Hit the Ball First, Then Divot: 5 Proven Steps & Drills That Work
New golfers often feel like it’s necessary to scoop the ball to get it up in the air. They slow their swing down, flip their wrists, and try to lift the golf shot off the ground.
After playing the game for a while, you’ll learn that hitting the ball first, then taking a divot, is how you hit consistent golf shots.
If you aren’t hitting the ball first, then divot, we have the drills and solutions to ensure you can. You may be surprised how much the positioning of your wrist impacts your ball-first, then divot impact position.
Hit the Ball First, Then Divot (Key Takeaways)
Do you want to wait to read this entire article until you get to the driving range? We get it. For now, here are the key points you can take with you:
- Make sure the ball position is correct in your golf stance; it could be throwing off your chances of the ball-first, then-divot contact.
- Wrist angles should stay flat to slightly flexed at the top of the backswing. This lessens the chance of flipping the club at impact and hitting the divot first before contacting the ball.
- Wear your HackMotion as you work on hitting the ball first, then divot, to ensure your hands lead the clubhead, and the club travels down instead of up through the ball.
- Don’t leave the body out of it; proper rotation of the chest and lower body ensures the club travels through the ground the way it should.
Contents
5 Simple Steps to Hit Ball First, Then Divot
If your divot occurs before the golf ball, you need to work on your golf swing.
Get the Ball Position Right
Having the ball positioned too far forward in your stance can make it difficult to hit the ball first, then divot.
You have so much distance to travel to get the club to the forward part of your stance that you end up hitting the ground first.
For irons, play the ball in the center of your stance for most shots. You’ll have an easier time creating that downward strike.
Think about it this way: when you hit a driver, you play the ball forward to catch it on the upswing.
When you play with an iron or a wedge, you want to make sure it’s middle and you strike as part of the downswing.
Getting your ball position right will help eliminate both fat and thin shots.
Also, check your distance to the ball. If you reach for it too much, it’s hard to make a divot!
If you stand too close, you’ll probably strike the ground first, then the golf ball.
Maintain the Correct Wrist Position Throughout the Swing
At the top of an average golf swing, the lead wrist is extended or cupped.
This position opens the clubface, and it typically occurs as a result of mistakes made in the backswing.
At the top of your backswing, you want to have a flat or slightly flexed lead wrist. This position allows for better body rotation through impact and a square clubface at the time of the strike.
Let’s say the lead wrist is extended 25 degrees at the top of the backswing. That means as part of the downswing, you’ll have to lose all of that extension to get the lead wrist to a flat or slightly flexed point.
That’s a lot of work to do!
Instead, HackMotion can get the club into the proper position at the top. From here, you can rotate the body and hit the ball first without having to worry about squaring the clubface.
This action keeps the wrists from breaking down early in the swing or flipping at impact. It’s the easiest way to compress a golf ball at impact.
Use the Body to Help You
Inconsistency in ball striking is often caused by leaving the body out of the swing. Proper body rotation helps you strike the ball cleanly and get that ball first, then divot contact.
Take a look at your takeaway. Are you incorporating the lower body and shoulders as part of your turnback? Do the hands and wrists just take over?
Focusing on turning your hips and chest through the shot allows your weight to shift onto the lead leg. This weight shift ensures that the club will strike down on the ball rather than bottoming out too early.
Your body makes the swing more of a rotation and not just a “slap” that is controlled by the hands and wrists.
Control the Low Point of the Swing
The low point of an amateur golfer’s swing is often behind the ball, which causes ground first rather than ball contact.
To make sure you have the correct low point in your swing, consider working on a low point drill where you shift your weight forward and make sure your hands are leading the club at impact.
This slight weight shift to the lead side at setup can help you make contact with the ball as a downward strike.
The low point control drill from Tyler Ferrell lets you experiment with some different positions and how you should work on tweaking your low point control.
Do Not Sway Through Impact
If you take our advice on rotating your body through the golf ball but still find you are hitting the ground first, it could be because of a sway.
Sometimes the sway move feels powerful, but it will again change that low point in the swing and likely cause an issue with the ball first, then divot contact.
One of the best ways to stop swaying is to put an alignment stick on the ground on the side of your lead leg. As you swing down, don’t bump into this stick; instead, rotate around it.
Practice this drill first with a club that you trust, and you can take controlled swings. Work your way up to make the swing more efficient and the strike more powerful.
Drills to Help Hit Ball First, Then Divot Contact
To hit more golf shots where you strike the ball first than the divot, these are a few of the best drills to practice.
Short Game Practice
If your issues with your contact and strike are because you are still believing that you have to “lift” the golf ball up in the air then you may want to do some extra short game practice.
While working on your short game you’ll be able to make a miniature version of your full swing and focus on not hitting behind the ball.
Hit some wedge shots from 20 to 30 yards away and challenge yourself to hit the ball first. Most of the time, this requires a little weight on the lead side.
Tee After the Ball Drill
Place a tee after the ball and focus on hitting the ball first and then the tee. Use your HackMotion while you practice this drill to see if your wrist angles are correct at the top of the swing and then again at impact.
Push the Ball Into the Ground
One of the best ways to help with this ball-first-divot impact position is to use a golf ball under the ankle.
As you swing down from the top to the impact position, you’ll focus on pushing the ball into the ground. This creates the weight shift needed to strike the ball first and then take your divot.
Final Thoughts
Hitting behind the ball and striking the ground first causes you a loss of distance and sometimes a lack of control in the ball’s flight.
Wear your HackMotion to make sure your wrist position is correct at the top of the backswing and then again at impact.
If you notice too much extension in the lead wrist, it could cause you to flip just before impact and get inconsistent results.
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