How to Make Consistent Contact with the Golf Ball – 5 Pro-Level Fixes & Drills

The root of this game is being able to perform your best when you need it most. Being able to strike the golf ball consistently and having the confidence to do so frees up your mind to focus on the other aspects of a golf shot.

Many amateurs believe consistency is a natural occurrence that happens over time, but the truth is, you can specifically train in ways that will improve your consistency.

Practice doesn’t always make perfect if you’re practicing the wrong thing. Simply putting in the time isn’t enough to improve your consistency. If you want to see improvement, practice with the dedicated and proven methods listed below.

Consistent Golf Ball Striking (Key Takeaways)

Use these takeaways as a reminder next time you’re on the driving range. You will need them if you want to improve your ball striking consistency.

• Keep your head stationary while also maintaining a solid spine angle.
• Create real-life situations during practice so your range time is consistent with your play.
• Optimize wrist movement throughout the swing, and especially at impact.
• Create a pre-shot routine that puts you in the right position and mindset to recreate shots over and over again.
• Develop a tempo that is unique to you, so your body is always comfortable when swinging the club.

5 Tips to Hit the Golf Ball More Consistently

Increasing consistency takes time, effort, and dedication.

But if you employ these tips, you can speed up the process in a shorter time and take your game to the next level.

Keep Your Head Still

One of the most common causes of mishits is excessive head movement during the swing. When your head moves, it becomes much harder to return the clubface to the correct position at impact.

Focus on keeping your head still and your eyes fixed on the back of the ball until after you’ve struck it. If you struggle with this, practice hitting short chips and gradually work up to full swings, always focusing on head stability and maintaining your spine angle until long after the ball has been struck.

Most people say, “Keep your head down,” but what they really mean is “Stop losing your spine angle in the downswing”.

Keeping your head ‘down’ actually hinders your posture and ability to swing the club through impact freely. Always focus on keeping your head still, rather than looking down.

Practice with a Purpose

Simply hitting balls on the range won’t yield better ball striking unless you practice with specific goals in mind.

Focus your practice sessions on one or two key aspects of your swing each time—for instance, working solely on alignment or ball position. Use Hackmotion for detailed and accurate feedback that’s on par with what an expensive coach could provide.

Purposeful practice leads to targeted improvement and more consistent performance during actual play.

• Simulate Real Play – Imagine your home course and play it on the range. If the first hole requires a drive with trees on the right side, then visualize that on the range. Wherever that drive ends up, simulate what your second shot would look like and play that.
• Practice Different Lies – Hone your ability to make contact under any circumstances by practicing sidehill and uneven lies. Use the end and the front of the practice tee to achieve this. Also, get some practice in out of the rough if your driving range allows it.
• Specific Ball Contact Drills – Use the drills below and track your progress either in a notebook or with Hackmotion. The app also features unique drills designed to address your specific issues.

Control Wrist Movement and Release

Having good ball position, posture, and setup is important for consistent ball striking, but refining your impact position will yield even better results.

Learning how to unload your wrists and release the club properly is more effective when trying to find the sweet spot repeatedly.

Your wrists play a crucial role in this, which is why Hackmotion is so popular among golfers.

Training your wrists can be challenging without professional help, but having the sensitive Hackmotion sensors pinpoint exactly where you went wrong and how to correct it is much more accessible for both recreational and advanced golfers.

You can also use a mirror at home to monitor and identify correct wrist movement and how to incorporate that with the rest of your swing.

This video explains the benefits of great wrist action and how it can improve your ball striking quickly.

Develop a Reliable Pre-Shot Routine

One of the foundations of consistent ball striking is having a reliable pre-shot routine. This routine helps you focus, clear your mind of distractions, and position your body optimally for a successful shot.

You can build your own pre-shot routine in any way you like, as long as you remember to do it the same way every time.

By repeating the same process before each shot, you build confidence and establish consistency, regardless of the situation or pressure on the course.

• Start from behind the ball to visualize the entire shot.
• Decide how many practice swings you will take and where you will take them.
• Determine how many times you will look at the target.
• Create a trigger thought that you only deploy when your body and mind are ready to fire.

Work on a Smooth, Controlled Tempo

Many amateurs struggle with consistency because they swing too fast and lose control of the club. Instead, focus on a smooth backswing and a gradual acceleration through the ball.

A repeatable golf swing tempo allows all the moving parts of your swing to synchronize properly.

You can use drills like counting “one” in your backswing and “two” through your downswing, or practice with a metronome to ingrain a steady rhythm. Maintaining a consistent tempo from shot to shot will directly translate to more reliable contact with the ball.

Use this drill that the late great Payne Stewart used to cultivate his world-famous tempo.

Drills to Increase Ball Striking Consistency

There are many drills that can help with ball striking, as it’s always the primary goal of any golf swing.

But these drills are dedicated to what happens at impact and will train your body to produce the same motions that return the club to the same way.

Under-Arm Towel Drill

To hit the ball with consistent contact, your entire body has to be in sync. Marrying your arms with your body is a crucial juncture in your swing and often a pain point for any level golfer.

This drill trains your body to keep up with your arm speed so every aspect of your swing can release at impact with power and with consistency.

• Video Timestamp: 3:35 – 4:40

Extended Alignment Stick Drill

This drill works best with irons, as it ensures your wrists are in the correct position to compress the ball at impact.

This is a great way to take full advantage of the Hackmotion system because the alignment stick will physically help you, while the sensors will confirm or deny whether you’re in the right position.

Do not hit balls with this drill; it’s only meant as a practice aid to teach your body what to feel at impact. It’s a bit of an exaggeration. This drill is extra beneficial for those who struggle with chunking their irons.

• Video Timestamp: 5:36 – 7:28

Hit Hard, Stop Quick Drill

This drill will help put all the correct movements in order and simulate a full-speed golf swing. You’ll need to incorporate your backswing, downswing, and correct impact position with weight transfer and wrist position.

You can use this drill as a test after you’ve been working on other drills. It will identify if the changes you’re making are becoming second nature and naturally being adopted by your body.

• Video Timestamp: 2:46 – 7:53

Consistent Tempo Drill

Golfers who have a smooth, effortless tempo usually make consistent contact with the golf ball. Tempos come in all shapes and sizes; some will be faster than others. The key is finding what speed works for you.

This drill is perfect for either developing or sharpening your tempo. You only need to use a 7-iron and can run it as many times as needed until you feel comfortable hitting all five golf balls solidly.

• Video Timestamp: 4:52 – 6:10

Final Thoughts

All golfers search for consistent contact, and each has their own definition. Consistent to a PGA pro is much different than what the rest of us consider to be consistent.

You can focus solely on your game at your own pace with these tips and drills, and you will improve your consistency.

To speed up the process, utilize the Hackmotion system, which covers a wide range of swing diagnoses; everything from proper wrist hinge to consistent tempo.

Being able to track your progress and receive professional guidance will expedite the learning curve and help you score your best as soon as possible.