IMPORTANT VISUAL FOR BEGINNER GOLFERS! WISDOM IN GOLF

PGA Instructor Shawn Clement uses a unique turf-strip visual at Royal Quebec to demonstrate why beginners struggle with ball-first contact. He introduces the 'air divot' and 'dandelion stem' concepts to teach golfers how to strike downward with irons and hybrids. This lesson simplifies the mechanics of compression and explains how the club's loft is designed to work efficiently.

• Irons and hybrids are designed to cut through grass, not scoop the ball up.
• The bottom of your swing arc should be in front of the ball (the 'air divot'), not directly under it.
• Visualize the golf ball as a dandelion; focus on cutting the stem at the surface of the ground.
• Hitting 'up' on a ball sitting on the fairway almost always results in thin or topped shots.
• Ball-first contact requires the club to be on a descending path at the moment of impact.

Go deeper

• Dandelion Stem Drill — Every coach who teaches it
• Thin contact — Causes, drills and coaches for this miss
• Impact position — The lesson, across every coach
• Shawn Clement's Wisdom in Golf Lessons — Every video, sorted by what it teaches