Hitting the Ball Off the Toe?
We’ve all done it from time to time, hitting the ball off the toe of the club. It results in a weak shot that usually goes shooting off to the right. The question is: How do you stop hitting the ball off the toe and start hitting the club face sweet-spot again?
How to Stop Hitting the ball off the Toe of the Golf Club
First off when you address the shot don’t stand too far from the ball. Take your stance with a slight bend of your knees, then bow from the hips (not from the waist), and allow your arms to hang from the shoulders.
When you address the ball with good spine angle and tilt as described above you will eliminate most of the risk of hitting the ball off the toe of the golf club. This stance allows you to make a good backswing and downswing through the ball.
Swing Path Errors
If your swing path is coming from outside to inside you may have a tendency to miss-hit the ball. This can cause you to slice the ball and in extreme cases it can lead to hitting the ball off the toe of the club.
To fix this try hitting short chip shots where you aim your feet slightly left of target and swing out to right field (feeling like you’re hitting a small push shot). The picture below shows how this drill will look.
This setup allows you to extend your arms through the shot and will train you to swing in more of an inside to outside swing path.
It is also important to have a flat left wrist through impact controlling the club face, which helps with contact and direction of the shot.
To recap you can avoid hitting golf shots on the toe of the club by setting up a comfortable distance from the ball with your weight on the balls of your feet. Use a smooth rhythmic back and down swing allowing the club to release through the shot.
Work on hitting little chips aiming left swinging right allowing your hands to aim and find the ball (but let the body or core pivot do the work). This little pushed type chip shot teaches you to let your arms extend through the ball.
These tips and drill will have you striking the sweet-spot in no time.