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How to stay down on the ball...Help!

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Buddyjay

Buddyjay

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My girl frined just started playing last summer. She has a beautiful swing... a full parallel back swing with a great finish with everything facing the target.
Her one problem is she is topping the ball (or whiffing) most of the time. If it's not a top she's thinning the ball.
She obviously has trouble staying down on the ball. Do you think it could be from just pulling up like a lot of beginners do? Or could it be from swing plane problems, or something else?
She has had a few lessons (from different pros) but at the lesson, she will do pretty good but then out on the course, she tops again.
I am out of ideas... any drills that you know of? Any advice?
She really can be an excellent golfer with her swing and she really likes the game. But she is getting very frustrated.
 
Re: How to stay down on the ball...Help!

Perhaps bending a little more at the knees?


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the only time I still top it is when I lift my head up. Every single time it happens is because I'm watching where the ball went before I even hit it. So I would guess thats her problem.
 
Guys this is the Ask The Pro section. Lets please keep this section clean until amollerud has had a chance to come in and answer. Thanks.
 
Buddyjay said:
My girl frined just started playing last summer. She has a beautiful swing... a full parallel back swing with a great finish with everything facing the target.
Her one problem is she is topping the ball (or whiffing) most of the time. If it's not a top she's thinning the ball.
She obviously has trouble staying down on the ball. Do you think it could be from just pulling up like a lot of beginners do? Or could it be from swing plane problems, or something else?
She has had a few lessons (from different pros) but at the lesson, she will do pretty good but then out on the course, she tops again.
I am out of ideas... any drills that you know of? Any advice?
She really can be an excellent golfer with her swing and she really likes the game. But she is getting very frustrated.
Click to expand...

Sounds just like me :) I, too, am interested in what oure Resident Pro suggests :good:
 
Someone who is new to the game needs a confidence boost. Start her out and put a tee in the ground. Have her make some swings and just clip the top of the tee. When she does that 2 swings in a row put a ball on the tee at the same height. Have her imagine that she is just clipping the tee again. The goal here is to take focus off of trying to hit the ball and to just make a swing.

As a side note to those who have been playing and still run into this issue. In most cases this shot will result from an out to in swing plane that will force the body to get out of the way at impact.
 
amollerud said:
Someone who is new to the game needs a confidence boost. Start her out and put a tee in the ground. Have her make some swings and just clip the top of the tee. When she does that 2 swings in a row put a ball on the tee at the same height. Have her imagine that she is just clipping the tee again. The goal here is to take focus off of trying to hit the ball and to just make a swing.

As a side note to those who have been playing and still run into this issue. In most cases this shot will result from an out to in swing plane that will force the body to get out of the way at impact.
Click to expand...

We have tried that and she may hit it (the tee) 2 out of 5 times. I think that it might be just beginners 'trying to lift the ball' syndrome because, even with the driver and the ball teed way up she occassionally tops/whiffs. I have told her to try and hit the turf and to reinforce that it's just a golf swing and the ball is just getting in the way...but to no avail.
Her swing plane is a little flat and she tends to come a bit over the top resulting in a steep downward hit.
 
This came up in my Lesson a few days ago. I tend to come out of my posture on the backswing and/or rise up on the downswing. A drill he gave me was to place a second tee 4 inches or so in front of the ball. The goal is to hit the ball and the second tee. It's been helping me out. I've always been a sweeper/picker with my irons. I sent the lead tee 20 feet down range today, lol.

Also try starting with a shorter club. I've found it much easier to stay down and take a divot with a wedge vs a 5i.
 
Bortass said:
This came up in my Lesson a few days ago. I tend to come out of my posture on the backswing and/or rise up on the downswing. A drill he gave me was to place a second tee 4 inches or so in front of the ball. The goal is to hit the ball and the second tee. It's been helping me out. I've always been a sweeper/picker with my irons. I sent the lead tee 20 feet down range today, lol.

Also try starting with a shorter club. I've found it much easier to stay down and take a divot with a wedge vs a 5i.
Click to expand...
You describe my problem also with the same drill my instructor recommended. Down and through is a struggle but when I concentrate on hitting the imaginary second tee in front of my ball even with the driver good things happen.
 
When I start hitting it thin, it is because I am swaying in my backswing. In my swing a sway throws off where my swing bottoms out. When I sway I cannot get back my weight shift back forward.
 
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