7 Best Ball Striking Tips Ever!

It won't take the best golf tips to tell you that striking the ball better, with more consistency, is a great way to lower your scores on the golf course. There are many different components that need to come together to create a reliable golf swing, from fundamentals like the perfect golf grip and ball position to optimising launch angle and finding your rhythm.

In this video and article, Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Alex Elliott shares seven expert ball striking tips to improve your distance, accuracy and consistency...

7. Understanding The Descending Blow

The general rule with irons is the more loft you use, the more you should hit down on the golf ball. Many amateurs try to brush the ground, or help the ball into the air, but this exposes the leading edge and will undoubtedly lead to disaster.

A drill to improve this feeling encourages you to focus on a mark in front of the golf ball, and try to hit through that mark. You should be aiming for ball first, then turf, so don't be afraid to take a divot (as long as you replace it!).

6. Find The Centre Of The Club-Face

Finding the centre of the club-face makes a massive difference to your ball striking, and this drill can help you achieve that feeling more consistently. Make a gate using two tees that is wide enough for your club head, and place a ball slightly behind the gate.

Complete you normal swing and attempt to take a divot along the line beyond the gate, while making sure the clubhead doesn't touch the tees. This drill will help you to focus on quality of strike, rather than result, which in turn will help to create a better outcome.

5. Pressure Drill

If you look at an image of most top players through impact, their hands are head of the ball. This drill is a great way to create that feeling.

Place an alignment stick into the ground and address the stick with the club aligned to the middle. Complete your backswing, then slow right down as you reach the impact position in the downswing.

Check that your hands are ahead of the stick, where the ball would usually be positioned, as this will help you to hone this crucial aspect of the golf swing.

4. Driver Strikes

Getting good strikes with the driver is still hugely important despite the forgiveness of modern clubs. A quick way of finding out where you are striking the driver is by getting an aerosol can and spraying the face of the driver. Then hit a shot and location will be clear to see.

Additionally using another gate drill will help provide the strike location as well.

3. Swing Sequencing

A common area many golfers come unstuck is the sequencing of the swing. A couple of key points here are; can you feel the hips are always ahead of the shoulders, or the upper half of your body is always chasing the lower.

A simple way of putting that is, can you get your belt buckle to target before your chest.

2. Pre-Setting The Impact Position

A good example for this position is Matthew Wolff. If we look at what he does in his routine, he simulates the impact position with his knee bend to get that feeling dialled in.

Every golfer can do the same by feeling the pressure into the left side of their body and create that feeling which will result in a descending blow.

1. Arc Of The Swing

This is for those struggling particularly with the driver. With the irons we are looking for a descending blow but with the driver we want an ascending blow and part of that is understanding that the swing is an arc around us.

With the driver it is all about trusting the natural arc of the club in that you take it back on one line, bring it through on the same line but hit up on the ball with an ascending blow.

What can help here is setup. Having the ball in the right place is important as is spine angle but also feel as if you are swinging with the rhythm of a seven-iron too.