive or negative numbers in relation to square (0.0)

We are referring to two different things. I am talking in reference to swing path. The only time it should be open in reference to swing path is when hitting a fade into the green.

IMO it is much easier to talk open/closed in reference to swing path. If you just say open club face and swing out you leave the possibility to hit a push or a slice.

I understand what you are saying looking at it on a trackman but you still have to compare it to swing path. To hit that draw you want it must be closed to swing path and open to the target line.

It sounds like your path goes right to left of target

Hands should be closer to your body on down swing while swing path should go right of target