Contact is Key! Practice This To Lower Your Scores Fast

Are you struggling with consistency in your golf shots? If so, it might be time to take a closer look at one of the most crucial aspects of your game: impact. Understanding how to consistently strike the ball can help you better control your distance, even if your direction isn’t always perfect. In this post, we’ll explore the importance of impact, how carry distance plays a key role, and how you can use this knowledge to improve your game.

The Importance of Impact

In golf, impact is the foundation of everything. It’s the moment when the clubface meets the ball, and the quality of that strike directly affects your shot’s speed, direction, and distance. Whether you're a beginner or a more experienced player, getting a solid strike is crucial. Before you worry about hitting straight shots, you need to focus on how well you’re striking the ball—because once you get that right, everything else will fall into place.

For more advanced players, knowing how well you're striking the ball can help you gauge the efficiency of your swing. But for beginners, mastering contact and understanding how far the ball goes with each shot will improve your consistency and confidence.

Understanding Carry Distance

When you’re working on improving your impact, carry distance is an excellent metric to track. It’s the distance the ball travels through the air before touching the ground. A carry distance tracker (like a launch monitor or even a simple rangefinder) can give you an accurate idea of how well you’re striking the ball.

Many golfers tend to overestimate or underestimate how far they hit each club. For instance, when asked how far their 7-iron goes, many players will give a single figure—like 150 or 160 yards. But this number is rarely the average, and more often than not, it’s based on an occasional “good” strike. The reality is, most players hit a range of distances, and that's perfectly normal. Some shots will go longer; others will fall short.

So, instead of focusing on a single distance number, try to measure a range for each club. For example, your 7-iron might typically range from 140 to 148 yards, with an occasional 150-yard shot on a perfect strike. Knowing this range gives you more clarity when selecting clubs on the course, especially when faced with obstacles like bunkers or water hazards.

Why Understanding Your Range Matters

Understanding the range of your shots, not just the carry distance, is crucial for several reasons. Let’s say you’re hitting into a green, and the pin is tucked 165 yards away. If your 7-iron’s range is 140 to 148 yards, you’d need to consider taking a longer club to ensure you clear any hazards, like bunkers, short of the green.

It’s also important to know that every golfer mishits shots, even professionals. On average, mishits can reduce your distance by 10 yards or more. If you’re always assuming you’ll hit the ball at the top of your range, you may end up coming up short. Instead, build confidence by knowing the average range for each club, and then adjust based on conditions, course layout, and shot requirements.

Drills to Improve Your Impact Consistency

Carry Distance Challenge Drill

Setup: Choose three different clubs (or even the same club) and pick a 10-yard window of distance you want to land in.

Execution: Hit a few shots, aiming to land all of them within your desired range. For example, if your target range is 160–170 yards, focus on consistently getting your shots within that window.

Tip: This exercise helps build a mental and physical understanding of your distances. It also adds a bit of gamification to practice, which can make it more enjoyable and improve your accuracy over time.

Tracking Your Carry Distance

Setup: Use a launch monitor or rangefinder to measure your carry distance for each club during practice sessions.

Execution: Hit a series of shots and track your carry distance. Pay attention to your range for each club, rather than just the highest distance you hit on a good day.

Tip: You can use a simple rangefinder if you’re at your local range. This will give you an accurate measure of how far you’re actually hitting each shot and help you gauge your consistency.

Conclusion

Impact is undeniably the most important fundamental in golf. By understanding your carry distances and practicing with a focus on solid contact, you’ll be able to make smarter decisions on the course and hit more consistent shots. Rather than obsessing over hitting the ball straight every time, focus on striking it consistently well. This will give you a clearer idea of how far each shot will carry, allowing you to make better club selections and lower your scores.

So, next time you’re out practicing, try to determine your carry distance for each club and start building a range of distances, not just a single number. You might be surprised at how much more confidence and consistency you gain from this simple adjustment.

Happy golfing, and remember—impact is key!