What Is Whiffing The Ball In Golf And How To Stop Doing It

What Is Whiffing The Ball In Golf And How To Stop Doing It

We’ve all done it, you are standing at the tee and for some reason a group forms to watch.

Maybe it’s just another group of golfers or even just one person passing, however, you feel the pressure building. You know you are being watched and it throws you off of game.

You take a swing but then disaster strikes, it’s a whiff. Missing the ball like this can really put you off your stride on the golf course. This article will go into just how this happens and help you void doing it again.

Let’s start striking the ball better and stop whiffing it.

 

A Rocky Start For Many

Just a few weeks ago I was asked to play for my club team. I hadn’t played team golf since university and I have always been a victim of first tee nerves.

I teed it up and tried to just blank out the fact that I had around ten people watching me hit my opening shot.

I went through my pre-shot routine and got ready to hit it. I took the club back and nearly completely missed it, the ball barely fell off the tee.

Thankfully I was able to put the embarrassment behind me and I won the game on the last hole.

 

What Exactly Is Whiffing And Why Does It Happen?

Whiffing is when you take your swing but the club comes right over the top of the ball and misses it.

My story above was more of a top than a whiff but they’re caused by the same issue. Every golfer does it, unfortunately your ego can take a bit of a hit when it happens.

Usually it is caused by golfers who don’t commit their body through the shot. During the swing they start to stand up tall before impact which leads to the club coming through above the ball and therefore you miss over the top.

 

What Are The Rules Around Whiffing In Golf, What’s The Penalty?

Well, of course, that really depends. One of the most important considerations is your intent. If you take a swing and miss the ball, but you were trying to hit it, that counts as a stroke.

If, for whatever reason, you try to miss the ball or stop your swing then it is no stroke.

Think of some of the incredible videos from Tiger Woods who was able to stop himself hitting the ball at seemingly impossible moments close to impact. He has made a conscious effort not to hit the ball that he isn’t charged a shot.

 

What Are The Rules If You Accidentally Knock The Ball Off The Tee?

Again, this depends on your intent. If you genuinely accidentally knock it off the tee then it doesn’t count.

You will have to hear one of your playing partners say the most overused joke in golfing history though when they say, “one”. Other than that, don’t worry about it, re-tee it and go.

 

What Are The Key Reasons For Whiffing The Ball?

Poor Technique

One of the main reasons is your weight is going onto your back foot during the downswing and it is causing the club to travel too high in relation to the ball.

Another reason can be that you stand up before impact and bring the club too high form the ground and over the ball.

Another issue that can cause you to whiff it is having a grip that is way too tight.

If you squeeze your hand, you may notice that the tendons in your forearm contract.

If you were close to whiffing then grip too tightly then you could whiff it.

 

Wrong Clubs

If you have custom fit clubs and maybe go on holiday, you may find yourself using rental clubs that aren’t custom like yours.

This change can mean that you start missing and whiffing it. That missing extra length in your shafts can be all it takes for a little embarrassment.

 

Nerves

Look, it really can be as simple as just being really nervous and it throwing you off your game.

My story at the top of this article was a bad one and I play off of a handicap of 2. Nerves can ruin your swing no matter what standard you play at.

 

Why Am I Whiffing It With My Driver?

Believe it or not, your driver is the club you are most likely to whiff.

The optimal set-up for the modern driver means that you “hit up on the ball”. This action here can mean that if you get it wrong you will whiff it.

Check that your ball position isn’t too far toward the front of your stance and that your driver has the right length shaft. Another potential issue is too much much or too little flex.

 

Whiffing With Your Irons

Whilst less common than the driver, this is something that can get you too. Another really common reason for whiffing is swaying off the ball during the swing. Check that you aren’t doing this during your swing and causing the whiffs with the irons.

 

 

How To Stop Whiffing With Driver And Irons?

The fastest way to stop whiffing is to get a lesson.

As you can see, there are a few things that can cause you to do this and there is no point trying to figure it out yourself when you can have a club pro help you much faster.

This is by far the most efficient use of your time.

 

Drills To Stop Whiffing The Ball

Hit The Tee

Working to improve the bottom point of your swing, this can really help you out here.

Lay a tee a couple of centimetres in front of the ball. Now hit balls and focus on hitting that tee beyond the ball.

This will focus your mind on driving your swing through impact and down through the ball.

 

Cross-Check

Lay down two clubs in a cross, one along the line of your stance to check your aim and the other perpendicular to that between your legs.

The point in this drill is get consistent with your ball position and make sure it is correct.

This can be the root of the problem and can be a quick fix.

 

Club Foot

Place a club parallel to your back foot and then step the outside of that foot on the club.

After this you want to hit a few balls at about 50% power, not full speed.

The point here is to get the feeling of your weight moving forward through impact and through the ball.

 

How To Always Hit The Ball

This is just practice and good guidance from a qualified coach.

Even then you can still miss it from time to time, that’s just golf.

The key thing here is to try and develop the mental attitude that enables you to forget it and move onto the next shot without it causing you to panic.

 

How To Stop Topping The Ball

Topping the ball is very much caused by the same mechanical issues that cause a whiff.

In the case of the top you just make contact with the very top of the ball, hence the name.

This can be equally embarrassing although sometimes you get away with it.

The drills mentioned above can all help you stop topping the ball. This is also a time to call in a coach and get a few lessons to help you with your fundamentals.

As above, the occasional top may get you every now and then but that’s life.

 

What Is Hitting The Ground Before The Ball Called?

This is the opposite fault and it is often referred to as hitting it fat or chunking it.

Those terms come from the fat divot you take when you make this mistake. This is caused by the bottom of your swing coming too early and before the ball.

 

What Causes Fat Shots And How To Fix It?

Fat shots can be caused by many faults but it is you reaching the bottom of your swing too soon.

Here are a couple of drills to try, essentially you need to change the bottom of you swing to come a little later in the swing this time. A pro is the best person to help you fix this properly.

 

 

What Is A Turkey In Golf?

A turkey in golf refers to a bogey on three holes in a row. Not exactly an ideal streak but we’ve all been there.

 

What Is An Ostrich In Golf?

An ostrich is a highly improbably hole in one on a par six or two on a par seven. Yes, it is completing a hole in five shots less than par.

 

Conclusion

The internet is absolutely full of drills that can help you fix your swing issues.

Whilst working with a coach is always the best way to solve your problems and build a solid foundation for your game. Whiffing is nothing to lose sleep over, just try to forget it and move on.

In the end, the only thing in any danger on the golf course is our egos. A bad shot won’t hurt you but your ego can be bruised. Learning to get over that can really help you improve as a golfer.

It is only a game but it is just the most incredible and addictive game ever invented.