Travis Fulton: Sustain the down for better ballstriking

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When I look at PGA TOUR players on slow motion video, I always enjoy seeing how well they hit down into the turf as they swing through the golf ball.

Whether it is the legends of the game from decades ago or today's young guns, they all sustain the same downward angle until after they've contacted the ball.

It is always great to see the faces on amateur players when they achieve this same impact position. It is a great feeling when the club head strikes the ball first and then the ground.

This type of "trapping" sensation allows for the ball to compress against the ground. As a result, the ball penetrates the air and achieves maximum distance.

It is a common error to see a clubhead that is moving upward as it reaches the ball. Often, inexperienced golfers (and sometimes experienced golfers, too) try to help the golf ball up in the air with a scooping action rather than allowing the club head to strike down into the ground.

To achieve a proper divot in front of the golf ball, your weight must shift left along with some rotation to open the body towards the target.

To achieve a descending club head path through impact, the shaft needs to be returned leaning forward. To achieve this, you must have a bent trailing wrist, for a right-handed golfer this is your right wrist.

If your trailing wrist is bent at impact then the club shaft will lean forward. When the club shaft leans forward at impact, the club head will be moving down and accelerating. The key is to keep this descending angle not just to the ball, but beyond impact, so that the swing's low point is actually a few inches after contacting the ball.

The low point will be reached when the trailing arm has straightened. This will feel as if you are pushing down with the right arm. This is a great feel to have if it is sustained through the ball to this low point after impact.

Secondly, with a descending club head path you need to support this motion by allowing your weight to be on the lead (left) foot at impact. To achieve a proper divot in front of the golf ball, your weight must shift left along with some rotation to open the body towards the target.

A useful checkpoint is to feel air under the trailing heel at impact. This assures that you have shifted most of your weight to your lead side.

When practicing, hit a lot of half- to three-quarter punch shots. Keep your backswing to a minimum and hit shots trying to keep the finish down and abbreviated. In fact, start by not allowing the clubhead to travel above the left hip during the finish.

We call this "Impact Zone Swings." They allow you to educate yourself to the feeling of compressing the golf ball with a downward blow. When you commit to keeping the clubhead down, your body must respond and do the right thing.

Start with these little punch shots and then work your way up to fuller swings as the proper motion through impact becomes automatic.

The shaft must be angled forward at impact for crisp iron shots.