I've been dealing with a persistent issue in my golf swing recently: Like many golfers, I tend to hang back on my right side during my downswing. This can cause me to get handsy and occasionally hit the ball slightly fat.
That's why I've spent a lot of time hitting golf balls recently, usually before rounds, with an alignment stick perpendicular to the target, pointing directly at the golf ball.
It's a Wyndham Clark-inspired drill, and it's a great way to check ball position. As Zach Johnson explains here:
Lay a rod across your toe line to check alignment, and another rod in the middle of your stance perpendicular to the target line to monitor your ball and hand positions. For a standard shot with most irons, I want the ball about middle, slightly forward for longer irons. Notice how the orange rod is in line with the ball but my hands are slightly closer to the target (below, left). That's a good setup to help hit the ball flush. At impact, your hands should be even closer to the target (below, right).
Getting these right will help you dial in the low point of your golf swing, which brings us to the two pictures.
Can you spot the difference in the two pictures below?
In the left picture, notice how the divot starts ahead of the alignment stick.
In the right picture, it starts behind the alignment stick. That was the chunked shot.
It's a simple drill, but an important one. Making ball-first contact is the key to hitting crisp, consistent iron shots. Adding a little visual cue like this, simple as it is, can really help you do that.