Hi paul I have a couple of questions
First is on a divot how deep should ones divot be ? And what clubs should we be taking them with?
Secondly how far do you carry the ball with your driver?
A god depth would be deep enough that you can still see the roots of the grass. If you just see first they could be a little deep.
You should be taking a divot with about a 5 iron and down. Above that you would be grassing the grass. This is due to the length of the club. This is not to say I have not taken a slight divot with a 3 iron but typically I am grazing it.
My average using the Game Golf stat tracker is 281 with driver. Shortest 269 longest 352. What is it on the fly? No idea. 250 to 300.
It is most likely a skyed shot. Just look at the ground after one of these drives. If you see any kind of divot ahead of the ball you are skying it. If so, you need to immediately start working on staying behind it.
I have been paying particular attention to the idea of keeping my head back, as you say, almost over my rear foot, with good results. That alone seems to also help me start the swing with my legs. But in many swings, I feel I loose my spine angle…I’m back behind the ball, swinging the club nicely but my upper torso has become more vertical.
Keeping my head down, eyes on a spot behind the ball seems to help. Is there anything else that would help?
Very good video/lesson again ,Paul :this responds to an earlier question I had about keeping the head behind the ball,which ,in addition to keep you from skying ,gives more “zip “to the ball.
But there’s another occasion when you sky:that’s when you tee very high and want to hit the ball off the front big toe ,to give it a higher flight :I do this occasionnally ,it’s not at all my normal set up .
To keep my head back ,I imagine my neck is in a hole of piece of glass with rugged dents all around the opening and I dont want to hurt it when swinging ! It works !!!
I noticed when you’re leaving your head behind the ball on your practice swings your chin to the top of your head is slightly tilted if were on an axis. However when you do your actual swing leaving the head behind the ball your chin to the top of your head looks quite vertical and looks more ergonomic and user-friendly can you explain what is actually going on I know this is a very slight postural difference but it may help me understand and feel the impact position better as I feel slightly off-balance if my head is tilted
Thanks for another good video
Not even thinking about my head as I am swinging. Keep in mind I am trying to talk to the camera when just swinging. As I am hitting I am doing my real swing.
Do what you feel right for head position so long as it says behind the ball.
Thanks, Paul. I’ll confess to adding some white marks to the top of some new drivers. That slide forward is not disastrous with irons, but when your drive look like a 9 iron, OUTCH
You certainly shouldn’t be skying as long as you have been following me. You really need to be working on keeping the head behind the ball right away. Just get this then tidy up the legs and hips in you are behind it more.
Lol!! I haven’t skied it since I began using you’re method. You’ve changed my life.
My skies were EPIC. Sometimes landing in the tee box. Lol. I’m so glad you fixed my game.
Paul,
On the range today I was hitting great drives with SS between 110 and 118 and of the center middle of the clubface. Go to the course and i was hitting off the top center of the clubface with SS of only 103. I’m not skying but very close. Is my head going toward the target or something else?
It sure is. You are trying to hit hard. So when you go to the course swing easy. Get it. Then increase only the rotational speed of your body. Right now you are trying to go too hard too fast. It will come. Just give it time.
I just watched your video on eliminating “skying” the ball with your driver. The big problem that I have with my driver is that I hit the ground with my driver before I hit the ball. Is this caused by the same fault that causes the sky ball? My head is head of the ball on my swing causing me to hit down?
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20 Responses to “Good Habit Series – Skying”
January 15, 2015
DavidCalvertHi paul I have a couple of questions
First is on a divot how deep should ones divot be ? And what clubs should we be taking them with?
Secondly how far do you carry the ball with your driver?
January 17, 2015
Paul WilsonDavid,
A god depth would be deep enough that you can still see the roots of the grass. If you just see first they could be a little deep.
You should be taking a divot with about a 5 iron and down. Above that you would be grassing the grass. This is due to the length of the club. This is not to say I have not taken a slight divot with a 3 iron but typically I am grazing it.
My average using the Game Golf stat tracker is 281 with driver. Shortest 269 longest 352. What is it on the fly? No idea. 250 to 300.
January 16, 2015
KennthBovaPaul, if the ball goes very high in the air and goes about 140 yds., is that the same as skying? At times, that’s exactly how my shots go.
January 17, 2015
Paul WilsonKennth,
It is most likely a skyed shot. Just look at the ground after one of these drives. If you see any kind of divot ahead of the ball you are skying it. If so, you need to immediately start working on staying behind it.
January 16, 2015
BillFreemanPaul,
I have been paying particular attention to the idea of keeping my head back, as you say, almost over my rear foot, with good results. That alone seems to also help me start the swing with my legs. But in many swings, I feel I loose my spine angle…I’m back behind the ball, swinging the club nicely but my upper torso has become more vertical.
Keeping my head down, eyes on a spot behind the ball seems to help. Is there anything else that would help?
Thanks,
Bill
January 17, 2015
Paul WilsonBill,
Glad you are working on staying behind it. This is a very important element of the swing.
You need to work on this position in the follow through:
Spine Angle Follow Through: https://ignitiongolf.com/follow-through-eyes-tilted
January 16, 2015
RaymondCHASTELVery good video/lesson again ,Paul :this responds to an earlier question I had about keeping the head behind the ball,which ,in addition to keep you from skying ,gives more “zip “to the ball.
But there’s another occasion when you sky:that’s when you tee very high and want to hit the ball off the front big toe ,to give it a higher flight :I do this occasionnally ,it’s not at all my normal set up .
To keep my head back ,I imagine my neck is in a hole of piece of glass with rugged dents all around the opening and I dont want to hurt it when swinging ! It works !!!
January 17, 2015
Paul WilsonRaymond,
Glad you liked it.
This is not skying this is just hitting it higher to play the wind. This is fine.
January 16, 2015
BruceJespersenI noticed when you’re leaving your head behind the ball on your practice swings your chin to the top of your head is slightly tilted if were on an axis. However when you do your actual swing leaving the head behind the ball your chin to the top of your head looks quite vertical and looks more ergonomic and user-friendly can you explain what is actually going on I know this is a very slight postural difference but it may help me understand and feel the impact position better as I feel slightly off-balance if my head is tilted
Thanks for another good video
January 17, 2015
Paul WilsonBruce,
Not even thinking about my head as I am swinging. Keep in mind I am trying to talk to the camera when just swinging. As I am hitting I am doing my real swing.
Do what you feel right for head position so long as it says behind the ball.
January 16, 2015
RonCalabreseThanks, Paul. I’ll confess to adding some white marks to the top of some new drivers. That slide forward is not disastrous with irons, but when your drive look like a 9 iron, OUTCH
Ron Calabrese
January 17, 2015
Paul WilsonRon,
You certainly shouldn’t be skying as long as you have been following me. You really need to be working on keeping the head behind the ball right away. Just get this then tidy up the legs and hips in you are behind it more.
January 19, 2015
DavidAndersonLol!! I haven’t skied it since I began using you’re method. You’ve changed my life.
My skies were EPIC. Sometimes landing in the tee box. Lol. I’m so glad you fixed my game.
January 20, 2015
Paul WilsonDavid,
Very good. I don’t just make this stuff up. It works as you have found out! Good job.
May 31, 2015
MichaelFanninPaul,
On the range today I was hitting great drives with SS between 110 and 118 and of the center middle of the clubface. Go to the course and i was hitting off the top center of the clubface with SS of only 103. I’m not skying but very close. Is my head going toward the target or something else?
thanks,
Mike
June 1, 2015
Paul WilsonMike,
It sure is. You are trying to hit hard. So when you go to the course swing easy. Get it. Then increase only the rotational speed of your body. Right now you are trying to go too hard too fast. It will come. Just give it time.
May 10, 2016
DougSeewaldPaul,
I just watched your video on eliminating “skying” the ball with your driver. The big problem that I have with my driver is that I hit the ground with my driver before I hit the ball. Is this caused by the same fault that causes the sky ball? My head is head of the ball on my swing causing me to hit down?
Thank you,
Doug
May 11, 2016
Paul WilsonDoug,
You are drop kicking it. This is totally different than skying.
Here you go:
Drop Kick: https://ignitiongolf.com/cure-drop-kick/
June 8, 2019
StianOttersenHi Paul. Quick one: is the head position at impact the «only» reason one would sky/hit high on the face or can there be other reasons?
June 11, 2019
Paul WilsonStian,
The head moving ahead of the ball in the downswing is the only reason. It is impossible to sky it if your head is behind the ball.
Skying: https://ignitiongolf.com/cure-skying/