Where Should The Golf Ball Hit The Club Face?

The center of the club face! Ideally the golfer will hit the golf ball with the center of the club face (or sweet spot) with every club in the bag. A golf ball hit too far on the toe, heel, high or low will result in a shot that potentially travels offline or not far enough.

Golf can be a complicated game.

It is even more difficult if the golfer is not hitting the center of the club face. While technology has some a long way in helping off center hits to travel straight and far enough, it still isn’t as ideal as a well struck, center hit on the golf ball.

Where should the golf ball hit the club face?

My Journey: Golf is so much better when striking the center of the face. The golfer that can control his or her club face and swing path can actually play golf vs “golf swing.” When you have a consistent ball flight pattern and distance control the game becomes a ton of fun!

Why is the center of the club face important?

The golf club is designed to maximize distance and shot dispersion in the center of the club face. While technology is at an all time high in golf, off center hits will lose distance and cause shots to possibly curve too far right or left. The golfer should also hit the center of the face from top to bottom as well. A shot that hits too high on the club face will balloon, while the shot that hits thin or off the bottom will travel less far and less high. The good news on the thin shot is that sometimes it can fly far enough because of a lower spin rate.

Struggle with an outside to in golf swing? Cure it once and for all!

How to measure where the golf ball hits on the club face?

There are several different ways to measure where the ball hits on the club face. The following options are options:

Impact tape
Spray

Feel

Option #1: Impact Tape

Golfers can purchase impact tape and practice at both the driving range or on a golf simulator. The impact tape is good for several uses and gives the golfer a good idea of where the ball was struck. Many golfers will use this on the driver to ensure they aren’t losing distance off the tee. This is the best way to truly get a quality idea of where the golf ball is hitting the club face.

Option #2: Spray

There are a variety of sprays that golfers will use at the driving range or into a hitting net. Before every shot, the golfer can apply the spray to get a quality idea of where the golf ball is striking the club face.

Option #3: Feel

As a golfer gets better at the game of golf, they can often feel where they hit the ball on the club face. The more advanced golfer can also read the ball flight. Oftentimes, the shot too low will fly low, the shot too high on the face will fly high. The shot on the toe will often turn over and draw slightly, while the shot on the heel might fade or hit weak to the right. As the golfer advances with his or her still they can make adjustments at the range of on the course if they consistently are missing the sweet spot in one location.

Best swing path for irons

Make sure you are properly aligned to the shot!

What factors impact golf with off center hits?

There are a variety of variables that could impact the quality of the strike and where the golfer hits the golf ball on the club face. The golfer should consider the following:

Alignment and stance
Distance from golf ball
Swing path

Variable #1: Alignment and stance

If the golfer is aimed too far right or too far left, the golfer might make adjustments during the golf swing to try to compensate for the alignment that is too extreme. With an open stance the golfer might cut across the ball, which can cause the ball to hit the heel or too closed of a stance might cause an inside to out swing path, which can make the ball hit further on the toe.

Variable #2: Distance from golf ball

Naturally, the golfer that stands too close to the ball or too far from the ball might struggle to hit the center of the face.

Too far from the ball could cause golf balls to hit on the toe.

Too close to the ball could cause golf balls to hit on the heel.
Or the opposite might happen if the golfer feels to close or too far and make compensation during the swing.

Variable #3: Swing path

There are so many things that happen in the swing, but if your swing path gets too extreme, there is the possibility of missing the center of the club face.

Outside to in swing path = potential strikes on the heel
Inside to out swing path = potential strikes on the toe

What is the best swing path for a driver?

The more frequently you can strike the ball on the center of the face, the more often you will hit quality shots!

3 Keys To The Golf Swing

The best golfers are able to control 3 main factors in every golf swing:

Control the low point of the golf swing
Control the start line and curve of the golf ball

Have enough speed to play the game

The off center hits in golf must often impact #2 above. When the golfer is hitting the toe or heel too often they are going to curve the ball too much and struggle with the distance as well. Working towards hitting the ball on the center of the face will help the golfer greatly.

Next Steps: Hit More Golf Balls

Use some impact tape and hit plenty of golf shots. Make sure you have a quality setup and make an athletic, natural move towards the golf ball. If you are struggling with hitting the ball solid, I would highly recommend Shawn Clement. He is one of the best online instructors in the golf world today! Check out his videos and get to work!

Final Thoughts

I would highly recommend using a golf launch monitor to help measure your quality of strike with every golf shot. I purchased a Skytrak Launch Monitor several years ago and the feedback is rather impressive. After every shot, you can receive the following:

Carry and Total Distance
Spin Axis

Spin Rate
Swing Path
Launch Angle

Ball Speed
Club Speed

In addition, the shot tracer is rather helpful in getting feedback. If you understand the ball flight laws, the shot tracer gives you the immediate feedback about where your clubface was at impact as well as your swing path based on the curve of the ball.

Check Current Price of Skytrak Launch Monitor, Here!

The Skytrak is a game changer and can make a huge difference in ball striking!

My Secret To Golf Improvement

Let’s face it, in order to get really good at golf, we must practice frequently. About four years ago, I made the leap and invested in a golf simulator build for my garage. I went with a SkyTrak Launch Monitor and the TGC software and can now play over 100,000 courses including Augusta, Pebble Beach, Bethpage Black, Whistling Straits. St. Andrews and many other of the top 100 courses in the world.

This golf simulator setup, which is more affordable that you might imagine, has been a game changer. I can now play golf everyday of the year regardless of rain, snow, cold weather or time of day. I can practice or play rounds of golf. I can stand in the 11th fairway at Augusta and with the auto-rewind feature I am able to practice my approach shots from various differences.

It is worth checking out through Rain or Shine Golf as they offer some incredible packages along with financing offers that are difficult to beat.

Some direct links to Rain or Shine Golf for pricing and financing:

Rain or Shine Golf Packages

Take Action – What You Can Do Today to Get Better

What does this mean for you? I believe in the following recipe to get better:

1 – Improve your motion in the golf swing by identifying a golf instructor. Here are some options:

Here is a list of golf instructors that we have reviewed:

2 – Train to swing faster and improve your swing speed. Here are some options:

Looking to gain more Speed and Distance in your swing. Two Options:

3 – Understand course strategy and work to break through your next barrier. Here is a series on breaking through:

We have provided guides on how to break 100, 90, 80 and 70. Check out more below, if interested.

4 – Practice Frequently

Did you know that I build a golf simulator in my garage and have played over 500 rounds of golf on my SkyTrak system? It has been a game changer and one worth checking out. Here are some of my other posts on golf simulators frequently asked questions: