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Tyler Ferrell is the only person in the world named to Golf Digest's list of Best Young Teachers in America AND its list of Best Golf Fitness Professionals in America.

Identify the Causes of Toe Contact in Your Golf Swing

After this video, you'll be able to:

  • Identify if body movement is causing toe contact during your swing
  • Learn how arm positioning can lead to hitting the ball on the toe
  • Recognize the signs of improper setup that contribute to toe contact

In this video, you'll learn the key reasons behind toe contact and how it affects your shots. Understanding these causes will help you make adjustments for better contact and distance control.

Video Transcript
WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:09.680
In this concept video, we're going to discuss the primary causes of toe contact

2
00:00:09.680 --> 00:00:09.960
.

3
00:00:09.960 --> 00:00:15.260
So in this contact series, we're going to go through the major contact patterns

4
00:00:15.260 --> 00:00:15.520
and

5
00:00:15.520 --> 00:00:16.840
the big influences.

6
00:00:16.840 --> 00:00:22.510
For toe contact, what's primarily happening is something is pulling in,

7
00:00:22.510 --> 00:00:24.000
something is moving

8
00:00:24.000 --> 00:00:26.880
the club closer to me than where it started.

9
00:00:26.880 --> 00:00:30.080
So if I start with the club, in line with the golf ball and then hitting it on

10
00:00:30.080 --> 00:00:31.300
the toe,

11
00:00:31.300 --> 00:00:33.200
something moved it in this way.

12
00:00:33.200 --> 00:00:39.950
Now this could be, I was set up in an artificially too far away position, kind

13
00:00:39.950 --> 00:00:41.320
of like this.

14
00:00:41.320 --> 00:00:44.390
And then I came back to a more appropriate position and therefore I was hitting

15
00:00:44.390 --> 00:00:44.680
it on

16
00:00:44.680 --> 00:00:46.080
the toe.

17
00:00:46.080 --> 00:00:51.270
So that's the quick one to look for is basically, am I reaching too much and am

18
00:00:51.270 --> 00:00:51.760
I potentially

19
00:00:51.760 --> 00:00:55.230
like so much on my heels that when I swing, I'm moving into a more balanced

20
00:00:55.230 --> 00:00:55.880
position and

21
00:00:55.880 --> 00:00:57.640
my arms are getting closer.

22
00:00:57.640 --> 00:00:58.640
But that one's rare.

23
00:00:58.640 --> 00:01:02.600
Typically toe contact comes from one of three primary causes.

24
00:01:02.600 --> 00:01:06.800
Either the body is moving away from the golf ball or the arms are pulling in.

25
00:01:06.800 --> 00:01:09.920
There's two causes of the body moving away from the golf ball.

26
00:01:09.920 --> 00:01:14.030
That would either be more of a standing up, so it's moving away backward, kind

27
00:01:14.030 --> 00:01:14.560
of like

28
00:01:14.560 --> 00:01:20.400
this, early extension pattern, or it could be moving too far backward.

29
00:01:20.400 --> 00:01:24.160
That's also increasing the distance between me and the golf ball.

30
00:01:24.160 --> 00:01:27.900
But that one doesn't always result in toe contact, depending on what the arms

31
00:01:27.900 --> 00:01:29.120
are doing.

32
00:01:29.120 --> 00:01:33.720
The third one would be the arms tending to pull more in.

33
00:01:33.720 --> 00:01:39.130
This could either be the wrist, kind of releasing the club back here, or the

34
00:01:39.130 --> 00:01:40.280
arms and the shoulders

35
00:01:40.280 --> 00:01:41.360
kind of pulling in.

36
00:01:41.360 --> 00:01:44.860
Both of those tend to make the golf club move towards me and instead of away

37
00:01:44.860 --> 00:01:45.680
from me and

38
00:01:45.680 --> 00:01:48.600
can cause toe contact.

39
00:01:48.600 --> 00:01:52.940
So I would primarily look at toe contact by looking at impact position and

40
00:01:52.940 --> 00:01:53.840
looking at

41
00:01:53.840 --> 00:01:58.270
is my body moving up, is my body moving back, and then looking at impact in the

42
00:01:58.270 --> 00:01:59.480
follow through

43
00:01:59.480 --> 00:02:05.200
are my arms narrowing or the club passing, like if I have no shaft lean.

44
00:02:05.200 --> 00:02:11.590
So oftentimes I make golfers hit it on the heel because a lot of the common

45
00:02:11.590 --> 00:02:12.280
kind of higher

46
00:02:12.280 --> 00:02:17.470
handicap over the top, early extension chicken wing pattern causes a lot of toe

47
00:02:17.470 --> 00:02:17.800
contact.

48
00:02:17.800 --> 00:02:21.470
And so as we work on better arm extension, we work on staying in our posture

49
00:02:21.470 --> 00:02:22.240
and turning,

50
00:02:22.240 --> 00:02:25.660
all those things move the low point forward and tend to cause more heel contact

51
00:02:25.660 --> 00:02:26.080
than toe

52
00:02:26.080 --> 00:02:27.400
contact.

53
00:02:27.400 --> 00:02:30.260
But if you're struggling with toe contact, are you moving too far up or are you

54
00:02:30.260 --> 00:02:30.640
moving

55
00:02:30.640 --> 00:02:33.360
too far back or your arms pulling in?

56
00:02:33.360 --> 00:02:38.770
Start with impact and the release zone to see what's happening and then look at

57
00:02:38.770 --> 00:02:39.360
backswing

58
00:02:39.360 --> 00:02:44.720
and takeaway and transition to see when all that is lining up.

59
00:02:44.720 --> 00:02:48.390
If you use that pattern, you'll be able to identify what's the principal cause

60
00:02:48.390 --> 00:02:48.800
of your

61
00:02:48.800 --> 00:02:50.520
toe contact.

62
00:02:50.520 --> 00:02:55.930
Sometimes when golfers are solving their toe contact, they will end up hitting

63
00:02:55.930 --> 00:02:56.480
the ball

64
00:02:56.480 --> 00:02:57.640
more to the right.

65
00:02:57.640 --> 00:03:02.240
Typically one of the cousins of the toe contact is the pull.

66
00:03:02.240 --> 00:03:05.510
And so as you get more down, as you get more shaft lean and the hands get more

67
00:03:05.510 --> 00:03:06.400
ahead, you

68
00:03:06.400 --> 00:03:10.200
tend to hit the ball more right until you work on getting the club face to

69
00:03:10.200 --> 00:03:10.840
close a little

70
00:03:10.840 --> 00:03:15.320
bit earlier or with more with shaft rotation using the motorcycle.

71
00:03:15.320 --> 00:03:19.580
So if you're struggling with toe contact, look at impact, body causes up or

72
00:03:19.580 --> 00:03:20.280
back, arm

73
00:03:20.280 --> 00:03:24.060
causes in, figure out which of those is your primary lesion that you need to

74
00:03:24.060 --> 00:03:24.960
work on and

75
00:03:24.960 --> 00:03:28.000
that will ultimately fix your toe contact.

76
00:03:28.000 --> 00:03:32.750
So I'd usually recommend fixing toe contact with some kind of half shots first,

77
00:03:32.750 --> 00:03:33.440
just feeling

78
00:03:33.440 --> 00:03:39.270
like my upper body is in a good location, maintaining a distance, not going

79
00:03:39.270 --> 00:03:39.840
down or

80
00:03:39.840 --> 00:03:45.030
back and then getting my arms and hands into a good impact position where they

81
00:03:45.030 --> 00:03:45.760
're slightly

82
00:03:45.760 --> 00:03:46.960
ahead.

83
00:03:46.960 --> 00:03:50.340
If I can do that, then it will make it more likely that I'll hit it solid or

84
00:03:50.340 --> 00:03:51.080
even towards

85
00:03:51.080 --> 00:03:52.080
the heel.

86
00:03:52.080 --> 00:03:58.480
It'll dramatically improve my contact pattern if toe is my main miss.

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Tyler Ferrell is the only person in the world named to Golf Digest's list of Best Young Teachers in America AND its list of Best Golf Fitness Professionals in America.

Identify the Causes of Toe Contact in Your Golf Swing

After this video, you'll be able to:

  • Identify if body movement is causing toe contact during your swing
  • Learn how arm positioning can lead to hitting the ball on the toe
  • Recognize the signs of improper setup that contribute to toe contact

In this video, you'll learn the key reasons behind toe contact and how it affects your shots. Understanding these causes will help you make adjustments for better contact and distance control.

Video Transcript
WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:09.680
In this concept video, we're going to discuss the primary causes of toe contact

2
00:00:09.680 --> 00:00:09.960
.

3
00:00:09.960 --> 00:00:15.260
So in this contact series, we're going to go through the major contact patterns

4
00:00:15.260 --> 00:00:15.520
and

5
00:00:15.520 --> 00:00:16.840
the big influences.

6
00:00:16.840 --> 00:00:22.510
For toe contact, what's primarily happening is something is pulling in,

7
00:00:22.510 --> 00:00:24.000
something is moving

8
00:00:24.000 --> 00:00:26.880
the club closer to me than where it started.

9
00:00:26.880 --> 00:00:30.080
So if I start with the club, in line with the golf ball and then hitting it on

10
00:00:30.080 --> 00:00:31.300
the toe,

11
00:00:31.300 --> 00:00:33.200
something moved it in this way.

12
00:00:33.200 --> 00:00:39.950
Now this could be, I was set up in an artificially too far away position, kind

13
00:00:39.950 --> 00:00:41.320
of like this.

14
00:00:41.320 --> 00:00:44.390
And then I came back to a more appropriate position and therefore I was hitting

15
00:00:44.390 --> 00:00:44.680
it on

16
00:00:44.680 --> 00:00:46.080
the toe.

17
00:00:46.080 --> 00:00:51.270
So that's the quick one to look for is basically, am I reaching too much and am

18
00:00:51.270 --> 00:00:51.760
I potentially

19
00:00:51.760 --> 00:00:55.230
like so much on my heels that when I swing, I'm moving into a more balanced

20
00:00:55.230 --> 00:00:55.880
position and

21
00:00:55.880 --> 00:00:57.640
my arms are getting closer.

22
00:00:57.640 --> 00:00:58.640
But that one's rare.

23
00:00:58.640 --> 00:01:02.600
Typically toe contact comes from one of three primary causes.

24
00:01:02.600 --> 00:01:06.800
Either the body is moving away from the golf ball or the arms are pulling in.

25
00:01:06.800 --> 00:01:09.920
There's two causes of the body moving away from the golf ball.

26
00:01:09.920 --> 00:01:14.030
That would either be more of a standing up, so it's moving away backward, kind

27
00:01:14.030 --> 00:01:14.560
of like

28
00:01:14.560 --> 00:01:20.400
this, early extension pattern, or it could be moving too far backward.

29
00:01:20.400 --> 00:01:24.160
That's also increasing the distance between me and the golf ball.

30
00:01:24.160 --> 00:01:27.900
But that one doesn't always result in toe contact, depending on what the arms

31
00:01:27.900 --> 00:01:29.120
are doing.

32
00:01:29.120 --> 00:01:33.720
The third one would be the arms tending to pull more in.

33
00:01:33.720 --> 00:01:39.130
This could either be the wrist, kind of releasing the club back here, or the

34
00:01:39.130 --> 00:01:40.280
arms and the shoulders

35
00:01:40.280 --> 00:01:41.360
kind of pulling in.

36
00:01:41.360 --> 00:01:44.860
Both of those tend to make the golf club move towards me and instead of away

37
00:01:44.860 --> 00:01:45.680
from me and

38
00:01:45.680 --> 00:01:48.600
can cause toe contact.

39
00:01:48.600 --> 00:01:52.940
So I would primarily look at toe contact by looking at impact position and

40
00:01:52.940 --> 00:01:53.840
looking at

41
00:01:53.840 --> 00:01:58.270
is my body moving up, is my body moving back, and then looking at impact in the

42
00:01:58.270 --> 00:01:59.480
follow through

43
00:01:59.480 --> 00:02:05.200
are my arms narrowing or the club passing, like if I have no shaft lean.

44
00:02:05.200 --> 00:02:11.590
So oftentimes I make golfers hit it on the heel because a lot of the common

45
00:02:11.590 --> 00:02:12.280
kind of higher

46
00:02:12.280 --> 00:02:17.470
handicap over the top, early extension chicken wing pattern causes a lot of toe

47
00:02:17.470 --> 00:02:17.800
contact.

48
00:02:17.800 --> 00:02:21.470
And so as we work on better arm extension, we work on staying in our posture

49
00:02:21.470 --> 00:02:22.240
and turning,

50
00:02:22.240 --> 00:02:25.660
all those things move the low point forward and tend to cause more heel contact

51
00:02:25.660 --> 00:02:26.080
than toe

52
00:02:26.080 --> 00:02:27.400
contact.

53
00:02:27.400 --> 00:02:30.260
But if you're struggling with toe contact, are you moving too far up or are you

54
00:02:30.260 --> 00:02:30.640
moving

55
00:02:30.640 --> 00:02:33.360
too far back or your arms pulling in?

56
00:02:33.360 --> 00:02:38.770
Start with impact and the release zone to see what's happening and then look at

57
00:02:38.770 --> 00:02:39.360
backswing

58
00:02:39.360 --> 00:02:44.720
and takeaway and transition to see when all that is lining up.

59
00:02:44.720 --> 00:02:48.390
If you use that pattern, you'll be able to identify what's the principal cause

60
00:02:48.390 --> 00:02:48.800
of your

61
00:02:48.800 --> 00:02:50.520
toe contact.

62
00:02:50.520 --> 00:02:55.930
Sometimes when golfers are solving their toe contact, they will end up hitting

63
00:02:55.930 --> 00:02:56.480
the ball

64
00:02:56.480 --> 00:02:57.640
more to the right.

65
00:02:57.640 --> 00:03:02.240
Typically one of the cousins of the toe contact is the pull.

66
00:03:02.240 --> 00:03:05.510
And so as you get more down, as you get more shaft lean and the hands get more

67
00:03:05.510 --> 00:03:06.400
ahead, you

68
00:03:06.400 --> 00:03:10.200
tend to hit the ball more right until you work on getting the club face to

69
00:03:10.200 --> 00:03:10.840
close a little

70
00:03:10.840 --> 00:03:15.320
bit earlier or with more with shaft rotation using the motorcycle.

71
00:03:15.320 --> 00:03:19.580
So if you're struggling with toe contact, look at impact, body causes up or

72
00:03:19.580 --> 00:03:20.280
back, arm

73
00:03:20.280 --> 00:03:24.060
causes in, figure out which of those is your primary lesion that you need to

74
00:03:24.060 --> 00:03:24.960
work on and

75
00:03:24.960 --> 00:03:28.000
that will ultimately fix your toe contact.

76
00:03:28.000 --> 00:03:32.750
So I'd usually recommend fixing toe contact with some kind of half shots first,

77
00:03:32.750 --> 00:03:33.440
just feeling

78
00:03:33.440 --> 00:03:39.270
like my upper body is in a good location, maintaining a distance, not going

79
00:03:39.270 --> 00:03:39.840
down or

80
00:03:39.840 --> 00:03:45.030
back and then getting my arms and hands into a good impact position where they

81
00:03:45.030 --> 00:03:45.760
're slightly

82
00:03:45.760 --> 00:03:46.960
ahead.

83
00:03:46.960 --> 00:03:50.340
If I can do that, then it will make it more likely that I'll hit it solid or

84
00:03:50.340 --> 00:03:51.080
even towards

85
00:03:51.080 --> 00:03:52.080
the heel.

86
00:03:52.080 --> 00:03:58.480
It'll dramatically improve my contact pattern if toe is my main miss.

Have questions about this video?

Ask Mulligan for personalized guidance on technique, drills, or how to apply what you've learned.

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Related topics
This video hasn't been assigned to any topics yet. Browse all topics in the sidebar.
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