Who hovers their irons?

[Psyber]

I've been struggling with fat shots lately and I thought to myself why do I hover the club slightly at address instead of putting in on the ground. After going through a bucket at the range I found myself making much better contact this way. I hover my driver and it works so I guess I shouldn't be surprised it worked with irons. Does anyone else find this to work well for them? Any cons to this approach?

[Silky]

No cons.

Allow me to add my own thought. Hovering the club allow more space between the swing center and the ball. I would prefer the swing center being a bit too high than too low. This provides me with a simpler one way height control like an eagle diving down to the prey. Beside turning, a proper golf swing involves flexion and extension of the body in the downswing. From the top of swing to p6, the body is undergoing flexion, that is the center of mass of the body is lowering. If you are too low already from the top, your swing is flawed.

[Keithpbz]

I hover everything including driver. Helps me lighten grip pressure and doesn't ever cause club to drag in grass on takeaway and keeps me from lifting club in takeaway feeling too upright. It actually caused me to flatten swing out and now hitting small draws instead of fades.

[nikegal]

I hover all of my clubs with the exception of my driver and putter. Richard hovers all 14 clubs and he has since he was a child as he copied his Grandmother, who did the same through her entire bag :) Maddie

[2bGood]

I don't hover, but I wish I did (too many years of not hovering to change now). I think it is a better way to play golf as you are able not change setup in hazards.

[NCHACK85]

I'm not sure if what I do is hovering, but I don't plant it behind the ball, but it's still touching the ground, but I still feel the weight of the club head.

[juststeve]

Many years ago I was playing in a US Am. I missed qualifying for match play, because twice in one round my ball moved after I had grounded the club behind the ball. I was a single shot out of the play off for the final spot in match play. Took about a month to get comfortable, but I haven't grounded the club behind the club since.

 

I find that in addition to avoiding the risk of losing a shot when the ball moves there are other benefits:

 

1. Better feel for the club head;

 

2. Club doesn't get caught on the back swing;

 

3. When you ground the club behind the ball you are more likely to return the club to the ground behind the ball.

 

4. My arms stay relaxed and the take away is smooth.

 

5. It makes not grounding the ball in bunkers and hazards natural and easy.

 

Unless you are and old dog who can't learn new trick I re3commend it.

 

sTEVE

[Golfonthemind]

Have flirted with this before because like other have said it gives you a better feel for the weight of the club which helps me make a better takeaway. I'm guessing grounding the club as a golf tradition is just one of those things people have always done so they continue doing it. Let us know how you do with it!

[wkndhack]

For those who hover, do you ground, take your grip and pick up a bit? Or do you never touch it down at all?

[PlayItUp]

For those who hover, do you ground, take your grip and pick up a bit? Or do you never touch it down at all?

 

For me I place the club behind the ball and get into my setup. Then I will take my grip and do one or two waggles to get comfortable over the ball and stay hovered behind the ball before the shot.

[NCHACK85]

For those who hover, do you ground, take your grip and pick up a bit? Or do you never touch it down at all?

 

For me I place the club behind the ball and get into my setup. Then I will take my grip and do one or two waggles to get comfortable over the ball and stay hovered behind the ball before the shot.

This, after my wiggles I don't ground it

[birly-shirly]

I hover. I agree with what people are saying about the advantages. However, I also feel that it can contribute to my sometimes setting up too far from the ball. Easy enough to fix, but something I need to be aware of.

[Sun Devil]

I probably think too much. When you hover your irons. Do you lift your arms? Spine angle?

[marte]

I probably think too much. When you hover your irons. Do you lift your arms? Spine angle?

 

I've always wondered about this too. For those of you who went to hovering from non hovering did you hit the ball thin at first...Thanks. I hover driver-nothing else.

[North Butte]

I'm not sure if what I do is hovering, but I don't plant it behind the ball, but it's still touching the ground, but I still feel the weight of the club head.

 

Same for me. I never let the ground support a club but I don't make any effort to avoid touching the grass.

 

[North Butte]

I probably think too much. When you hover your irons. Do you lift your arms? Spine angle?

 

I don't lift anything. The club is gripped and carried with both hand as I step up to the ball. As I take my address position it gets lowered into place but I stop before actually letting it rest on the ground.

 

Occasionally if I an really tense or am p.o.'d about the previous shot I catch myself sort of leaning in and pressing the club into the ground. But that's no part of my normal routine and is a sign of serious trouble!

[Psyber]

I don't hover, but I wish I did (too many years of not hovering to change now). I think it is a better way to play golf as you are able not change setup in hazards.

 

This is actually how it really started. I found myself in fairway bunkers over the weekend and realized I was making great contact out of them and decided why don't I just play like that all the time.

[deathbymuffin]

I'd like to change since I occasionally get the club stuck in the rough on takeaway, but when I try to hover it always adds tension to the swing. Maybe I need to just stick with it to see what happens over time.

[Psyber]

I'd like to change since I occasionally get the club stuck in the rough on takeaway, but when I try to hover it always adds tension to the swing. Maybe I need to just stick with it to see what happens over time.

 

I found it worked best for me to setup grounded and then hover it ever so slightly just before my backswing. If I hover too long I add tension because I am just standing there holding the club.

[JJPIV]

My iron play has been struggling lately, I will definitely have to try this at the range this week. I have never really been comfortable hovering my driver, or any other clubs. Could be a good habit to pick up this winter.

[Forged4ever]

I probably think too much. When you hover your irons. Do you lift your arms? Spine angle?

You're thinking too much Bro :)

 

Wayyyyy too much :)

 

Stay well my Friend,

Richard

[Mitchell]

Hover every club in the bag and have done so since became serious about wanting to learn the game. For me, greatly increases feel for club head and eliminates possibility of incurring potential avoidable penalties.

[blum81]

I normally hover. If i don't I tend to drag the club across the ground on the back swing thus messing up my tempo.

[Jackal]

I need to start hovering. Sometimes the ball moves when I ground my club. Also, 4 or 5 times a round, I stubb the grass on takeaway.

Lately, I have been hitting my irons fat.

A good 5 iron is 180 yards, a thin one is 150????, a fat one is 30 yards and sometimes hitting the ground opens the face.

[Forged4ever]

Hover every club in the bag and have done so since became serious about wanting to learn the game. For me, greatly increases feel for club head and eliminates possibility of incurring potential avoidable penalties.

Yeppers, all of em :)

 

Have a great day Bro :)

 

Always,

Richard

[jonsnow]

Hover every club in the bag and have done so since became serious about wanting to learn the game. For me, greatly increases feel for club head and eliminates possibility of incurring potential avoidable penalties.

Yeppers, all of em :)

 

Have a great day Bro :)

 

Always,

Richard

Pretty sure U.S. Am runner-up Brad Dalke had recently begun hovering all his clubs prior to the Amateur. Seemed to work pretty well for him...at least, until he ran into Oliver Luck in the final.

[scratch72]

I agree with all the advantages of hovering that have been mentioned. I also think if you ground your club you actually have to lift it slightly as your swinging back other wise you would be dragging it across the ground. It's so slight you don't know your doing it but you have to.

[Psyber]

I've even started hovering my putter now so I guess at this point I am doing it with all clubs. It's been a good change and I am getting less fat shots and my driving has been more consistent.

[North Butte]

After saying earlier in this that I hover all my clubs, my very next round I noticed that I was actually resting my putter on the ground right before starting my stroke. Didn't used to do that, didn't know I was doing it now, probably just noticed because it was discussed here.

 

So of course I quit doing it. According to Strokes Gained-Putting my three most recent rounds I am about one stroke worse than a Scratch-handicap average. Looked back at the five or so rounds before that and I was nearly three strokes worse than Scratch.

 

Does it even seem possible that resting/dragging/not-hovering before starting my stroke was costing me 1-2 strokes per round? I guess it's possible, especially given that hovering is my life-long habit. No idea when I starting grounding the putter.

[rainkingjr]

I probably should commit to hovering all clubs as I hit fantastic shots from fairway bunkers when needed. So hard to change old habits though.