It doesn't take a Rocket Scientist to understand that the most important part in the swing is impact. Even from the elite players, they can have varying swings (more so at the top of the swing) but their impact positions are all identical. The reason for this is that there is only one way to hit the golf ball properly. Now during lessons I will sometimes use the aid of an impact bag so that the arms and the body can simulate the feel of a strong impact position.
Now to use the impact bag properly, it is still essential to understand what position is needed to have the correct impact. You want to feel as though your weight is shifting onto the front (roughly 80%) with the hands in front of the clubface and your hips open to the target. When you're striking the impact bag properly, you want your left wrist to be bowed so you feel the complete force of the clubhead striking the bag.
I would also recommend not overdoing this exercise as your hands and body can start to get quite tight when transitioning to hitting balls. I would stick to a ratio of doing 6 practice swings with the impact bag and then 12 shots hitting balls. Also I wouldn't use the bag if you have a game the next day as you want to have your body feeling quite supple leading into your round. Now to strike the impact bag properly, you also need to be mindful of your backswing. You need to ensure you keep your head steady while you hinge your wrists to 90 degrees while you turn to the top of your swing.
The biggest errors that can happen when attempting to use the impact bag is wrist control and weight transfer. If you don't hinge your wrists to 90 degrees on the backswing, you can then start to unhinge your wrists on the way down causing the clubface to overtake your hands at impact. This will cause a weak strike with the bag. Just ensure to hinge your wrists to 90 degrees on the way up and have them stored at this angle right up until you strike the bag. This will give you maximum force. Along with keeping your hinge, ensure you always move through the shot as staying on the back foot too long will again cause a weak strike.
If you need any further help with your impact just book in a session with David Waters Golf.
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