It’s certainly possible to strike the ball well with an imperfect impact position – every golfer knows that silky, buttery feeling when the ball compresses nicely against the sweet spot of the club face.
But to play great golf, striking the ball with maximal efficiency, accuracy and consistency, in a way that is kind to your body, you must be in the correct position at impact.
Impact is everything in the golf swing, the moment of truth – everything you do, from taking your grip and setting up to the ball, from the first move away through to transition and downswing, is all about getting everything perfectly aligned and moving in the correct perfectly timed sequence through impact.
Impact is not a destination. Like every other position, once the golf swing gets moving, it is a position that you move through. But carefully checking your impact position, using this drill, can tell you a lot about the quality of your whole golf swing. Each element of the correct position is a symptom, a direct consequence, of an efficient, accurate, consistent and safe golf swing. If any single element is missing, this will lead to problems in the form of inconsistency and poor ball striking, and may lead to discomfort or even damage to your body. If all the elements are in place, it’s almost impossible not to have a great swing!
This is a simple yet very powerful drill that will help you to quickly identify problems with your golf swing. It provides a checklist of the key elements of the perfect golf impact position when viewed from face on. You should use it, very regularly, together with Golf Swing Drill 502b – Downswing: Check Your Impact Position – Down The Line, as a “health check” for your swing – helping you to monitor your progress and then to maintain a truly great golf swing.
For a more detailed explanation of the various aspects of the perfect impact position, see Golf Swing 502 – Downswing: The Perfect Golf Impact Position.
The Drill
Perform this drill in front of a full-length mirror, and use video regularly…
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…If you want to play great golf, you need to get into a great impact position. Get it right, and it will give you distance, control, accuracy, and consistency; and it will help you to avoid injury.
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Next up: Golf Swing Drill 502b – Downswing: Check Your Impact Position – Down The Line.
