Learn How To Hit A Golf Ball

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Hitting the Ball can be Easy... As Well as Difficult

Lets learn How To Hit A Golf Ball. Hi again, Warren here, and thanks for taking the time to read this article. So, the milllion dollar question is How To Hit A Golf Ball? Something that sounds so simple but takes time to master. Like all beginners, I aimed to improve my game and play well consistently. I was eager to learn and kept asking other players for advice. One week I would be hitting with soft hands and with a different stance, and the next week it would be a strong hit from the top with another stance! My arms would be sore by the end of the day! Some days I would play well, and on some days my hands would have only blisters to show! I was trying so hard, but the results were hardly as good as I expected! Then one day, I met a person who was a personal coach for a young couple. The couple did not turn up, and he was waiting on the golf course. 

image of a struggling golfer breaking shaft

A Lucky Warren

correct golf posture

That turned out great for me! My lucky day! I started my game and, as usual, was not having a great day! Soon this gentleman walked over and said that my golf swing was all wrong! Now, this was something new! I did not know that you could hit a golf ball in the wrong way! He explained a few basics,  and started off by giving me a master class on how to hit a golf ball. Something I thought I had already mastered.  I immediately tried these things. Yes! It did make a difference! I decided then and there and asked him to coach me and help my game. I will share all that I learned, and I am sure it will benefit you as well. However, first things first; Do you know the basic terms of this sport? 

Basic Golf Terms

Stance

How you stand is very important. The position of your legs and feet when you are ready for hitting the ball is of great importance. Your swing, backswing, and follow-through will all be only as good as your stance. 

Target

 This is where you want your ball to go. Unless you have a clear aim, you could be just shooting arrows in the dark. 

Fairway

It is the section of a golf course that is between the tee and green. It has short grass. 

Green

You may also know it as the putting green. This is where you find the hole, which is your aim.  

Address

How you stand is very important. The position of your legs and feet when you are ready for hitting the ball is of great importance. Your swing, backswing, and follow-through will all be only as good as your stance. 

Getting your stance right is very important. You need to set yourself up with a perfect stance and grip to hit in the best way. Let me also tell you hitting a ball well does not only mean power and impact! There are a lot of subtleties in this game, and you need a lot of focus and observation to get it right. 

Pay Attention To Your Stance & Posture

well known golfer showing driving sequence

Bud Cauley - GolfDigest

Before your golf swing gets better, you need to get your stance and posture correct. Don’t worry if you don’t get it right the first time. Even experienced players keep making corrections and tweak their stance and posture from time to time. The position of legs and arms is key if you are to master how to hit a golf ball. 

STANCE

The stance is the foundation of your game because your swing will ultimately depend on your stance. If your stance is even slightly off, your whole game will start to go bad! A stance is not constant, and you will need to change it according to your swing. For driver starts, you need a wide stance while you need a narrower stance while chipping. 

POSTURE

A proper stance is key to good body posture. Bend your knees slightly and put most of your body weight on the balls of your feet. Hold the club in your hands in front and hinging from hips go down till your club touches the ground. Keep your spine diagonal to the ground. Keep your body leaning away slightly from the target. 

How Important Is The Ball Position? 

While hitting a golf ball, you aim to contact it cleanly, accurately, and powerfully and do it consistently.  So the ball position is very important to us golfers. 

You need to strike the ball before hitting the ground.

Contact between the sweet spots of your club and the ball is your aim. Positioning a ball correctly will depend on your stance. If you have the perfect stance, then you can keep the back of the ball level with your left ear. The reason for using ear and not the heel is that sometimes the heel position can vary due to uneven ground or some error in setting up. Every time you change the position of the ball, the timing of your swing changes. Your body posture, as well as your arms’ position also differs with different ball positions.  

Teeing Low or High?

You are trying your best when you tee to the green hit and are thinking of everything possible. However, have you given any thought to the tee height? It will surprise you to know that making small changes in tee heights can make significant changes to your drives. The different tee heights are 

 Low Height

The top edge of the ball is even with the top edge of your driver. The ball is below the crown. 

Mid Height

Half of the ball is above, and half of it is below the crown

High Height

The bottom edge of the ball is above the top edge of the clubface. The ball is totally above the crown.  

What Is Better: Hitting Straight or With A Curve?

Hitting the ball straight every single time is not an easy task! Many players go with the conventional wisdom of hitting with a curve to get better results. The question is, ‘do players who hit with a curve get better results’? According to Mark Broadie, it is the opposite!

There is a deep connection between a player’s accuracy and curve drives. It depends on a player, but many people feel that hitting straight has more chances of getting better results. 

Look at this video because there is some useful information on stance, posture, angle, and grip. 

Things You Can Do To Improve your Hitting

When I wanted to improve how I hit the golf ball, I tried everything I could think off, before I got a coach. If you also want to improve your game and specifically your hitting capabilities, then you can try different things. Most people first think of getting a coach and next, about buying premium golf clubs, but let me share a few simple things which help you in your game.  

 These are things that you can do on your own and may help you in a big way! 

Get The Right Fit of Club

golfer buying a set of clubs

What I mean here is that since you are going to be hitting with the clubs for such a long time, they should be measured and made to fit your body and hand measurements. I have seen tall people struggling with ill-fitting clubs and bending too much. It can cause back pains and a bad round of golf! The same goes for short people or having short arms. Instead of playing with wrong size clubs, it is good to get clubs which are made to fit you and see your hitting improve.  

Check Your Eyes

image of an owls eyes

Do you find this amusing? Seriously, bad eyesight is a problem for a lot of golfers. According to Silverstein Eye Centers, there is a direct relation between your game and your eyesight(5). You need a good vision for aiming correctly and for proper coordination between your club and the ball. Good eyesight is also essential when you are looking at a distant target. You need the right depth perception.  

Finishing Pose

Just like a model, you need to hold a pose at the end of your swing! After every drive, putt, chip, or any other shot, you must complete the swing with an excellent finish. When you finish well, it just shows that your swing has the right speed and rhythm. Your arms should move smoothly. If you focus on the finishing pose, you will notice that you are hitting better. 

Practice Tip

You want to get consistent with your hitting and spend a lot of time practicing shots. Here is a good tip for you. If you are hitting two balls from the same point, then go to the ball, which is in the worst place! Yes! You read it right. Always choose the difficult position ball first and hit it out. You will see a fantastic improvement in your hitting. It will also improve your mental toughness. 

Walk 

Walking is good for your health, but leave that aside! While playing, if you walk and not take the golf cart, you are more in tune with your game. You have time to think about your next shot. You also get time to calm down after a bad round. You can see your target more clearly as you approach and also read the turf and slope better. It is almost like meditating when you are walking to the next setup. All this will not happen if you hop onto a cart and reach the next point in the blink of an eye! A bonus is the beautiful surroundings! 

Exercise

A sedentary lifestyle is bad for you, but it is even worse for a game of golf. Your hamstrings become short with a constant sitting position and can become painful when you start hitting a golf ball. Hitting a ball requires your body to be in good shape for you to achieve your goals. Stretch your hamstrings before a round of golf. Do some basic stretches in everyday life and have greater body flexibility.  

You need power and technique if your aim is hitting well. Spending some time in the gym may help you in the long run. Lifting moderate weights would help you define your muscles and pack a punch. Exercising also prevents injuries, so, all in all, an excellent habit to form! 

Air Swinging

You know you need to practice to improve your game, but if you have a busy life, then it is difficult to get time to play on the golf course! The next best thing is to keep a club in your office and keep practicing your swing whenever you get time! Some people just practice the movement without even a club and mimic the movements with their hands. You can do this anywhere and need just a little space. You can even fix a camera to record and view your action. This will also prevent any bad hitting habits and give you more insight into your hitting.  

Follow A Plan

image of an empty list

Make every shot count! If you want to improve your hitting and also your game, then it is essential to have a plan of action. Spending time and energy on a golf course without any aim may not help you. Before every session, chalk out the plan! What are the key points that you want to look at? What shots are you going to practice? What is your strategy? What is the result that you want? All these points will give you a better grip on your training session. For example, If you want to learn more on your golf swing plane, make sure you spend a decent amount of time on it.  If you want to get any benefit, you have to put the time into learning. The will ensure that next time you go onthe ground you will come out of it with a lot of positivity and satisfaction. 

Different Types of Golf Swings

There are several types of golf clubs, and with each club, there is a different type of golf swing that you need to practice and master. The technique is more or less similar with some minor changes. Check this website for many more types of golf shots. 

Drive

This is usually the way you start your game. You will place the ball on a tee and next use a driver. It is the longest club and helps you to hit as far as possible. More than accuracy, distance is of prime importance.

Chip

For a chip shot, your swing style will be very different. You will have a shorter backswing, and the full swing will be controlled.

Putt

When you are close to the hole and take a shot to drop it. The contact requires a lot of accuracy and precision handling. You should look at the slope and turf carefully before deciding the angle and your swing.

image of golfer putting
golfer attempting punch shot

Punch

As the name suggests, you punch the ball and hope to keep it low on the ground. If you want to avoid overhanging trees or if it is very windy, punching is a good option.

Flop Shot

A flop shot is not a flop in any manner! You can use it best from the rough, because when you hit ball it goes high but not very far. 

image player taking a flop shot

Source:Mark Killen

FAQ

I have gone through the emails youve sent through to m a few  days ago and have collated the top seven questions I get frequently asked. 

QUESTIONS?

Take these steps 

a guy hitting the golf ball

  • It would help if you stood with your feet as wide apart as your shoulder-width.  
  • Next, bend slightly forward from your hips.  
  • Hold the club firmly but not too tightly.  
  • Keep your shoulders and torso properly aligned.  
  • Take aim with the club and swing your arms backward and then make contact!
  • That is how you hit a golf ball properly.

To drive a ball, follow these steps 

golfer being taught how to drive the ball

  • Choose the right driver club. Check the launch angle 
  • There are many sizes of tee available, and you must choose carefully 
  • Take the stance and align your body with the target. You can use a vertical marker like a tree for a better aim. 
  • Position your feet correctly. They should be about 2 feet apart.  
  • Keep your arms straight and form a V with the grip. Keep the hold just firm enough but not too tight.
  • Decide if you are going to use a power or control swing. Start with the backswing.
  • Keep it steady and unhurried. Keep the angle right.
  • Next, finish the swing and drive the ball. 

image golf flight path

To hit the ball straight, then your clubface has to connect with the ball perfectly! The full face of the club has to hit the ball for a straight drive. Any deviation, however, small can cause you to hit a slice, hook or fade. Grip your club comfortably in a firm way and align it with the ball. Aim and bring the club down in a smooth motion and hit it square.  

To put it simply, to hit the ball farther, you have to make the contact harder. However, there are a few tips that may help you. According to this wiki How website you can try some of these things.(7). 

  1.  Grip: adjust your hand position to maximize impact. Firmly hold the club. Your grip should not be very tight, and you should not over-squeeze the handle. 
  2.  Hips: move your hips when you are pulling through the swing will put a lot of power behind the hit. Twisting your hips can create momentum and generate faster clubhead speed. 
  3.  Shifting Weight: at the time of backswing, most of yourbodyweight should be on the back leg, and after pivoting through the ball, it should shift to the front leg.  
  4. Straight Arm: the lead arm needs to be as straight as possible. This can create a long distance for the club-head to travel. 
  5. Turn Your Hands: When you finish the swing, your hand should turn over. The key here is to snap the hand through the ball and make an impact.

image of 3d figure playing golf

When you land the clubface on the ball at a descending attack angle, it is hitting down on a golf ball. It creates powerful contact and feels like you are compressing the ball between the clubface and the ground. It works best when you have tighter approaches. 

There are so many different things you need to calculate before you can decide the speed of the ball. Players, wind conditions, the power behind the shot, etc., are all variables that need to be looked at. The fastest velocity is probably right after you hit the ball. According to Michael Joseph the USGA uses a swing speed of 109mph to test its equipment (9). This results in about 180 mph. 

golf divot in ground

 Divot is a piece of turf that is cut out in the course of playing a stroke and can also refer to a hole that remains after the grass is scooped out due to a hit from a club. Any time you use an iron or wedge, it will take off a layer of grass. It happens mainly in a descending shot when the club keeps moving even after hitting the ball. Divots are common, though they can be deep or shallow depending on the swing. 

Conclusion

Many people take up golf, thinking it is an easy game, but the reality cannot be much farther!! It is a game that requires a lot of focus, patience, and of course, time. However, it is easier than some people think! It gets harder when you overthink! 

 This may sound complicated, but you have to find the right balance. According to the Golf Digest website, thinking but not over-thinking is the right way to go about it. The best part about the game of golf is that you have ample time to set yourself and your game. Unlike many other games, there is no one counter-attacking you so you can play at your own pace. 

The fact is that you can only read so much to improve your game! You need to get to the ground and start playing to see the changes. However, by having good knowledge, you can speed up your learning. Knowing both playing as well as the mechanics of it is a great combination. After reading the information that we have shared with you, we are sure that you will be eager to go out and start hitting the golf ball!! 

 One thing which is inevitable in golf is that the way you hit the ball will make or break your game. The right contact between your club and the ball will produce quality shots. So, concentrate on hitting the ball well. Let me encapsulate all the essential points for you. 

  •         Right Equipment: choose the right clubs and also the right size for a start.
  •         Pay Attention: carefully observe other players as well as your own game. Pay attention to the turf and wind.
  •         Stance: this is the foundation for a good swing. Practice a good stance right from the beginning.
  •         Posture: bad posture will not only affect your game but will also result in physical problems.
  •         Grip: learn the right way to grip a club and then make minor adjustments to suit you.
  •         Physical fitness: golf may seem a leisurely game, but you need to be fit to play it well and achieve good results.

I have shared a lot of information with you. Though I have tried to simplify most of it, some of it still may seem too technical. There is no need to worry! However, much you learn or understand, you will know when your golf club finds the sweet spot on the ball and sends it where you want it to go!! Follow your instincts and use common sense to your advantage. 

 Even professional players keep track of their game and make tweaks and minor changes to their game from time to time. ‘Practice makes a man perfect’ is so apt for golf. A mediocre player can become much better, thanks to consistent practice and persistence. Understanding and practicing all the key points will produce great shots. Being in control of your game is excellent, and if you keep at it, you can achieve your goals.  

Many Thanks for taking your sweet time to read this long article. Hopefully it has added some value to your game. Hope you ejoy the rest of the site. 

Warren Belmore

Warren Belmore

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