No Hit at the Ball

An ideal golf shot has no distinguishable change at the ball, meaning there is no “hitting at” or “chopping at” it, like swinging an axe into a tree. There should be no change other than a predetermined* continuation of acceleration to the finish.

Now, this does not mean you can’t hit the ball various distances with the same club. You absolutely can, and you can vary the shot’s shape and how the ball behaves once it lands. You do this by visualizing a slower or faster body rotation speed. Practice this at the range to see the different results you get with different levels of effort, then apply what you’ve learned on the course.

A good way to practice this is to imagine how gradually or aggressively you want to accelerate from the top of the backswing to the finish. This is not about starting quickly; rather, the swing gathers speed toward the finish. This also does not mean you have to speed up a lot. The acceleration can be slow and subtle.

The reason I say to always accelerate** to the finish is that, in my own experience and in teaching golfers for over 30 years, bad results almost always occur when the swing decelerates. Now, there are some touch shots and trick shots where you slow down into or just past the ball, but those are rare. Accelerating to a complete finish almost always produces the best results. And remember: “No hitting at the ball.” The ball just gets in the way as you rotate through to a nice, balanced finish!

*Predetermined means you have imagined or recalled a body rotation speed or pace that you practiced or used in the past to get the results you want—for example, a shot that travels 50 yards.

**Accelerate means to smoothly increase speed toward the finish. The increase can range from very slight to an aggressive “really go after it” approach. Both are viable and have their uses.