How To Hit a Golf Ball Properly

Author: WhyGolf WhysGuy

We want to preface this guide with the acknowledgment that neither WhysGuy nor anyone from the WhyGolf team claims to know everything about the golf swing. We don’t want anyone to treat what we say here as gospel. While much of what we’ll say is a reflection of decades of dialogue with PGA instructors and players, we’re always learning and we understand that knowledge about the sport of golf will continue to evolve over time. 

If you’re reading this, you probably struggle with making consistent contact with the golf ball.

Whether you're new to golf or an experienced player, getting the fundamentals right in golf is so important if you’re looking to improve your game.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll break down the essential elements of a proper golf swing - from setup to follow-through - helping you develop a reliable technique that will help you play your best.

The Importance of Proper Golf Ball Striking

Before diving into technique, it's worth understanding why proper ball striking matters. When you hit a golf ball correctly:

  • You hit it farther with less effort
  • Your shots become more accurate and predictable
  • You reduce the risk of injury
  • You develop consistency that translates across all clubs
  • Your confidence increases, improving your overall game

Now let's examine each component of hitting a golf ball properly.

Setting Up for Success: Keys to Building Your Stance

Addressing Your Ball Position

The position of the ball in your stance varies depending on which club you're using:

  • Driver and woods: Position the ball forward in your stance, roughly in line with the inside of your front foot
  • Mid-irons (5-7): Place the ball between your left heel and middle of your stance
  • Short irons (8-PW): Position the ball in the middle of your stance or slightly forward of center
  • Wedges: Place the ball in the middle of your stance

Learn how to tell if your ball position is off and correct it.

Working On Correct Posture

  • Finding yourself hitting pull hooks? It's possible your ball position is way too far forward in your stance.
  • As we discussed earlier in this article, a forward ball position will generally cause your club's face angle to be pointed left at impact (for right-handers)
  • If you move your ball position closer to the middle of your stance, your ball will likely begin starting out on line.
  • Note: Since your ball was initially hooking, the downside to moving your ball position back is that your swing path may now be even farther to the right. Consider aiming your shoulders and feet a little left at setup to counteract this.

Grip Fundamentals

Your grip connects you to the club, making it arguably the most crucial element of your setup:

  1. Grip pressure: Hold the club firmly but not tightly—about a 5 or 6 on a scale of 10.
  2. Hand position: For a neutral grip, you should see 2-3 knuckles on your left hand (for right-handed golfers).
  3. Grip types: Choose between interlocking, overlapping, or ten-finger grip based on comfort and control.

The Perfect Golf Swing: Step by Step

Let's dive right into what the perfect golf swing looks like. You'll need it in order to hit the golf ball properly.

The Takeaway

The first 12-18 inches of your backswing sets the tone for everything that follows:

  1. Start by moving the clubhead, hands, and arms away from the ball as one connected unit
  2. Keep the clubface square to your target line
  3. Maintain your spine angle and avoid early wrist hinge
  4. Let your shoulders turn naturally as the club moves back

The Backswing

As you continue your backswing:

  1. Rotate your shoulders while maintaining your spine angle
  2. Allow your hips to turn naturally, but less than your shoulders (about 45 degrees)
  3. Keep your left arm relatively straight (for right-handed golfers)
  4. Hinge your wrists gradually as the club approaches the top position
  5. Shift some weight to your back foot, but maintain pressure on your front foot

At the top of your backswing, the club should be positioned roughly parallel to the ground (or slightly less with shorter clubs), with your wrists fully hinged.

The Transition

The transition from backswing to downswing is often where amateur golfers struggle most:

  1. Initiate the downswing with a slight lateral shift of your lower body toward the target. (think “bump”)
  2. Keep your arms relaxed and let them "fall" into the correct plane.
  3. Maintain the angle in your wrists on the downswing to avoid casting the club.
  4. Begin rotating your hips toward the target.

The Downswing and Impact

As you approach impact:

  1. Continue rotating your hips and shoulders toward the target.
  2. Shift your weight progressively to your front foot.
  3. Release the club through impact with your hands slightly ahead of the ball (forward shaft lean).
  4. Maintain a stable head position—avoid lifting up.
  5. Strike down on the ball with irons to create proper compression (the divot should be after the ball).

The Follow-Through

A proper follow-through indicates you've executed the previous steps correctly:

  1. Allow your body to continue rotating toward the target.
  2. Transfer your weight fully to your front foot.
  3. Let your back foot rise naturally onto your toe.
  4. Finish with your chest facing the target and the club behind your left shoulder (for right-handed golfers)

Common Mistakes When Hitting a Golf Ball

Even experienced players can fall into these traps. Watch out for:

Slicing

A slice (ball curving right for right-handed golfers) typically results from:a

  • An open clubface at impact
  • An outside-to-in swing path
  • Poor grip with hands rotated too far to the left

Fix: Strengthen your grip slightly and focus on swinging more from the inside. If you’re looking for an easy way to fix your swing path, check out our Alignment Discs and Rods.

Topping the Ball

Hitting the top of the ball often happens because:

  • You're lifting your head or upper body during the swing.
  • Your ball position is too far back or forward in your stance.
  • You're standing too far from the ball.
  • You’re chicken winging through impact.

Fix: After checking your ball position, make sure you keep your arms extended through the impact area. If you’re looking for feedback on your arm structure, consider taking a look at our ArmAlarm.

Fat Shots

Hitting behind the ball can be caused by:

  • Excessive weight on your back foot at impact.
  • Ball position is too far forward.
  • Your attack angle is too steep.

Fix: The most common cause of fat shots is an improper weight transfer. If you’re looking for real-time feedback on your weight shift, you’ll love our Pressure Plate + Power Wedge.

Practice Drills To Improve Ball Striking

Consider incorporating these drills and golf training aids into your practice routine:

Alignment Discs With Rods Drill

Using our Alignment Discs, you can set up a swing path station to create a channel for your club to swing through, encouraging the proper path. Additionally, you can practice hitting draws and fades depending on where you set the Discs.

Get Ball-First Contact With The Pressure Plate

Start with half swings with your weight forward, focusing on solid contact before progressing to full swings. This builds muscle memory for proper impact. Use our Pressure Plate + Power Wedge if you want to know where your weight is in real time.

Keep Arms Connected To Your Chest With ArmAlarm

Place each ArmAlarm strap halfway between your wrists and elbows, and with the tether armed, make sure it doesn’t beep! This will foster better body rotation and arm extension.

Bonus Tip: Get Equipment That Fits Your Swing

While technique is more important, having properly fitted equipment will help you hit the ball better. You’re best off finding a professional club fitter, but here are some key things to keep in mind:

  • Shaft flex: Should match your swing speed. Regular or stiff flex shafts will fit 80% of golfers.
  • Club length: Improper club length can cause compensations in your swing. Your height and arm length are the two most important factors.
  • Lie angle: You may want your clubs slightly upright or flat depending on your height. To test whether your clubs’ lie angle fit you, you’ll likely need help from a professional.
  • Grip size: Thin grips - easier to flip the hands through impact. Thicker grips - vise versa.

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Final Thoughts On Hitting A Golf Ball Properly: Consistency Is Key

The first step to playing better golf is to understand that improvement in golf takes a colossal amount of persistence, belief, and determination. Some additional things to remember:

  • Practice Regularly: Set aside time each week for deliberate practice.
  • Be Patient: Focus on progress, not perfection. You may not see improvement week to week but you need to trust yourself that your time will pay off.
  • Focus On One Swing Change At A Time: Trying to fix everything at once leads to frustration - try sticking to one aspect, perfect it, then move to another.
  • Use Training Aids And/Or Get Professional Help: While training aids can certainly help speed up your progress, there’s no replacement for a swing coach who can help keep you on track and accountable.
  • Trust The Process: Results will not come overnight. Trust is the by-product of paying your dues and succeeding over and over again in practice.

Even professional golfers continually work on their fundamentals. By focusing on the proper technique outlined in this guide, you'll develop a repeatable swing that delivers more consistent results on the golf course.

Whether you're looking to lower your handicap, increase your distance, or simply enjoy the game more, mastering how to hit a golf ball properly provides the foundation for all other improvements in your golf game.

Ready to put these techniques into practice? Grab your clubs, head to the range, and focus on one element at a time. Your improved ball striking will translate to better scores and more enjoyment on the course!

Fix Hooks, Slices, and More with the WhyGolf Alignment Discs

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Ready to make an investment in your golf swing? Learn more about how the Alignment Disc can help you with your swing plane here.

What is ball position in golf?

The location of the golf ball in relation to the player's stance is referred to as the ball position in golf. It can influence the shot's trajectory and distance, as well as the direction of the ball's spin. The ball position can be changed for various shots, such as a driver, iron, or putt. A common default ball position for a driver is just forward of center in the stance, for a mid iron is in the center of the stance and for a short iron or a wedge is just behind the center of the stance.

How do I hit a draw?

We made an article on this. Click here.

How do I hit a fade?

We made an article on this. Click here.

Where should my ball position be with my irons?

Ball position with irons should vary depending on the iron shot and the player's personal preference. In general, the ball should be placed near the center of the stance, between the front and back foot, for mid- to short-iron shots. This gives the golfer complete control and accuracy. Longer irons, such as 3- or 4-irons, can have the ball positioned slightly forward in the stance, towards the front foot, for a higher launch and longer carry. As a golfer's swing and shot-making abilities improve, he or she may experiment with different ball positions. The key is to find a ball position that produces the desired shot shape and trajectory on a consistent basis.

Where should my ball position be when putting?

When putting, a golfer should generally determine which ball position feels optimal, as it's highly individual. This will often be a reflection of whether a golf is left or right-eye dominant. A left eye-dominant golfer will generally feel more comfortable with their ball position slightly forward of center, and a right-eye dominant player will generally find that they're more comfortable hitting putts with the ball slightly back of center in their stance. Most players will find that they putt best when their eyes are parallel with their line to the hole. Finally, ball position while putting is a matter of personal preference, which can be modified based on individual technique and what produces the best results for each golfer.

Where should my ball position be with driver?

With a driver, the ball should be at a minimum slightly forward of the center of your stance. Most players will have the ball played off their left heel with driver. This gives you the most power and range on your shots. However, every golfer is unique, and it's critical to experiment and practice to find the ball position that works best for you.

Is a draw or fade better?

If you were a true WhyGolf fan, you'd already have known that we have a post on Draws vs. Fades where we compare and contrast the two ball flights. Just kidding. But seriously, go read that article.

Where should my ball position be when chipping?

When chipping, the ball is usually centered in the stance or slightly back towards the back foot. This placement encourages a descending blow and reduces the possibility of hitting the ground before the ball. Finally, ball position when chipping will typically be a reflection of what the golfer is trying to do with their golf ball around the green. If they're trying to hit a higher shot that lands softly, they'll find it easier to accomplish this with their ball position forward of center. If they're trying to hit a bump and run type chip, this will be easier to accomplish with ball position closer to their trail foot. Ultimately, like putting, ball position when chipping is a matter of personal preference that can be adjusted based on individual technique and what produces the best results for each golfer.

How does ball position affect swing path?

The position of the ball has a significant impact on the swing path. If the ball extremely forward in the stance, the golfer will swing too much from outside, often resulting in a left swing path (for right-handers) and an extremely closed clubface. A ball that is too far back in the stance, on the other hand, can cause the golfer to swing too much from the inside, resulting in a path that is very steep and prone to pushing the ball to the right.

To achieve a desirable swing path, the correct ball position must be determined based on the type of shot being played, the type of club being used, and individual preferences. A more neutral swing path that is less prone to directional issues can be promoted by a centered ball position. Overall, finding a ball position that allows the golfer to maintain proper posture and spine angle throughout the swing, as well as generate a smooth, consistent path that results in the desired shot shape and trajectory, is critical.

Check Out Our YouTube Channel For Drills and Tips

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