Casting

Question
I often hit the ground before hitting the ball. I was told that it's a casting problem. The wrists are breaking too soon during the downswing. Do you have any drills that could help me stop casting? Thanks

Answer
Hi Gabriel:

Yes, there is a drill I do with all my students who do this.  Picture what I want you to do first, then go practice it.  Picture what the club looks like AT IMPACT when your "wrists" break down and you flip the clubhead at the ball prematurely.  The shaft would be angled away from the target, the clubhead would be closer to the target than the handle of the club and the clubhead would bounce off the ground before it hits the ball or if you miss the ground, you would top it because the clubhead is on the way up and the leading edge cuts into the middle or top of the ball.  DO YOU SEE THAT PICTURE CLEARLY IN YOUR MIND?  Because that is EXACTLY what happens.  So, let's fix it.  Now I need you to picture what the club would look like AT IMPACT of a perfectly struck shot.  The handle of the club would be slightly closer to the target than the clubhead, the shaft would be angled towards the target, not away.  The hands (not your wrists) would be quiet.  And you would swing the club towards the target more with your arms than trying to flip the clubhead at the ball with your hands.  DO YOU PICTURE THAT GABRIEL?  So the answer to fixing your problem lies in hitting small shots with say a wedge or 9 iron.  In order for the handle of the club to lead the clubhead through the impact area, the club must be swung more with your arms.  Your hands simply hold onto the club.  If you start trying to flip the clubhead at the ball in an effort to lift it up or create power, you now have used your hands (not your wrists) incorrectly, which will drastically influence the position of the club at impact.  So if you take your hands out of the equation for awhile, concentrate on hitting the ball as low as you possibly can.  In order for the clubface to knock the ball down, loft must come off.  If you flip your hands (clubface) at the ball, you increase loft and cause it to bottom out to soon.  

Eddie Kilthau
PGA Member