Ahhh, thats what it means to hit down on the ball!

[DVS]

Being relatively new to this game, I often find myself a prime candidate for target of unsolicited golfing advise from everyone and their pet koala. I must admit, some are good, some are bad and some probably more applicable to other sports. But one common perl of wisdom was: "hit down on the ball". Although I doubt that some of the high handicappers offering me such advice actually employed it themselves.

I never quite understood what it meant to really "hit down on the ball". all this time i was sweeping (not scooping) the ball with my irons. Since I got pretty good with it, and developed a decent game around it, I never really understood why I'd want to hit down on the ball (and plug it in to the grass).

Then last week, I got really frustrated with a practice session where i was just all over the place. So instead of throwing my clubs over the range fence into the someone's BMW, I decided to take out my anger on the little dimpled white sphere mockingly sitting at my feet (closer to my right foot).

"Bloody thing! I'll teach you to laugh at me!", i said as I stomped on the sucker with my foot. Only to come close rolling my ankle on it!

It still sat there laughing at my incompetence. But I was not done with just pile driving the ball into the turf....oh no, I wasn't going to let the sucker off the hook that easily! So I took the 6i that was in my hand and decided to give the ball a good wack. But since it was happily settled in the turf, I couldn't sweep it as usual. So I came down a bit on it, almost like trying to gouge it out.

What happened next was worthy of clouds parting, angels singing, and harps going off somewhere in the background in Dobly Digital 5.1 surround sound. The ball just flew off the club face in a perfectly straight line, knocked the wings off one of the angels coming through the parted clouds and landed with a parachute at the foot of the 175 yard marker!

"aaahhh....so thats what they meant about hitting down". I guess I experienced my eurika moment. Anyone else experience anything similar? (minus the laughing ball, wing torn angels and harp MP3s of course).

-DVS

[bryank]

Nothing in the world compares to that first sweet proper CRUSH! Good going, and nice writing also :-)

Peace, Bryan

[Bravo]

Good story DVS and good writing too...have you tried lessons yet???

[twofast2s]

i always thought i was a good ball striker. i have decent swing and distance isn't my problem (well for the most part).

i remember people saying that i have a quick tempo, and that i should slow down. it's not like i was jumping out of my shoes either. But this was coming from scratch players to people whose handicap is relatively high.

one day i was playing golf early in the morning, tired as heck (i came back from work at 3am and woke up at 8 to meet up w/ ez at 9). so w/out any "i'm gonna try to kill the ball," i teed up and swung w/ no effort.

well it felt like a practice swing w/ no feel from the impact, and what i see? a nice long drive down the fairway, past the furthest point i've ever hit on that hole (i think it was about 260ish carry at 40*F). this continued on only for the day.

same thing goes w/ my irons as well. my ball lauching off of the club face w/o me putting any effort on my swing. the feeling was so addictive that i just wanted go to the range and hit balls all day long.

[sandwedge]

It makes a big difference. I had always tried to sweep the ball off the ground. Now I work on hitting down and compressing it. My trajectory and accuracy is much better when I hit down on it.

[DVS]

Originally Posted by twofast2s

the feeling was so addictive that i just wanted go to the range and hit balls all day long.

yes, I agree with that. Its just a great feeling to hit it pure....often more enjoyable than going out for a round. I think thats why i often see the local club pro out on the range with nothing but a mid iron hitting a bucket.

Following my little experience, I went back to the range the next day with only a PW and 6i. I am happy to report that I was able to replicate that shot quite a few times! Sure some of them still went off...but even the badly hit shots were still better than my normal "sweeping the ball" shots.

Now that most of the shots go pretty straight and far, I have no clue what I hit each club. distance control will need to be addressed. Oh well, straight and long is a problem I will gladly take over losing one's voice yelling "FORREEE" all day long!

-DVS

[DVS]

Originally Posted by Bravo

Good story DVS and good writing too...have you tried lessons yet???

Thanks.

I did take some lessons when I first started. Very useful; as I got the basics like grip, setup, alignment etc. sorted out before I acquired bad habits. Ironically, the lessons were a birthday gift from the one person that hates so see me wander off for 4-5 hours every sunday: my wife! lol

Its the subsequent lessons (2 sessions) that I took that kinda messed me up. I guess probably because it was from two different instructors giving me, what seemed to be at the time, contradictory advice. Now when I think about it, I think it was just me hearing/understanding it differently.

Its funny how one instance of frustration and anger taught me more about ball striking that all the lessons, books, dvds combined! lol

-DVS

[chollyred]

Like you, I used to always try to pick the ball. The baked red clay fairways around here can punish you pretty badly if you try to take a big divot. I finally had my "AHA!" moment not too long ago when I was having to hit from behind a tree. My thoughts were "Punch shot, hit it low under the limbs". Playing the ball back further, I hit down and the ball went up! Up over the tree instead of under it. Suddenly my pitiful low ball trajectory was sailing high, and settling on the green like I'd walked up and dropped it. No thin shot, no sting. I just couldn't get over the feel. Now if I could just figure out how far the dang thing is gonna go.

[JEFF4i]

That's really awesome DVS, great story.

You too Cholly.

[5iron]

that might be why the bottom of my 5 iron has green marks.

[DVS]

Originally Posted by 5iron

that might be why the bottom of my 5 iron has green marks.

Do you play of the mats? Cause that really doesn't help with the whole swing down thing. remember, you don't play off the mats in a round, so you shouldn't practice off them either, IMO. Unless of course you are teeing it up and practicing drivers, woods etc.

[tn-golfnut-from-nj]

Originally Posted by DVS

Do you play of the mats? Cause that really doesn't help with the whole swing down thing. remember, you don't play off the mats in a round, so you shouldn't practice off them either, IMO. Unless of course you are teeing it up and practicing drivers, woods etc.

I feel the same.
I even use up a bunch of tees on the grass, because that feels more natural, then that rubber tee thingie.

[ezra76]

Great post. Makes me want to leave right now and go hit some 7irons. I don't thing anything beats a perfectly struck iron shot flying right at the stick. That gets my heart beating faster every time.

I don't care for mats that much either. If I have to hit off them in the bad weather I concentrate more on catching the ball up higher on the face and hit 3/4 shots. A few hours off the mats usually results in thin shots my next few rounds.

[5iron]

i do hit my irons off the matt, because the grass zone isnt very good. The grass is to thick, but do you think its a better idea to hit off the ground with no grass?

[DVS]

Originally Posted by 5iron

i do hit my irons off the matt, because the grass zone isnt very good. The grass is to thick, but do you think its a better idea to hit off the ground with no grass?

Well, I suppose hitting off the mat is still better than wrecking your wrists on a hard pan. But if the ground is relatively soft enough, I'd still say give it a shot.

The place I practice at sometimes is like that: very crappy grass....mostly dirt. I'll often tee it up very low, that also helps.

-DVS