Why do I always hit the ground before the golf ball?
David Ramirez
Updated on June 17, 2026
When a player hits the ground before the ball it is generally because their club is attacking the ball from too shallow an angle. Golf coaches refer to this as the "Angle of Approach".
Why do I hit the ground before the ball with my driver?
As your hips move too much side to side, this can often cause the club to hit the ground before the ball if you do not recenter yourself exactly the same amount. Also, when you stance is too wide, the potential locations the club has to hit the ground increases, which results in more inconsistent strikes.
Why am I hitting the ground first with my irons?
Generally speaking, a thin or fat shot is caused by having your swing center too far behind the ball at impact. This error causes your club to bottom out too far behind the ball and will cause you to hit the ground first (a fat shot) or hit the top of the ball (a thin shot).
Why do my golf shots go along the ground?
Specifically, players who hit ground balls are leaving too much weight on their right foot as they come down into the ball. When your weight gets stuck on your foot in the downswing, the club will bottom out before the ball – meaning it will be on the way back up when it actually arrives at impact.
Why am I hitting the ball fat?
Hitting the ball fat is when you hit the ground before the ball and as a result you have grass and dirt get between the club and the ball. The result to your performance is you lose distance. Angle of attack: The farther back the steeper the club will come down on the ball.
29 related questions foundWhy is hitting a golf ball so difficult?
So why is it so hard to hit the golf ball straight? The answer boils down to there factors, where the club face contacts the ball, the angle of the club face at contact, and the swing itself. To hit a ball perfectly straight all there of these things must be perfect, but that is much easier said then done.
How do I stop hitting the top of my golf ball?
Focus on taking your divot just after the ball as trying to get the clubhead down below the golf ball just after impact will improve your strike. In practice, pop a tee peg down just in front of the ball and focus on hitting that as well as the ball.
Why am I getting no distance with my irons?
This can be a symptom of body rotation or club head speed. There are drills you can do to increase your body rotation and your club head speed, generating more power behind your swing and allowing you to hit longer irons.
What part of golf is the hardest?
The 10 hardest shots in golf
- The 40-yard bunker shot.
- The flop shot from a bare lie.
- The long iron shot into the wind.
- The pitch from thick rough to a downward sloping green.
- The four-foot putt to make the buffer zone.
- The next iron shot after a shank.
- The carry over trouble.
- Second go at chipping/pitching over a water hazard.
Why don't my drives go far?
One reason you might not be hitting the ball very far is that you have too high of a spin rate with your driver and irons. An easy way to spot this is watching how high your shots go in the air. Golf shots that get hit with high back spin rates tend to climb higher into the air.
How do I improve my consistency in golf?
Here are some of the biggest factors that lead to a consistent golf swing and scoring consistently well on the links.
- Setup Position. So much of your game happens before you ever hit a shot. ...
- Focus on Tempo & Rhythm. ...
- The Importance of Impact Position. ...
- Don't Forget Your Short Game. ...
- Compete Consistently.
Why do I hit the ground with my fairway wood?
If your ball position is too far forward, like a driver, you may hit the ground before the ball, costing you good contact and distance. It can be helpful to take a practice swing that hit the ground and see where the club makes contact with the ground relative to your stance.
What happens if you stand too far away from the golf ball?
Standing too far from the golf ball will result in poor posture, which could result in inconsistent shots and no control over the ball. Standing too far can result in less distance, heel shots, and can cause you to lose balance easily. Standing too far from the ball is pretty common for beginner players.
How do I stop hitting behind the golf ball with irons?
How to Stop Hitting Behind the Ball
- Weight Transfer. One of the leading causes of the heavy golf shot is weight transfer. ...
- Rotate, Don't Sway. In order to have the proper weight transfer, you will need to keep your chest pointed down at the ball throughout the entire iron swing. ...
- Set Up. ...
- Focusing On Post Impact. ...
- TL;DR.
Why do I always hit my irons fat?
Hitting the ball fat is often a consequence of having an angle of attack that is too steep. To prevent this, feel like you take the club back with your arms whilst rotating your shoulders around your spine.
Do warm golf balls go further?
Generally, a warmer golf ball travels farther. The rubber materials used to make golf balls respond better if they are more resilient. Warmth enhances resiliency. A warmer ball will come off the clubface with more velocity and spin than a colder ball, encouraging loft.
Do soft golf balls go further?
Do Softer Golf Balls Go Further? As a general rule, soft low compression golf balls will travel further when you hit your driver and irons. With your wedges, soft and firm golf balls should travel the same distance.
Does tee height affect driving distance?
Does Tee Height Effect Driver Distance? The height of your tee effects your swing path into impact, especially with the driver. This, in turn, will have an influence on the spin that the ball will have on it. Teeing the ball up can help vastly reduce the spin on your drives and so increase distance.
Can you overthink golf?
You have now turned the relatively simple act of putting into a complex and complicated ordeal. Even PGA Tour golfers can fall into the trap of overthinking and need effective strategies to counter overthinking and over-analyzing.