How To Hit a Golf Ball Properly

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.

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.

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)

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.

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.

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.