Hitting behind the ball is one of the most common golf swing mistakes and is attempted by most golfers. Hitting behind the ball is termed as ‘chili-dip’ in golf and defined as ‘a shot in which a player hits behind the ball, not moving it very far’; it is also called a fat shot or chunk. In a scenario that almost every golfer has experienced, with the ball on the fairway and a strong 5 iron shot left to the green, to get it back on the green the shot needs a little extra power. As the back swing is in motion, the head and shoulders dip downwards and hit the ground way before hitting the ball, taking out a piece of sod. To add to this the ball barely covers a distance of thirty yards. This is known as the Backswing dip because during the back swing, the golfers shoulder drops down. Most golfers that have a horizontal swing plane experience this problem, and it is quite common amongst weekend golfers.
For any golf swing, dropping the back shoulder will definitely cause problems. The biggest factor is timing, while ‘follow through’, weight distribution, etc are other variables that result in hitting behind the ball or ‘chili-dip’. This is quite frustrating and embarrassing at times, as the ball travels a few yards only.
Following the drill below will fix this problem and solve the ‘chili-dip’.
Place the golf ball below the back foot in the stance. The ball has to be half put in the ground, or else the golfer could fall.
Ensure that the ball is beneath the back foot, so that the player will realize if the shoulder is dropping down when taking the back swing since the massive weight transfer can be felt.
The ball has to be half put in the ground, or else the golfer could fall.
Ensure that the ball is beneath the back foot, so that the player will realize if the shoulder is dropping down when taking the back swing since the massive weight transfer can be felt.
The player can practice a few swings and if he experiences extra pressure on the back heel, then the shoulders are still dropping. If not, the swing is perfect and solid contact will be made with the ball.
Continuous practice will ensure that the dropping of the shoulder is eliminated, but if it does happen, the pressure can be felt on the back heel and the player can correct the drop. There are other methods as well that that can be used to check the players from hitting behind the ball. One way is to take a short
Backswing. Some instructors during practice recommend that the players close their eyes or play the shot blindfolded so that the focus is not on where to hit the ball but on the swing.
