Pretend you just hit a golf shot, and you hit that golf shot well. Not *perfectly*—as in, not totally off the screws—but really close. The shot felt good and looked good.
But where did it end up?
Probably slightly short, if Golf Digest Best in State Teacher Adam Young's results are any indication.
Young, who is ranked fourth in Nevada, hit hundreds of golf balls and meticulously charted each shot's impact location, then measured the results as part of research for his series, The Strike Plan.
Here are the results:
A few takeaways
- The distance loss goes from -4 yards, to -12 yards, to -21 yards every few millimeters off center you hit it.
- That means a 174-yard shot, hit well but not perfectly, will only travel 170 yards.
For as much as golfers think about swinging faster—which, yes, is important—your path to more power and consistency ultimately rests on hitting the golf ball more consistently off the center.
A few things that can help
- Start with small shots on the range (think chip shots) and build up to longer shots keeping the same mindset.
- Practice hitting balls swinging in slow motion, focusing on hitting the center of the clubface, then increase your speed gradually.
- Practice intentionally shanking and toeing shots to give yourself more clubface awareness (yes, really!)
- Try Bryson DeChambeau's ball-striking drill, which entails placing two tees just outside of the golf ball, like a gate, and swinging through it.