Hitting the golf ball before you hit the ground is the not-so-secret secret to flushing your iron shots. That proper ball-then-turf contact is what we're all chasing, and the entire skill boils down to one thing: controlling the low point of your golf swing. This guide will walk you through exactly what the low point is and, more importantly, give you the practical steps and drills you need to get it in the right spot, shot after shot.
Think of your golf swing as a giant circle, with the clubhead traveling along the circumference. The low point is simply the lowest spot on that circle, the moment it's closest to the ground. Where that low point occurs relative to the golf ball determines the quality of your strike. For iron shots, the goal is to have the low point happen several inches in front of the ball, toward the target. This ensures you make contact with the ball first, compressing it against the clubface, and then take a divot out of the turf afterward. This is often called "hitting down" on the ball.
If your low point happens behind the ball, you'll hit the ground first. This results in a "fat" or "heavy" shot that goes nowhere. Your divot starts behind the ball, and all the club's energy is spent digging up turf instead of launching the shot.
If your low point happens at the ball but the club is already traveling upward, you'll likely catch the ball "thin" or on the upswing. This results in a low, scorching shot that doesn't get the proper height and often travels much farther than you intended.
Mastering low point control is the foundation for consistency. It transforms you from a player who hopes to hit a good shot into a player who expects to.
You can make low point control infinitely easier or harder before you even start the club back. A proper, athletic setup gives you a huge head start. There are three components of your setup that directly influence where the bottom of your swing will be.
This is the simplest adjustment you can make. The position of the ball in your stance has a direct and predictable effect on your low point. Imagine your swing arc is fixed, moving the ball changes where it rests within that arc.
A Simple Guideline: For your most lofted wedges (pitching wedge, sand wedge), place the ball in the absolute middle of your stance, directly under your sternum. As you move to longer clubs (9-iron, 8-iron, 7-iron), the ball should move gradually forward, about half an inch at a time. Your 7-iron might be one ball-width forward of center, and so on. This simple adjustment accounts for the club design and wider stance you'll naturally take with longer clubs.
Where your weight is at the start can preset where you want it to be at impact. While many golfers are taught a 50/50 weight distribution, to really a post-impact low point, it helps to feel a slight bit more pressure on your lead foot at address.
Try this feeling: When you set up to the ball, feel like 55% of your weight is on your lead foot (the one closer to the target). It's not a visible lean, but a subtle pressure shift. This little pre-load encourages your body to move correctly in the downswing and helps keep your swing center slightly ahead of the ball, which is exactly where we want it.
Your spine is your swing's axis. If that axis moves all over the place, so will your low point. The goal is to set up a stable, athletic posture that you can rotate around.
Stand up straight, then bend from your hips, not your waist. Stick your rear end out slightly as a counterbalance and let your arms hang naturally straight down from your shoulders. This creates a centered and balanced position. From here, you are poised to rotate, not sway, which is fundamental to maintaining a consistent low point.
Setup gets you in position, but the downswing is where the magic happens. The most common mistake amateur golfers make is "hanging back" on their trail foot during the downswing. They try to "lift" the ball into the air, and in doing so, their entire swing center and low point get stuck behind the ball. This is the root cause of most fat and thin shots.
The correct move is a dynamic weight shift toward the target as you start down. This move is what physically drives your swing's low point forward, ahead of the ball.
The Proper Sequence: As you finish your backswing, the very first move to initiate the downswing should be a shift of pressure into your lead glute and foot. It feels like your lead hip is moving toward the target. This subtle-but-powerful move shallow a club and drops it into the correct slot while automatically moving your entire swing center forward. By the time the club reaches the ball, your hands, chest, and the majority of your weight should be in front of it. This is how you achieve compression.
This forward weight shift must be paired with rotation. You are not just sliding laterally at the target. You are shifting forward and then unwinding your body - hips and torso - as powerfully as you can through the impact zone. This combination is what delivers the clubhead to the ball with speed and precision.
Understanding the concept is one thing, feeling it is another. These drills are designed to take the idea of low point control and burn it into your muscle memory.
This is the most direct feedback tool you can find. At the driving range (on grass, preferably), use a club or your foot to draw a straight line in the turf, perpendicular to your target line.
Start with small, slow swings and focus entirely on creating that divot in front of the line. As you get the feel, you can increase your speed. This drill gives you instant, undeniable feedback on every single swing.
This drill is a fantastic way to cure "fat" shots for good. It physically punishes a low point that is behind the ball.
The fear of hitting the towel forces your body to instinctively shift forward, delivering the club down and through the ball correctly.
Popularized by legends like Gary Player, this drill is all about feeling the momentum and flow through the shot. It exaggerates the feeling of transferring your weight into a full, balanced finish.
You cannot perform this drill correctly if you hang back on your trail foot. It trains your body to commit to the forward movement, ensuring your weight, and therefore your low point, is moving through the ball at the right time.
Ultimately, learning to control your low point boils down to a few fundamental ideas: creating a solid setup, properly shifting your weight forward in the downswing, and rotating your body completely through the shot. If you work on the feelings and drills we’ve covered here, you’ll trade those clunky fat shots and screaming thin shots for the crisp, clean contact you know you’re capable of.
We know that taking a concept from the practice tee to the golf course can be a challenge. That's why we built Caddie AI. When you're faced with a tricky lie in the rough or a weird sidehill stance where you're not sure how your low point will be affected, you don’t have to guess. You can snap a photo, send it a quick description and our Caddie can give you on-demand, strategic advice for how to handle that specific shot so can always swing with confidence
Thinking about hosting a golf tournament fundraiser is the first swing, executing it successfully is what gets the ball in the hole. This guide will walk you through the entire process, step-by-step, from laying the initial groundwork months in advance to watching your happy golfers tee off. We’ll cover everything from securing sponsors and setting your budget to planning the on-course fun that makes an event unforgettable.
A golf handicap does more than just give you bragging rights (or a reason to demand strokes from your friends) - it’s the game’s great equalizer and the single best way to track your improvement. This guide breaks down what a handicap is, how the supportive math behind a handicap index a is, and exactly how you can get one for yourself. We’ll look at everything from Course Rating to Adjusted Gross Score, helping you feel confident both on the course and in the clubhouse.
The compression of a Pinnacle Rush golf ball is one of its most defining features, engineered specifically to help a huge swath of golfers get more distance and enjoyment from their game. We'll break down exactly what its low compression means, who it's for, and how you can use that knowledge to shoot lower scores.
Figuring out which spikes go into your new (or old) pair of Puma golf shoes can feel like a puzzle, but it’s much simpler than you think. The key isn't the brand of the shoe, but the type of receptacle system they use. This guide will walk you through exactly how to identify your Puma's spike system, choose the perfect replacements for your game, and change them out like a pro.
The Golf Genius app is one of the best tools for managing and participating in competitive golf events, but figuring it out for the first time can feel like reading a new set of greens. This guide cuts through the confusion and shows you exactly how to use the app as a player. We’ll cover everything from logging into your tournament and entering scores to checking the live leaderboard so you can enjoy the competition without any tech headaches.
Walking onto the first tee with sweaty palms, worried you’ll be a good partner to paly wtih...or even asked back again ...We’ve all been there - trust me! The real trick of feeling confortable... is about how you handle you’re ready to plsy. THIS guide explains the simple rules of the rode to show you hnow t play golf while staying calm relaxed and focused... an having much morse fun while you,',re aat it? You'll also play with confidence a dn make fiendsa while you're at i
Just ask a question or share a photo and Caddie gives personalized guidance for every shot - anytime, anywhere.
