Why Do You Double Hit a Golf Ball?

That awful CLACK-CLACK sound is unmistakable. Your club hits the ball, which dutifully pops a few inches into the air, only to be struck again by the same club just a split-second later. It’s the dreaded double hit, one of the most frustrating and, let’s be honest, embarrassing shots in golf. The bad news is that it results in a penalty (counting the stroke and adding one penalty stroke). The good news is that it’s not some random fluke, it’s a direct result of a specific swing flaw. This article won’t just tell you what a double hit is - it will explain exactly why it happens and give you simple, actionable drills to make it a thing of the past.

Understanding the Mechanics of a Double Hit

First, let's get on the same page about what's physically happening. A double hit occurs when your club head strikes the golf ball twice in a single swing. This is almost always caused by an incorrect impact. You make initial contact with the ball, but you strike it on the equator or with an upward-moving clubhead. Instead of compressing the ball cleanly and sending it forward, you blade it or "scoop" it. The ball pops up weakly, and because your swing is still continuing on its path, the clubhead moves faster than the slow-moving ball and overtakes it for a second impact.

While a double hit can theoretically happen on any shot, it’s most common on those "finesse" shots around the green, like chips and short pitches. These are the situations where golfers often get tentative and try to "help" or "lift" the ball into the air. Here are the primary culprits behind this shot:

• Flipping or scooping with the wrists through impact.
• Allowing your body's rotation to stall, which forces your hands to take over.
• A poor setup that encourages an upward strike on the ball.

We're going to break down each of these faults and give you specific ways to fix them, turning that clack-clack into a crisp, clean strike.

The #1 Reason for a Double Hit: The Wrist 'Flip'

If you take away only one thing from this article, let it be this: the root of almost every double hit is a breakdown of your wrists through the impact zone. This is often called a "flip" or a "scoop." It's an instinctive_ - _ and incorrect - movement where you flick your wrists trying to lift the ball off the ground. When you do this, the clubhead passes your hands before impact, and the club swings upward at the ball.

Think about it: the whole point of a golf club's design, especially a wedge, is to use its loft to get the ball airborne. You don't need to add your own lift! Proper impact for an iron or wedge involves a descending Angle of Attack (AOA). Your hands should be ahead of the clubhead at impact, "covering" the ball and allowing the club to cleanly strike the ball first, then the turf. A wrist flip does the exact opposite, leading to thin shots, bladed shots, and, yes, the dreaded double hit.

The Fix: The "Towel Under the Arms" Drill

This is a classic for a reason. It trains your arms and body to work together as a single unit, eliminating the opportunity for your hands to separate from your body and flip the club. The golf swing is a rotational motion where the club moves around you as your torso turns. A flip happens when this connection is broken and the arms go off on their own. This drill fixes that.

1. Tuck a small golf towel under both of your armpits, holding them snugly against your rib cage.
2. Grab a pitching wedge or 9-iron and set up for a short chip shot.
3. Make small swings, focusing on keeping the towels pinned under your arms. Your only swing thought should be to turn your chest and shoulders back, and then turn them through towards the target.
4. If you flip your wrists or your arms work independently from your body, a towel will drop. The goal is to keep them both in place from start to finish.

This drill teaches you what a connected swing feels like. You'll quickly notice that to move the club, you have to rotate your body. It grooves the feeling of the bigger muscles controlling the swing, keeping your hands passive and preventing the wristy scoop that causes a double hit.

Fault #2: When Your Body Stops Turning

A wrist flip doesn't usually happen in a vacuum. It's often a direct result of another fault: stalled body rotation. Imagine your golf swing is a chain reaction. The power and motion start from the ground up, moving through your hips and torso. If that rotation sequence stops halfway through the downswing, your body slams on the brakes. But the energy has to go somewhere, so your hands and arms take over, whipping the club head at the ball in an uncontrolled, flippy motion.

Just like we covered in our guide to the simple golf swing, the action is meant to be a rounded, turning motion where the body is the engine. When that engine stalls, the swing breaks down into a disjointed up-and-down motion with the arms. For chipping and pitching, maintaining a slow, steady rotation of your chest through impact is what keeps your swing path stable and prevents your hands from becoming hyperactive. If your body stops, your hands flip, and that sets the stage for a double hit.

The Fix: The "Feet Together" Chipping Drill

To feel what continuous rotation is like, there's no better drill than hitting small chips with your feet touching. This sounds strange, but it works wonders because it severely limits your ability to use any sort of sway or lunge - you either turn, or you lose your balance.

1. Go to the practice green and set up with your feet completely together, ankles touching.
2. Place the ball in the middle of your combined stance. Put about 60% of your weight on your lead foot (your left foot for right-handers).
3. Hit small chip shots of about 10-15 yards.
4. Your only focus is to make a small backswing by turning your shoulders, and then a slightly larger follow-through by continuing to turn your chest towards the hole.

You’ll feel an immediate difference. Without a wide base, you can't fake the turn. Your body has to rotate through the shot to maintain balance, pulling the arms and club through in one smooth, connected motion. You're physically unable to stall your body and just flip with the hands. It ingrains the feeling of a body-led chip shot.

Fault #3: Poor Setup That Guarantees a Scoop

Sometimes, you set yourself up for failure before the swing even begins. Your address position can either encourage a clean, descending blow or predispose you to a scooping motion. When chipping, the goal is to create conditions that favor a "ball-first, turf-second" contact. A bad setup does the opposite.

Two common setup flaws for chipping lead straight to a double hit:

• Weight on the back foot: Many amateurs hang back on their trail foot, thinking it will help them lift the ball. This moves the low point of their swing arc behind the ball, forcing them to swing upward to make contact.
• Hands behind the ball: Ideally, you want your hands slightly ahead of the clubhead at address, creating a little "forward shaft lean." Starting with your hands even with or behind the ball puts the club in a scooping position from the get-go.

A proper chipping setup actively encourages the right mechanics. By favoring your front foot and setting your hands ahead, you're almost guaranteed to make the descending strike that eliminates mishits.

The How To Fix: Adopt the Anti-Double-Hit Setup

Next time you're chipping, follow this simple setup routine:

1. Take a narrow stance, about shoulder-width apart or even slightly closer for a standard chip.
2. Place the ball in the middle or even one ball-width back from the center of your stance. Never forward.
3. Press your hands slightly forward, so the grip is ahead of the golf ball. Your hands should be about in line with your lead thigh.
4. Most importantly, lean your weight so you feel about 60-70% of your pressure is on your lead foot. And keep it there throughout the swing!

This setup effectively moves the low point of your swing forward, in front of the ball. From here, all you have to do is what you learned in the drills above: simply turn your chest back and through. The setup has already put you in a position to win.

Final Thoughts

A double-hit is a frustrating shot, but it is not a mystery. It is a predictable consequence of a swing where the wrists flip and the body stalls, usually due to an instinct to "help" the ball airborne. By focusing on a proper setup with forward weight, and a "body-led" swing where your chest rotation guides the club, you can create a sound impact position that strikes the ball cleanly and consistently every time.

Knowing the fundamentals is one half of the equation, executing them under pressure is the other. We know how intimidating a tricky lie can be - that downhill chip from thick rough is a classic spot for a double hit. That's why we designed our app to be your on-demand course expert. If you’re ever facing a shot that fills you with indecision, you can use Caddie AI to get an immediate, expert recommendation. Just take a photo of your ball and its surroundings, and you'll get straightforward advice on how to play it, giving you the clarity and confidence to commit to the shot and avoid a big mistake.