Why Do I Hit the Ground Behind the Golf Ball?

Make the contact location visible

The immediate problem is that the club is meeting the ground before it reaches the ball. For a stock iron shot, we want to move that contact forward.

So take the ball out for a moment. Can you brush the grass on the target side of where the ball would be? That gives you something specific to do.

Start with the setup. Check the ball position and whether you are balanced. Make sure you are beginning from the position you intended, rather than changing it slightly with every attempt.

On a suitable practice area, mark the ball position. Make a short swing and see where the club first brushes the ground.

If the brush starts behind the mark, try to move it farther forward on the next attempt. You can use a tee set low in the ground beyond the reference point and try to clip it. Keep the swing small. The goal is to move the contact location without digging a trench.

Add the ball and keep the task

Then put the ball back and attempt the same task.

At The Tips, a mat can make it harder to judge exactly where the club first touched the surface. We can use an appropriate ground-contact feedback aid alongside TrackMan. Check the strike and ball flight as well as the mark on the practice surface.

If you keep hitting behind it, exaggerate the opposite. Feel like you are going to brush the ground farther in front than you normally would.

A small forward-step rehearsal can help some players experience that change. Learn the movement without a ball first, then bring it into a short shot.

See whether you can move the result

We can investigate why the contact keeps moving back if you struggle to change it. But first, find out whether a clear forward target helps you produce a different result.

Once you can repeat the task in a short motion, gradually make the swing longer. Keep checking where the brush begins.