Getting the Ball in the Air
Also known as: can't get the ball in the air, ball won't go in the air, get the ball airborne, get the ball in the air, ball won't get airborne, ball keeps rolling along the ground
To get the ball in the air with an iron, hit down on it and let the club's loft lift it. Trying to scoop it up makes the club bottom out early and catch the top of the ball. Play the ball near the middle of your stance, move your weight to your lead side and strike the ball before the turf.
Beginners often try to help the ball up by lifting with the arms or hanging back on the trail foot. That moves the bottom of the swing behind the ball. The club then hits the ground first or rises into the top of the ball. The result is a topped shot or a low runner, the opposite of what the golfer wanted.
Every iron and wedge has loft built in to launch the ball. Your job is to deliver that loft with a slightly downward strike. Set up with the ball in the middle of your stance for short irons and a little forward for longer ones. In the downswing, shift your pressure to the lead foot. The low point then moves in front of the ball. Finish facing the target with most of your weight on the lead side.
With a driver the fix is different. Tee the ball high, play it forward and swing up through it. With long irons and fairway woods, low launch is common at slower swing speeds. A more lofted hybrid or fairway wood often gets the ball up far more easily. If shots fly low even when struck well, a club fitting may help.
Tips by skill level
Lay a towel or headcover a few inches behind the ball. If you clip it, your swing is bottoming out too early.
Make practice swings and note where the club brushes the turf. The mark should be at or just in front of where the ball would sit.
Example
A new golfer keeps rolling her 7-iron along the ground. She is leaning back to lift it. Her coach lays a towel a few inches behind the ball and asks her to miss the towel and brush the grass in front of the ball. Within a few swings the ball starts to climb.
Why it matters
Getting the ball airborne is the first big step for most new golfers. Understanding that loft does the lifting changes how they swing.
Common mistakes
- Leaning back to lift the ball
- Playing the ball too far forward with irons
- Looking up early to see where the ball went
- Choosing long irons that need more speed to launch
Frequently asked questions
Why won't my ball go in the air?
Usually because you are trying to lift it. Scooping moves the bottom of the swing behind the ball, and the club catches its top half. Hit down with irons and let the loft launch it.
How do I get the ball in the air with my irons?
Play the ball near the middle of your stance, shift your weight to your lead side in the downswing and strike the ball before the turf. The loft on the club does the lifting.
Why do I keep hitting the ball along the ground?
Most ground balls come from hitting the top of the ball. That happens when you lean back, lift up or play the ball too far forward. Keep your pressure moving forward and strike down.
Related terms
- ScoopingScooping is the instinct to "help the ball up" by flipping the wrists upward at impact. It adds loft, reduces compression, and produces weak, high, short contact.
- Topped ShotA topped shot is when the club hits the top half of the ball, above its equator. The ball dribbles along the ground with very little height or distance.
- Low PointLow point is where the clubhead reaches the bottom of its arc through impact. Controlling it — keeping it at or just ahead of the ball with irons — is the basis of pure contact.
- Ball-First ContactBall-first contact means the club strikes the ball before it reaches the ground. It is the fundamental requirement for a clean, compressed iron or wedge shot.
- Weight TransferWeight transfer is the movement of the body's center of pressure from the trail side (backswing) to the lead side (downswing). A complete transfer through impact is a fundamental source of power and consistency.
- Launch AngleLaunch angle is the vertical angle, in degrees above horizontal, at which the ball leaves the face. Together with spin it determines how high and far the ball flies.
Related guides & benchmarks
Work on the cause
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