Hitting behind the ball (with a Manzella Top 10!)

[TPG]

Happy Thanksgiving all...

I got a round of golf in this week - bad news was it was only 40 degrees F. , good news was I had the course to myself and played in 3.5 hours.

Several times I hit the ground 2-3 inches behind the ball - As the club progressed towards the ball, the divot got deeper, so I dont think I was flipping it...

Many times I hit the ball cleanly first before hitting the ground, often with a divot 2-3 inches past the ball, so I know I am capable of making good contact... is there something specific from a technical perspective that I did wrong when hitting the ground first?

 

[Kevin Shields]

I think there's a decent chance the cold weather can throw your timing off a bit. Try to make sure you are completing your backswing but really focus on not getting to impact before your tailbone has "filled the gap" over your lead hip. If impact beats your lead leg, you always run the risk of catching it heavy. But dont underestimate what a little cold can do to your rythym.

 

[jenhaoyen]

I'm not sure if this is true, but I just hit millions of balls today and I figure that when you turn your shoulder your hands has to drop closely by your body, if you don't do that you will hit it fat or push to the right. I saw couple of my video when i was hitting fat the shaft was matching my right shoulder on the down swing instead of my right bicep.

 

[jenhaoyen]

my ball flights..are really great but the club sort of just stuck in the ground like it trapped the ball and just went into the ground LOL. It really hurts my body, I can't really move my shoulders anymore because it's so painful after hitting so many shots like that. I tried to swing my left same thing happens.

 

[cmartingolf]

Concept of impact..

Happy Thanksgiving all...

I got a round of golf in this week - bad news was it was only 40 degrees F. , good news was I had the course to myself and played in 3.5 hours.

Several times I hit the ground 2-3 inches behind the ball - As the club progressed towards the ball, the divot got deeper, so I dont think I was flipping it...

Many times I hit the ball cleanly first before hitting the ground, often with a divot 2-3 inches past the ball, so I know I am capable of making good contact... is there something specific from a technical perspective that I did wrong when hitting the ground first?

TPG,

Trying to answer this question is sort of hard. It seems as though you have the ability to take a decent divot on the target side of the ball. Most people can't even come close, so congrats.

With that, you still hit some fat shots? So, being that you are decent and your levers line up a good percentage of the time, you have some rythym issues and perhaps an unclear idea of what you are trying to do.

"Fats" are shot where the lever (left arm and club) generally come to an alignment too early. Ugg, mud in the eye. Yeah, you can bob and weave, but that's not likely the cause for you.

Remember, the ball is not necesssarily the goal of the swing. Although I look at the ball, my mind's eye is on the divot left of the ball. The ball is merely sweet compression on the way to the bottom of my divot. Change your attention and I'll bet you get more of the "good" divots than the bad ones.

Oh, and if you start shanking it? Swing more left.

 

[jenhaoyen]

TPG,

Trying to answer this question is sort of hard. It seems as though you have the ability to take a decent divot on the target side of the ball. Most people can't even come close, so congrats.

With that, you still hit some fat shots? So, being that you are decent and your levers line up a good percentage of the time, you have some rythym issues and perhaps an unclear idea of what you are trying to do.

"Fats" are shot where the lever (left arm and club) generally come to an alignment too early. Ugg, mud in the eye. Yeah, you can bob and weave, but that's not likely the cause for you.

Remember, the ball is not necesssarily the goal of the swing. Although I look at the ball, my mind's eye is on the divot left of the ball. The ball is merely sweet compression on the way to the bottom of my divot. Change your attention and I'll bet you get more of the "good" divots than the bad ones.

Oh, and if you start shanking it? Swing more left.

that's very true, whenever i try to hit the tv on my left side i hit good shots. I just can never hit it with my right shoulder. As explained in SD, right shoulder drop down to your right pocket move Ball flight usually really high and push towards the right side front divots but really chunky.

 

[TPG]

Thanks guys - I didnt think I was flipping it, but the left arm and club coming into alignment too early is a possibility, esp. if I am not getting my hip xfer completed as Kevin suggested.

 

[Brian Manzella]

Why?

Manzella's 10 ways to hit it Fat.

1. You are coming in below plane. If all over things are fine, you generally run into the ground before you get to the ball. Rarely a front edge divot fat shot, though. Scrape.

2. You hips are not far enough forward at impact. You could be perfectly on plane and make a front edge divot behind the ball. Dud.

3. Fiip. Nuff said.

4. Left Shoulder is not far enough away from the ball at impact. Oops.

5. "Diving into the ball." Upper body lunge toward the ball. Even if your arms retreat—and often with the "dive" they will, massive fats can occur. Sorry Mr. Greenskeeper.

6. A late "Fit-in" move. You came over the top, or very steep, and you can't re-route and stand up fast enough. Fat.

7. Knee bobble. The upper body can be fine, everything else is great, and you do the "Knee bobble." Common in some really good players. You just got shorter. Chunk.

8. Too much FATS—Force Across the Shaft. If it is right toward impact, on any ole Aiming Point, and the right shoulder doesn't feel like it backs up enough. You will curse the perverted idea of "Hitting." Yuck.

9. Aiming too far left. One of the easiest ways to chunk it. You aim left, swing right, and get an automatic below plane disaster. Flub.

10. Lengthening the Radius Late. If you try to get the butt of the club out of its normal arc through the ball, in an attempt to "keep the club up you left arm," the club just got longer, and although "it looks good on video," you just hit it fat,a dn worse yet, the chipping and pitching yips may pay a visit. Ouch.

 

[jenhaoyen]

thank brian.

THe best way to hit the ball with the shoulder without hitting it fat for me was the TV box on the left side and also if i swing the club relative close to my body, feeling like my right shoulder is pulling the club down and just make sure the club keeps dropping and not hitting the plane glass that I imagine infront of me. Now golf is easy!! I wished I realized these things in the past.

 

[jake2]

Manzella's 10 ways to hit it Fat.
1. You are coming in below plane. If all over things are fine, you generally run into the ground before you get to the ball. Rarely a front edge divot fat shot, though. Scrape.

2. You hips are not far enough forward at impact. You could be perfectly on plane and make a front edge divot behind the ball. Dud.

3. Fiip. Nuff said.

4. Left Shoulder is not far enough away from the ball at impact. Oops.

5. "Diving into the ball." Upper body lunge toward the ball. Even if your arms retreat—and often with the "dive" they will, massive fats can occur. Sorry Mr. Greenskeeper.

6. A late "Fit-in" move. You came over the top, or very steep, and you can't re-route and stand up fast enough. Fat.

7. Knee bobble. The upper body can be fine, everything else is great, and you do the "Knee bobble." Common in some really good players. You just got shorter. Chunk.

8. Too much FATS—Force Across the Shaft. If it is right toward impact, on any ole Aiming Point, and the right shoulder doesn't feel like it backs up enough. You will curse the perverted idea of "Hitting." Yuck.

9. Aiming too far left. One of the easiest ways to chunk it. You aim left, swing right, and get an automatic below plane disaster. Flub.

10. Lengthening the Radius Late. If you try to get the butt of the club out of its normal arc through the ball, in an attempt to "keep the club up you left arm," the club just got longer, and although "it looks good on video," you just hit it fat,a dn worse yet, the chipping and pitching yips may pay a visit. Ouch.

Nice list.
I had last year some kind of combination of #2, 4 and 5. I had then added a lunge toward target, which allowed me to often contact ball first and take some really deep divots.

 

[birdie_man]

10. Lengthening the Radius Late. If you try to get the butt of the club out of its normal arc through the ball, in an attempt to "keep the club up you left arm," the club just got longer, and although "it looks good on video," you just hit it fat,a dn worse yet, the chipping and pitching yips may pay a visit. Ouch.

Can you try to explain why you will get the yips?

I have a vague idea but it is not clear to me and I could not explain it well to someone else.