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Getting rid of the "hitting at the ball sensation" ?

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Randyman28

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Anybody have any tips for player like me who likes to hit at the ball instead of swinging through?Did anybody else here have this problem?Whats some advice/tips that helped you overcome this?

I have a great practice swing(like most everybody does) with a great weight transfer.Put a white ball in front of me and I screw it up. :(
 
This is no help, I know, but one day it simply occurred to me that I was hitting "at the ball" and not through it. Once I simply acknowledged that, things started to improve in my swing, most specifically the iron swing.
 
I too suffer from this. I recently picked up an Orange Whip swing trainer and used it everyday for two weeks. I went out this weekend and for the first time in forever I felt like I was just swinging the club and letting it work for me vs trying to hit the ball. Guys I always play with mentioned numerous times that my swing looked smooth and effortless and wanted to know what I had been doing to work on it. For a guy who is used to hearing, "are you trying to kill the ball" it was weird to hear how smooth I was.

I coach youth sports and am big on muscle memory. I think the OW trainer is helping to build my muscle memory for what a golf swing feels like vs trying to force a hit on the ball.
 
I have notice this can happen with the longer irons because you need to "hit it further" with it.

It still gets in my head some times, but how I work around it is to check my yardages and say to myself, "I only need to hit it x yards, and that's a y iron".

I end up not needing to "hit the ball" to try to get it to so far, because I am telling myself that it's the right distance for club y, so just follow your yardages and trust that the ball will go where it needs to without you "hitting it".
 
I use this drill for everything. I post it often. Often. Because it's that good.

Take a 7i. Full swing. Only swing fast enough for 100 yards. you will learn how to finish your swing. To not be in such a rush.
 
This is something I am working on now, just generally slowing everything down. The slower it feels the better my tempo and the better the contact. I try and "forget" the ball is there, focus on a spot just on the left rear side of the ball and swing slow and smooth. I know when I am to fast and trying to kill it as that is when the big slice comes out and more recently nasty shanks.
 
Do the 9 o'clock to 3 o'clock partial shot drill. Pay attention on the smooth take away and smooth return to the ball with only your body rotation, no arms. Keep doing that till you get good contact and remember the tempo. Also I find looking at some LPGA tour players or someone like Jimmy Walker or Ernie Els helps, just a very smooth take away and return to the ball. Smooth is fast.
 
For practice you can tee the ball slightly and have another tee lower than the first, around 2-3 inches in front of the tee'd ball. When you swing you should take out the front tee as well with your club. That ensures you are swinging through, and the front tee is the low part of the swing as a divot should be.
 
Getting rid of the "hitting at the ball sensation" ?

Getting rid of the "hitting at the ball sensation" ?

What works for me is to take a couple practice swings with the feelings I'm looking for. I then pick my target, something specific like a tree where I want my ball to start. I then focus completely at swinging to my target throughout the swing. When I do this properly I get great results. When I practice, I practice whatever I'm working on. When I play, I focus on a feeling during my practice swings and strictly the target when I swing.

Here's a good link to Shawn Clement on target focus:

http://youtu.be/T1-DYFBVFH8




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Almost all of my best rounds are when I am just trying to hit easy and through the ball, usually after a long layoff or when I am sore. My distances aren't impacted much, because I hit the ball in the center of the club more. In my case, I actually picture a spot in front of the ball to accelerate to.
 
First off, welcome to THP and welcome to one of the biggest issue facing golfers. The eyes see your target and as a golfer you want to hit that target. You know you can hit that target with you driver. YOu can hit the ball with a nice little draw and it will fit nicely in the corner of the fairway. Or you're on a par 3 and see that tucked oin over the trap. You think I can hit my 7 iron nice and high. It will land soft and you'll have a good look at birdie.

But in actuality when you pull that club you've told your self you can hit the ball where you want, but really can't. At least not with any consistency. Why? because you hit at the ball. This means you goal is only to place the club on the back of the ball. And that is exactly what your brain tells your body to do. You take a big ole swing and hit the ball. You swing for all intents and purposes stop once the ball is hit.

You swing has traveled on a, lets say 6' arch away from the ball but need to travel on a 12" arch to complete the swing as you swing through. This mean you have to swing thru to your finish not back to the ball. This take a bit of trust on your part and it takes a strong drive to except the outcome of said swing. I would like you to go out and just play golf swing. Take a practice swing and mimic that practice swing with your real swing. Allow the ball to get in the way of the golf club. Don't worry about where the ball is going. Do this for 18 holes and don't worry about your score. When that round is complete, think back about your round. Think about the misses and the makes. Then we can work on the swing. The only way we find out what is broken is to first impart a swing on the ball.

I know you didn't ask for this but you are playing a false game at this time. You have created a way to get the ball down the fairway or on the green that may or may not involve a golf swing. You hit at the ball so you never know what will come with each shot. Sometimes your pleased and other times your upset. let's get you mimicking your practice with your real swing and find out what might be broke.

Randyman28 said:
Anybody have any tips for player like me who likes to hit at the ball instead of swinging through?Did anybody else here have this problem?Whats some advice/tips that helped you overcome this?

I have a great practice swing(like most everybody does) with a great weight transfer.Put a white ball in front of me and I screw it up. :(
Click to expand...
 
Your partially there you realize you have this issue.

For me I figure out what shot shape is want to hit and pick where I want it to land and concentrate on making the swing to get the ball flight and yardage I want and just make that swing
 
Tadashi70 said:
First off, welcome to THP and welcome to one of the biggest issue facing golfers. The eyes see your target and as a golfer you want to hit that target. You know you can hit that target with you driver. YOu can hit the ball with a nice little draw and it will fit nicely in the corner of the fairway. Or you're on a par 3 and see that tucked oin over the trap. You think I can hit my 7 iron nice and high. It will land soft and you'll have a good look at birdie.

But in actuality when you pull that club you've told your self you can hit the ball where you want, but really can't. At least not with any consistency. Why? because you hit at the ball. This means you goal is only to place the club on the back of the ball. And that is exactly what your brain tells your body to do. You take a big ole swing and hit the ball. You swing for all intents and purposes stop once the ball is hit.

You swing has traveled on a, lets say 6' arch away from the ball but need to travel on a 12" arch to complete the swing as you swing through. This mean you have to swing thru to your finish not back to the ball. This take a bit of trust on your part and it takes a strong drive to except the outcome of said swing. I would like you to go out and just play golf swing. Take a practice swing and mimic that practice swing with your real swing. Allow the ball to get in the way of the golf club. Don't worry about where the ball is going. Do this for 18 holes and don't worry about your score. When that round is complete, think back about your round. Think about the misses and the makes. Then we can work on the swing. The only way we find out what is broken is to first impart a swing on the ball.

I know you didn't ask for this but you are playing a false game at this time. You have created a way to get the ball down the fairway or on the green that may or may not involve a golf swing. You hit at the ball so you never know what will come with each shot. Sometimes your pleased and other times your upset. let's get you mimicking your practice with your real swing and find out what might be broke.
Click to expand...

That makes perfect sense.Thanks for the time and info
 
Try and make a practice swing your actual swing. Make a practice swing....get the feeling...get over the ball...make same swing trying to make the ball invisible in your mind...only thing you see is the blur of the club coming through.

Also hit balls with your eyes closed.
 
I bookmarked this YouTube video a couple years ago and watch it on occasion. It has helped me. I don't do the breathing stuff he talks about though.

 
Love this thread and the tips. Since I started playing I've suffered from the hit impulse, and still haven't found a way to break it 2 seasons later.

Freddie, your comments about swinging through to your finish really stand out to me. I notice that no matter what club I hit, I don't end up with that wrapped around finish like you see on TV or my golfing buddies have. My hands are about shoulder height in front of me; I know that you don't necessarily want that huge finish with short irons and wedges, but even with a driver it's a sawed off finish. If I'm reading what you wrote correctly, I wonder if thinking about just swinging to a finish will help with my hit impulse.
 
For me..... I always used an impact bag and put about 2 feet in front of where the ball would be. That's truly to spot where everything is synced in the downswing and where the most speed
Is supposed to be. If you learn to swing to that point and let the ball get in the way you soon will learn how to not hit at the ball


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Tadashi70 said:
But in actuality when you pull that club you've told your self you can hit the ball where you want, but really can't. At least not with any consistency. Why? because you hit at the ball. This means you goal is only to place the club on the back of the ball. And that is exactly what your brain tells your body to do. You take a big ole swing and hit the ball. You swing for all intents and purposes stop once the ball is hit.

You swing has traveled on a, lets say 6' arch away from the ball but need to travel on a 12" arch to complete the swing as you swing through. This mean you have to swing thru to your finish not back to the ball. This take a bit of trust on your part and it takes a strong drive to except the outcome of said swing. I would like you to go out and just play golf swing. Take a practice swing and mimic that practice swing with your real swing. Allow the ball to get in the way of the golf club. Don't worry about where the ball is going. Do this for 18 holes and don't worry about your score. When that round is complete, think back about your round. Think about the misses and the makes. Then we can work on the swing. The only way we find out what is broken is to first impart a swing on the ball.
Click to expand...

Really great advice hear, in an easy to understand explanation. Great post. Some other good tips in this thread too.


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Randyman28 said:
heres the rest of the video(part 2)

Click to expand...


I saw Shawn for a lesson in Toronto a couple of years ago. I tried his swing drills for a few months but they didn't really help me with things like coming over the top. I don't follow his swing mechanics now but I think his target focus rocks. When I feel it and then focus on the target it really helps.


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I started watching Shawn's 2013 DVD set again after getting into this thread. I agree, his swing mechanics don't work for me, but he has a lot of great ideas about target focus and not making the swing a tense, mechanical thing.


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Randyman28 said:
Anybody have any tips for player like me who likes to hit at the ball instead of swinging through?Did anybody else here have this problem?Whats some advice/tips that helped you overcome this?

I have a great practice swing(like most everybody does) with a great weight transfer.Put a white ball in front of me and I screw it up. :(
Click to expand...

Set up, take a practice swing, then when set, close your eyes and hit the ball.
 
I've been trying to do a point (left) shoulder to ball, shift weight and point (right) shoulder to ball type of drill. Keeping the spine tilt and pointing the shoulders seems to be helping hit through the ball.

Anyone else try this?
 
Tadashi70 said:
First off, welcome to THP and welcome to one of the biggest issue facing golfers. The eyes see your target and as a golfer you want to hit that target. You know you can hit that target with you driver. YOu can hit the ball with a nice little draw and it will fit nicely in the corner of the fairway. Or you're on a par 3 and see that tucked oin over the trap. You think I can hit my 7 iron nice and high. It will land soft and you'll have a good look at birdie.

But in actuality when you pull that club you've told your self you can hit the ball where you want, but really can't. At least not with any consistency. Why? because you hit at the ball. This means you goal is only to place the club on the back of the ball. And that is exactly what your brain tells your body to do. You take a big ole swing and hit the ball. You swing for all intents and purposes stop once the ball is hit.

You swing has traveled on a, lets say 6' arch away from the ball but need to travel on a 12" arch to complete the swing as you swing through. This mean you have to swing thru to your finish not back to the ball. This take a bit of trust on your part and it takes a strong drive to except the outcome of said swing. I would like you to go out and just play golf swing. Take a practice swing and mimic that practice swing with your real swing. Allow the ball to get in the way of the golf club. Don't worry about where the ball is going. Do this for 18 holes and don't worry about your score. When that round is complete, think back about your round. Think about the misses and the makes. Then we can work on the swing. The only way we find out what is broken is to first impart a swing on the ball.

I know you didn't ask for this but you are playing a false game at this time. You have created a way to get the ball down the fairway or on the green that may or may not involve a golf swing. You hit at the ball so you never know what will come with each shot. Sometimes your pleased and other times your upset. let's get you mimicking your practice with your real swing and find out what might be broke.
Click to expand...
Thanks to this post, I got things back on track yesterday with some pretty good ball striking. Thanks, Freddie.
 
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