How to compress a golf ball

When it comes to taking shots with irons, there’s nothing more frustrating than hearing a little ‘clink’ and watching your ball limply and thinly travel a much shorter distance than you’d intended. If this sounds familiar to you, it might be because you haven’t yet learnt how to compress a golf ball.

Compressing a golf ball is one of the most essential skills to master if you want to hit full, powerful and distant shots with your iron. However, it’s not easy, and it can take a lot of practice.

That said, if you want to emulate the top tour players and hit drives with purpose and control – changing that ‘clink’ to a satisfying ‘thump’ in the process – learning to compress a golf ball is worth the time and effort you’ll put in. It might even change your game altogether.

What does it mean to compress a golf ball?

You may have seen super slow-motion footage of a golf club striking the ball, causing it to warp and almost flatten upon impact. It would be easy to assume that this is what is meant by compression for golf balls, but there’s a little more to it than that. In fact, the ball will warp like that regardless of whether you’re compressing the ball properly or not.

When we talk about compressing the ball in golf, we’re actually referring to striking the ball with a downward angle of attack, resulting in maximum backspin and distance for the shot.

Another crucial part of this technique is creating a forward shaft lean. This means having your hands positioned in front of the clubhead when it makes contact with the ball and properly distributing weight from the back foot to the front throughout the swing.

Essentially, what you’re doing is swinging downwards, so that the clubface first makes contact with the ball and then with the turf. What this does is trap the ball between the ground and your club for a very small period of time, transferring energy from your swing to your clubhead and then finally to your ball.

This is how you maximise distance and backspin from a shot with an iron, and it’s all down to how you compress a golf ball.

How do you compress a golf ball?

The reason this is a complex technique to both master and understand is that it feels counterintuitive. Why would we strike down to make the ball go up?

Because of this line of thought, many newer players find themselves hitting the ball from bottom to top, almost scooping it in their attempts to hit a shot so that it gets airtime. The result is a shot that is thin and sacrifices distance.

That’s where properly compressing the ball comes into the equation. Here’s how you do it:

• Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, with the ball in the centre of this stance and slightly in front of you. The ball mustn’t be too far in front, as this can result in an upwards swing.
• Once the ball is there, think of how your weight is being distributed between your two feet. At first, it should be an even split. Neither foot should be carrying more weight than the other before you’ve made contact with the ball. It’s only once you’ve begun your swing that weight transitions from your back foot to your front foot.
• This stance should change once you begin your swing. Your hips are at the forefront of this weight shift, not your arms. Your hips should have shifted towards your target from that level, neutral stance, before you make contact with the ball.

The result of this is that your hands will be positioned in front of the clubface as you strike the ball. This is what we call forward shaft lean, and it’s important because it means your clubface is angled as it is designed: without too much loft.

It’s this which makes learning to compress a golf ball feel alien. Your head might tell you that more loft is required for more height, when in reality, you’re aiming for the opposite.

Compressing a golf ball: In summary

So, to summarise:  

• Begin with the ball in the middle of a neutral stance
• Start to transition your weight from your back foot to your front foot
• Create the forward shaft lean with your hands ahead of the clubface
• Swing down and through the ball before making contact with the ground, creating a divot

You’ll know you’ve done it correctly when that ‘clink’ you once heard is replaced by a ‘thump’ and you’re achieving more distance than before.

How to compress a golf ball: FAQs

Can you compress a golf ball without taking a divot?

Yes. On a firmer surface or from a tighter lie, it is possible to minimise contact with the ground. Ultimately, compressing a golf ball is all about a shallow angle of attack, and this is possible without taking a divot. It should be noted, however, that this is the exception rather than the rule. Best practice is to aim to take a divot with your shot.

Does swing speed impact ball compression?

The answer to this is yes, but a cautious yes.

Only focus on the speed of your swing once you’re comfortable and confident with the technique. A faster swing will help generate more distance than a slower one. However, a golfer with a slower swing and proper technique will always hit the ball further than one with a faster swing and no technique.

Focus on getting ball compression right first. Then you can refine with a faster swing.

How is it different to compress a golf ball with a wood compared to an iron?

With an iron, ball compression largely comes from the impact of the turf underneath. When teeing off with a wood, neither the club nor the ball will be making contact with the turf.

That means compressing the ball is different when using a wood. Instead of striking downwards, the clubface is angled more upwards. Due to the larger size of a wood’s clubface, its sweet spot is bigger with an emphasis on compression. Simply put, compressing the ball with the club is all about making a flush contact without worrying about how the turf relates to the club.

What are the benefits of compressing the golf ball?

It’s all about distance and control. To compress a golf ball means relying on physics to take it further and more accurately than you’d be able to with power alone. The backspin generated also means that when it lands in your desired location, it’ll stay there, too.

What is a good drill to help practice compressing the golf ball?

The towel drill is one of the very best to help you understand compression.

Start by placing a towel roughly an inch behind the ball. Now, swing and strike the ball as you would usually. 
The catch? You’re aiming to avoid hitting the towel at all. This helps with the overarching principle of ball compression: your goal is to hit the ball first, then the turf. Follow all these steps, and you’ll put yourself in much better standing when it comes to compressing the golf ball.

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