Stop Trying To Scoop The Ball Into The Air

Learn from this beginner golf swing instruction because you have to stop trying to scoop the ball into the air.

Are you a beginner golfer or or struggling with your game? Perhaps your biggest problem is getting the ball up into the air. Having spent over 10,000 hours teaching golf by far the most common mistake with beginner golfers is scooping the ball.

Most beginner's tend to want to “scoop” the ball or try and lift the ball the airborne which is a natural instinct.... the problem is, most beginner golf swing instruction try's to fix this problem the wrong way, concentrating far too much on the wrist condition's of the golfer at impact.

Although you may not trust the loft of the club yet or even understand the concept that the loft on the club will get the ball into the air for you, don't worry because more than anything else it is your body's instict's causing the problems.

Take other sports for example: like tennis where beginners tend to lift the ball high over the net and over the baseline instead of creating the nescessary top spin needed to keep the ball in the court, and skiing where beginners often sit back on their heels and as a result the ski's fly out from underneath them.

So in your golf swing as you swing towards the ball, the pressure should be on the front foot as you resist the temptation to lean back and scoop the ball, instead hit down on the ball!

I explain to students that in buying their golf clubs they already purchased the ability to get the ball into the air (the loft) and that their job is to make the ball go forward.

Until you understand how golf your clubs work or at least become aware of the problem you may continue to subconsciously keep trying to scoop the ball up, which will cause you to thin the ball, each and every time. At best you might hit a terribly weak shot veering right but you will not be getting the nescessary solid contact on the ball, which must be the main strategy of every beginner golfer.

Here's How It's Done

I know this may be hard to grasp for the beginner, but believe it or not in order to get the ball to fly skyward, you need your swing to come in from a descending blow or downward angle of attack.

When you begin practicing this basic swing technique you will probably see a few divots being made in the ground. This is good! You are now making your shots with the right kind of angles and by hitting the ball and then taking a divot after contact your ball will get in the air. Look for this divot after you make each full swing.

Keep in mind this one important factor: The divot is supposed to be made in the exact spot the ball is sitting at, and then continue on for several inches. Too big of a divot will slow the clubhead down before impact and you will end up topping the ball and also too big a divot leaves you with very little distance control.