Drills to Improve Impact Position

Start with contact drills

The best impact drills give immediate feedback. You should know after each swing whether the club hit the ground in the right place, whether the face was stable, and whether your body kept turning. Use a wedge or 9-iron first; long irons make everything harder to feel.

Three reliable drills

1. Line drill: Draw a chalk line or use a range stripe. Set the ball just behind it and try to brush the ground on the target side of the line.
2. Impact bag or towel press: Make slow rehearsals into a soft bag or folded towel, feeling the hands ahead and pressure forward.
3. Three-quarter punch: Hit low, controlled shots with a shorter finish. The ball should come out solid, not scooped.

Add face awareness

Place two alignment sticks or headcovers as a gate a few feet in front of the ball. Start with a wide gate, then narrow it as your start line improves. You’re not chasing perfect mechanics; you’re learning to deliver the face with enough consistency that the ball starts where you expect.

Putting it in focus

For impact-position work, FocusGolf gives you a way to compare the swings that only felt solid with the ones that actually delivered. The smartwatch app runs on Wear OS, Apple Watch, and Garmin, captures swings hands-free, and lets you review tempo, transition, consistency, swing speed, and motion data alongside video in the mobile app. When a compression drill finally clicks, you have more than a hunch to bring back next session.

Move from drill to golf

Finish each practice block with random clubs and targets. Hit a punch 8-iron, then a normal 6-iron, then a wedge. Impact only matters if it travels from rehearsed drills into shots that look like the course.