**I’m not talking about a plugged lie**, but rather, when I ground the club lightly, the leading edge sits significantly above the ground, making me think I’m going to skull it. How do you ensure that you still make solid contact with the ball when the grass isn’t as tight as you’d like?
Thanks!!
TacticalYeeter
If it’s partially plugged and you can’t get the club down then you need to adjust and hit down more, likely move the ball back slightly and just play for a low shot that doesn’t have a ton of spin.
Close the face down a little to get the leading edge lower and basically just advance the ball.
If this is just basic rough that you’re talking about though then you need to just learn to hit through the grass more.
In golf the leading edge of the club needs to be hitting the ground first so you need to lean the handle enough to allow that to happen.
RMC_889
It looks like you mean playing a ball in a divot or uneven lie
spankysladder73
Hit down on it at 2:30.
bwainwright
You need to understand how to correctly strike a ball with an iron.
There are two key concepts to understand. The first is the ‘low point’ of your swing. When you swing the club, the club head will have a natural point which is the lowest point before it starts to rise again. You *will* skull a ball when you make contact as the club is on the upswing. At that point, the leading edge is the first point of contact of the club. This is true in both scenarios here.
If you’re worried about skulling the ball because the club appears to be above the bottom of the ball at address, then this tells me that you’re trying to have the low point of the swing *at* the ball – this is incorrect. This is a ‘sweeping’ motion and is very common for beginners and high handicappers.
So, you need to understand that to correctly strike a ball with the club face, the low point of the swing *must* be ahead of the ball. When that is the case, you will strike the ball on the down stroke. This compresses the ball and provides a solid strike.
How do you ensure that the low point is ahead of the ball when you’re addressing the club *at* the ball?
That’s where the second key concept comes in – weight transfer.
When you start your down swing, a good ball striker will transfer their weight over to their lead side way before impact. This moves your low point ahead of the ball. Proper weight transfer will help with your scenario.
DijkstraDvorak
Said already but you just hit down into the ball. Around the green rough too. You don’t come across the rough and hope you end up striking the ball with a square face. Too much grass to cut through. You need to find an angle where you can strike down into the ball. Adjusting your swing length and speed to account for the less loft, angle of attack you’ll be delivering like UPS.
jjrst14
Friends dad said this. “Hit the Big ball (earth/ground) before the little ball”. This kind of thought has helped me steepen my swing when needed and can get some great results from bad lies.
AngryKhakis
Are you talking about in sand? Or just a ball in the rough with a buried a lie?
The answer is strike down on it for both, speed at which you strike down gonna vary by how far you need to hit the ball.
WYLFriesWthat
The release that gets you the lag where the club accelerates into the ball first and then the turf feels like you’re whipping a towel down with your trail arm and pulling it through with your hips.
Deplorable_33
Winter rules here in Washington state. Mark, lift, clean, and 6″ no closer to the hole.
Low_Firefighter_8085
Is your range on mats?
Potomac_Pat
Stop practicing hitting off mats
Jhorn_fight
Compression compression compression
Bobby-furnace
This is classic off mat vs off grass, essentially bounce and no bounce.
white_powerRanger
Hit more balls
thrillhouse416
You do your best, you hit it thin, you get angry, you finish the hole in 8 strokes but tell your friend it was just a double bogey. They know you lied but you’re not playing for money so they don’t really care but they are starting to get annoyed and they only call you when they can’t find another fourth.
You know, the usual stuff.
Alarmed-Bottle6587
Choke down. No need to grip at the very end of your club to “get distance.” Just choke down and hit a much more pure shot and take the chunk out of the equation.
HockeyandTrauma
Thought I saw a sign that said it’s lift clean and place today….
PartyyMartyy12
Don’t go to the range, problem solved!
10MirrororriM01
Be man, not bitch
fugazi-stugotz
You’re holding the club way too close in the second photo
raohdy
Lie dictates everything. You have to choose the shot that is appropriate for the lie and your abilities. That may mean accepting certain situations, like not being able to hit the green. That being said. If I’m in a bit of a depression or down In the rough. I always tell my buddies. “You gotta go get it.”
kathrynekat
I used to hit the range all the time to “practice” last year. Now I hit the course a few times a week. You can walk most public courses for the price of a large bucket or two of balls and it’ll be the best practice you’ll get.
craigles75
This is super helpful though I still have a question about being on the range with mats.
How do you practice properly on a range when you can’t get to the ideal lowest point (can’t take a divot out of a mat)?
What’s the best advice?
MrCondor
I go down a club and hit down on it as hard as I can.
I play blades so they cut through the turf a but easier.
25 Comments
**I’m not talking about a plugged lie**, but rather, when I ground the club lightly, the leading edge sits significantly above the ground, making me think I’m going to skull it. How do you ensure that you still make solid contact with the ball when the grass isn’t as tight as you’d like?
Thanks!!
If it’s partially plugged and you can’t get the club down then you need to adjust and hit down more, likely move the ball back slightly and just play for a low shot that doesn’t have a ton of spin.
Close the face down a little to get the leading edge lower and basically just advance the ball.
If this is just basic rough that you’re talking about though then you need to just learn to hit through the grass more.
In golf the leading edge of the club needs to be hitting the ground first so you need to lean the handle enough to allow that to happen.
It looks like you mean playing a ball in a divot or uneven lie
Hit down on it at 2:30.
You need to understand how to correctly strike a ball with an iron.
There are two key concepts to understand. The first is the ‘low point’ of your swing. When you swing the club, the club head will have a natural point which is the lowest point before it starts to rise again. You *will* skull a ball when you make contact as the club is on the upswing. At that point, the leading edge is the first point of contact of the club. This is true in both scenarios here.
If you’re worried about skulling the ball because the club appears to be above the bottom of the ball at address, then this tells me that you’re trying to have the low point of the swing *at* the ball – this is incorrect. This is a ‘sweeping’ motion and is very common for beginners and high handicappers.
So, you need to understand that to correctly strike a ball with the club face, the low point of the swing *must* be ahead of the ball. When that is the case, you will strike the ball on the down stroke. This compresses the ball and provides a solid strike.
How do you ensure that the low point is ahead of the ball when you’re addressing the club *at* the ball?
That’s where the second key concept comes in – weight transfer.
When you start your down swing, a good ball striker will transfer their weight over to their lead side way before impact. This moves your low point ahead of the ball. Proper weight transfer will help with your scenario.
Said already but you just hit down into the ball. Around the green rough too. You don’t come across the rough and hope you end up striking the ball with a square face. Too much grass to cut through. You need to find an angle where you can strike down into the ball. Adjusting your swing length and speed to account for the less loft, angle of attack you’ll be delivering like UPS.
Friends dad said this. “Hit the Big ball (earth/ground) before the little ball”. This kind of thought has helped me steepen my swing when needed and can get some great results from bad lies.
Are you talking about in sand? Or just a ball in the rough with a buried a lie?
The answer is strike down on it for both, speed at which you strike down gonna vary by how far you need to hit the ball.
The release that gets you the lag where the club accelerates into the ball first and then the turf feels like you’re whipping a towel down with your trail arm and pulling it through with your hips.
Winter rules here in Washington state. Mark, lift, clean, and 6″ no closer to the hole.
Is your range on mats?
Stop practicing hitting off mats
Compression compression compression
This is classic off mat vs off grass, essentially bounce and no bounce.
Hit more balls
You do your best, you hit it thin, you get angry, you finish the hole in 8 strokes but tell your friend it was just a double bogey. They know you lied but you’re not playing for money so they don’t really care but they are starting to get annoyed and they only call you when they can’t find another fourth.
You know, the usual stuff.
Choke down. No need to grip at the very end of your club to “get distance.” Just choke down and hit a much more pure shot and take the chunk out of the equation.
Thought I saw a sign that said it’s lift clean and place today….
Don’t go to the range, problem solved!
Be man, not bitch
You’re holding the club way too close in the second photo
Lie dictates everything. You have to choose the shot that is appropriate for the lie and your abilities. That may mean accepting certain situations, like not being able to hit the green. That being said. If I’m in a bit of a depression or down In the rough. I always tell my buddies. “You gotta go get it.”
I used to hit the range all the time to “practice” last year. Now I hit the course a few times a week. You can walk most public courses for the price of a large bucket or two of balls and it’ll be the best practice you’ll get.
This is super helpful though I still have a question about being on the range with mats.
How do you practice properly on a range when you can’t get to the ideal lowest point (can’t take a divot out of a mat)?
What’s the best advice?
I go down a club and hit down on it as hard as I can.
I play blades so they cut through the turf a but easier.