One of the most frustrating problems in golf is hitting behind the ball, also known as “chunking” the shot. This leads to inconsistent ball striking, lost distance, and frustration on the course.
Our Performance Golf coaches break down the three main reasons why golfers hit behind the ball, introducing a simple drill to fix them all at once with one simple golf swing move.
The Three Common Causes of Hitting Behind the Ball
Most golfers struggling with hitting behind the ball are making one (or all) of these three mistakes:
- Lack of weight shifting forward– Staying too far behind the ball prevents solid contact.
- Lack of rotation– Insufficient body rotation leads to poor ball-first contact.
- Early wrist release– Releasing the wrists too soon causes the club to bottom out behind the ball.
As Eric Cogorno states in the video, all of these things really work together to make or break the golf swing contact.
The Key to Solid Contact: Lead Hip Motion
One of the biggest contributors to hitting behind the ball is improper movement of the lead hip. Many golfers push their left hip up too soon in the downswing, which tilts the upper body backward and forces an early wrist release. Instead, focus on keeping the left hip moving down and forward in the initial downswing. This small adjustment helps control weight transfer, maintain wrist angles, and improve overall ball striking.
The Alignment Stick Drill for Fixing Fat Shots
To train the correct movement, use an alignment stick or an extended club to visualize proper hip motion:
- Set Up– Hold the alignment stick along the shaft of your club.
- Downswing– In the beginning of the downswing, focus on moving your lead hip down as you shift your weight.
- Rotation and Impact– Focus on keeping the alignment rod pointed toward the golf ball in the downswing.
By exaggerating this motion in practice swings and slow drills, you can develop the muscle memory to strike the ball first.
Practice Tips for Better Golf Contact
- The lead hip should move down and forward to start the downswing.
- Keep the butt end of the club pointing toward the ball as long as possible.
- Rotate the chest toward the target after initiating the hip move.
- Start with short irons (9-iron or pitching wedge) and slow swings before progressing to full-speed swings.
Fixing your weight shift, rotation, and wrist release with this simple drill can immediately improve ball-first contact. The key is to exaggerate the movement in practice before taking it to the course. Try this drill, and let us know if it helps you strike the ball more solidly!
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