Control the low point of your golf swing! The golfer must be able to control the low point and hit on the target side of the ball. The golfer must strike the ball and then the ground with irons and fairway woods.
Utilizing drills is the quickest way to stop chunking the golf ball.
There might not be anything worse in golf than chunking the golf ball.
You stand there on a 135 yard par 3 over a somewhat simple shot.
You have your 8 or 9 iron in hand and you hit behind the ball and it goes anywhere from 5 to 125 yards. You are left in bad shape and you hope to save the hole by saving a bogey and you are starting at double bogey right in the face.
We have all been there and the goal is to eliminate this shot and start striking the ball solid.
I think most amateur golfers could settle to simply striking the ball solid 99% of the time. If they can strike it solid and advance the ball in the general direction of the hole, then they are in good shape.
Golf is a wonderful game. It is full of fun, challenges and good times with others.
However, it can leave golfers frustrated when they start to struggle. There are several different causes of the chunk shot in golf and solutions to help you strike the ball solid.
The first fundamental in golf is being able to control the low point in your golf swing. Without this, it is difficult to improve as your ball striking will alway be suspect.
Once you get the striking of the ball down, focusing on the start line (fundamental #2) and controlling the curve. Once you have those two in place the 3rd fundamental is having enough speed to play the game.
How To Stop Chunking The Golf Ball?
Train and build the skill to control your low point by utilize this drill:
The Low Point Control Drill
- Take some yard paint and paint a 1-2 yard long line.
- Setup with 55% of your weight on your front side.
- Try to hit the target side of the line and see how many times out of 10 you can do this successfully!
- Repeat this drill every day for a month, tracking your progress and your ability to to this successfully in trials of ten.
- You may need to start with half swing and progress to full swings.
If you are struggling, put more weight forward and work on keeping your head still to help control the low point in the swing.
By utilizing this drill you can eliminate many of the causes detailed below.
Did you know by getting really good at this drill that you can eliminate the bladed shot. Controlling the low point can transform a golf game and help you hit the ball solidly once and for all!
Cause #1: Your Head Moves Too Much
The golf swing is difficult enough with a stable center. Moving off the ball and then back to the ball or ahead of the ball takes timing and practice.
Most amateur golfers, do not have the time to perfect the timing that it takes to drift off the ball with the head.
If you look at many of the all time greats, you will see that they keep their centers pretty stable and the body tilts and bends around this center.
This doesn’t mean that the pressure doesn’t shift in the legs, but it doesn’t required the head to move back and then through the shot.
Solution #1:
Stay centered in the golf and learn to use your tilts and bends to keep your head stable. A simple amount of weight on the front side will also help control the bottoming out of the club.
Cause #2: The Golfer Gets Ahead of the Ball
A second cause that is connected with the centered moving is when the golf slides too far in front of the shot. Instead of keeping the head centered and back, the golfer may shift forward.
Typically, the hips will side, the head will follow and it leaves the golfer in a bad spot. They will often throw their release early and if they time it up alright they can learn to play it that way.
But on the days when they are struggling, it can quickly turn disastrous.
Solution #2:
Keep your head back on the downswing by seeing the back of the ball. Think turn with the hips instead of slide and try to open up in your rotation through the ball.
Cause #3: Early Release of the Hands
One of the trickiest aspects of the golf swing is to know when to release the hands. Different instructors teacher different release points based on their beliefs for the stability of the club face through the hitting zone.
Bottom line is that if you early release and throw your hands, you increase your chances of hitting behind the ball. The early release of the hands is often caused by over shifting or early extension with the hips.
This leaves the golfer with no other option than casting the club.
The three causes above are the primary causes of the chunk shot in golf. I provided three quality videos to help you fix the primary issue that you may be having.
Next Steps
Step #1: Record Your Swing
Take a video of your swing at least from the caddie or side view. Check out where your head is and when you release the club. If you see yourself shifting off the ball, make sure you check out solution 1.
If you are sliding past the ball then check out video 2. The golf swing can be complicated, but getting a general understanding of where your head and your hands are in the golf swing is a good starting point.
Step #2: Utilize This Drill
Get yard paint and paint about a 2 yard long line in your yard. Also, buy some foam balls and place the ball on your line. Go ahead and strike the the ball and see where your divot starts.
The main point of this drill is to practice hitting the target side of the line.
Continue to see how many times out of 20 you can strike the ground on the target side of the line. Continue to practice this drill everyday, taking at least 40-50 swings with irons.
Over time you will see progress and start to naturally make some corrections as you can focus on the task.
If you are struggling with this drill, try putting 60% of your weight on your front leg throughout the swing. This will help you stabilize a potential shift of the ball and ensure that you have enough pressure on your front side at impact.
Step #3: Record Your Golf Swing Again
After a week of doing this drill and swinging 40-50 times a day, record your swing again and check out the location of your head at address, the top of the backswing, and at impact. Note if there are different from the week before.
Step #4: Continue to Drill and Assess
Continue to use this drill as needed. Use it to assess your skills development over time. This is a great drill to use. The best golfers in the world are able to control their low point 99.9% of the time.
The number one indicator in handicap golfers is the ability to strike the ground. The higher the handicap the great gap between the spots where the golfer will hit the ground.
Step #5: Train for Speed
Regardless of your current ability level, we could all use additional speed.
This speed drill below will also help you improve your swing mechanics. It is worth checking it out regardless of your current ability level. The swing mechanic improvement along with the additional distance will help your game!
Let’s face it, regardless of the current state of your game we all want more speed. It has become very clear the need for speed in the golf swing and there are ways to add speed!
The analytics on all levels of golf show how important speed and additional speed are in reducing golf scores.
It is time to start training for some additional speed. This is a drill and training protocol that I would highly recommend.
SPEED DRILL: Increase your swing speed through overspeed training
- Check out SuperSpeed Overspeed Training Protocols
- Train every other day for 10-15 minutes.
- See a 4-6% increase in swing speed as early as the first training protocol.
The number one thing that has helped me gain significant distance is the SuperSpeed Training System. This overspeed based system where you train every other day for about 10-15 minutes with different swing sticks can help you increase your swing speed by 5-8% which can be 20-30 yards.
Who wouldn’t want an extra 20-30 yards? Plus it helps improve your mechanics.
SuperSpeed Golf – Use Discount Code Golfjourney365 for some savings!
The analytics are pretty clear on the importance of speed in the game of golf. Would you rather hit your approach shot from 130 yards of 160 yards?
The answer is pretty simple! We know that over the course of time, we will hit shots from 130 yards much closer than from 160 yards, whether we are an average amateur golfer, a scratch golfer, or a PGA Tour member!
The key is having shorter approach shots, so we can hit the ball closer to the hole and then make more putts! Speed is king in the game of golf! Make sure you check out SuperSpeed Golf!
Final Thoughts
Continue to drill and work on your game. Once you have improved with the first fundamental, make sure you check out our post on developing a stock shot. This is connected with fundamental #2.