MY GOLF BLUEPRINT

Ball-first contact without chopping down

An iron clubhead beside a golf ball on short grass. — Photo: Mikhail Nilov / Pexels

Ball-first contact is about the order of impact and the position of the swing arc. A steeper blow is not automatically a better strike.

Work through it

Use a short iron from level ground.
Locate the ball line and inspect the first turf contact.
Keep speed low enough to make the contact order visible.
Compare grass and mat feedback if both are available.

A practical example

A shallow divot beginning after the ball can be a useful result; a deep divot starting behind it is not.

Practice task

Hit three sets of five balls with the same setup. Record clean, ground-first and thin strikes. Aim to increase the clean count before increasing speed.

Common mistakes

Do not push the handle excessively forward or bury the leading edge just to create a divot. Soft turf, club bounce and individual delivery affect the mark.

Choose a comfortable movement and change one variable at a time. Stop if a movement causes pain; a qualified coach can adapt the task to your mobility and experience.