What Causes Skulled Shots & How To Eliminate Them From Your Golf Game

Imagine this: You walk onto the driving range, confident that you will do as well—if not better—than you did last time you were here. You take your bucket of balls and empty some of them out onto the grass. The closest ball is the lucky first. You address, swing up, and hit the ball. But what's this? It goes half the distance you are used to and nowhere near the direction you intended. You try again... same thing! And again...

What’s happened? You are skulling the ball. But why?

Why skulled shots happen

Rather than get frustrated or blame yourself for this, it’s better to get a good idea of why this is happening. These habits develop on their own and the sooner you fix them, the better. A skulled shot happens because the clubface bottom edge hits ball in the centre. What’s supposed to happen is that the sweet spot (the very centre) of the clubface should hit the ball in the centre. The proper place for the clubface’s bottom edge is to skim the grass, not the ball.

So how do you fix this?

Grip your club at the proper angle

One reason you are skulling the ball could be because of incorrect grip. Make sure your clubface is not too open, as this will expose the ball to that dreaded bottom edge. Grip the club firmly once you have ensure the clubface is set at the right angle.

Bring the club down in a straight line

Swing is just as important. A tight grip will ensure the club doesn't wobble when it comes down. However, it is sometimes necessary to ask a bystander to watch your swing closely. Are you swinging straight or is the club coming down too much on the outside (a rounded swing). If you’re doing it wrong, develop a drill that helps you to swing straight.

Understand the low point of your swing

Various factors may cause your club to reach the incorrect low point during a swing. Here are some possibilities:

If you are making any of these mistakes, identify them and stop. This should bring you back to your old self when skulled shots were not even considered.