"Ball-First" Impact Control Drill

Master Pure Contact: Ensure Your Low Point is After the Ball to Eliminate Fat and Thin Shots.

Sticks: 1

Config: Split

Focus: Full Swing

Drill Objective

Struggling with fat (hitting behind the ball) or thin contact? That happens when the low point of your swing arc occurs before or at the golf ball. This PGA Master Professional Eric Barlow's simple drill forces you to move that low point forward, guaranteeing ball-first contact for crisp, powerful strikes.

Set-Up

Set pathpal Flat: Lay the pathpal Golf device flat on the ground.
Insert Alignment Stick: Slide one alignment stick into the bottom ground tunnel so it lies flat on the ground, pointing toward the golfer.
Position the Ball: Place your golf ball on the ground, a clubhead width or slightly more forward of the tip of the alignment stick. The stick should be where your club would hit the ground if you struck behind the ball.
Final Check: The alignment stick is now the "no-hit zone" directly behind the ball.

Instructions

Practice Swings - Visualize: Take slow practice swings without a ball. Focus on a feeling of striking downward and forward toward the target, ensuring your clubhead trajectory bottoms out after where the ball would be.
Avoid the Stick: The absolute key objective is to swing over the alignment stick and avoid hitting it on the ground.
Feel the Forward Low Point: Feel your weight shift to the lead side and your hands leading the clubhead through the impact zone, which is necessary to delay the low point.
Execute the Swing: Once you feel confident you can clear the stick, hit golf balls with the same forward-focused action.
Analyze Feedback: A successful swing will strike the ball first, then take a divot (if hitting off grass) after the ball, and you will not hit the alignment stick. Hitting the stick means you hit behind the ball (fat shot).