Lesson 4b: The Moment of Impact
The most important fraction of a second in golf is impact — the moment the club face touches the ball. This contact lasts less than one-thousandth of a second.
During impact, an enormous amount of energy transfers from the moving club to the stationary ball. The ball compresses — briefly becoming oval-shaped — and then springs back, launching itself forward.
Everything that determines where the ball goes is decided in this tiny instant: the direction of the club face, the speed of the club, the angle of attack, and the location on the club face where contact is made.
Hitting the ball on the sweet spot — the center of the club face — transfers energy most efficiently. Hitting off-center loses energy and creates unwanted sidespin.
Impact lasts less than 0.001 seconds. In that time, all the energy from the swing transfers to the ball.
The sweet spot is the center of the club face. Hits on the sweet spot are the most efficient energy transfers — producing the most distance and the straightest flight.
Sweet spot finder! Using a dry-erase marker or face tape (ask your parent), mark the face of a practice club or use an old club. Hit (or tap gently) 10 balls and look at where the marks appear on the club face after each hit. Are most marks in the center (sweet spot)? How many are near the edges? Draw the club face in your journal and mark where each impact happened. What pattern do you see? What would you need to practice to hit the sweet spot more often?
Face tape or impact spray (available at golf shops) is the professional version of this activity and produces extremely clear feedback. Even the dry-erase marker method works well for light practice swings. The visual record of impact locations is one of the most instructive things a young golfer can see.