How to Compress the Golf Ball Like a Pro
If you’ve ever wondered how the best players in the world make their iron shots launch low, spin hard, and pierce through the wind, the answer is compression.
In this lesson, I team up with Bo Bolick, PGA Teaching Professional at The Club at 12 Oaks, to show you exactly how to compress the golf ball using simple, effective drills. These are the same techniques we use every day with our students — and they can help you start hitting it clean and powerful.
🎥 Watch the full video here: Compress the Golf Ball with Andrew Kiger & Bo Bolick
What Is Compression in the Golf Swing?
Compression is the result of leaning the shaft forward at impact, reducing loft, and striking the ball just before the ground. When done correctly, it produces that crisp, penetrating flight you see on Tour.
As Bo explains: “We want to strike the ball around the 4th groove with forward shaft lean, sending it low and spinning — not floating up into the wind.”
Drill #1: The Towel Drill
Purpose: Train ball-first contact and encourage forward shaft lean.
- Place a towel 6–8 inches behind the golf ball.
- Use an alignment stick along your target line.
- Hit the ball first — avoid the towel completely.
Common mistake: Hanging back or flipping early, which causes you to hit the towel. You’ll know immediately if you did it wrong!
Drill #2: The Tennis Ball (or Sibling Push) Drill
Purpose: Feel pressure shift into your lead side and finish balanced.
- Place a cut tennis ball, Coke can, or water bottle under your lead foot.
- As you swing, feel yourself push into that object, shifting your weight forward.
- Use the analogy of pushing a sibling through a door — lead shoulder moving forward with force.
This is a powerful way to train your center of mass to move forward at impact.
Drill #3: Preset Wrist Drill
Purpose: Train forward shaft lean and body pivot naturally.
- Preset your wrists into a strong impact position with the shaft leaning forward.
- From here, try to hit the ball — the only way is by rotating and shifting your weight.
- Use half swings to focus on form, not distance.
This drill reveals what your body must do to support proper wrist angles through impact.
Drill #4: The “Positivity Drill” (Tee Drill)
Purpose: Train your low point and shift your focus past the ball.
- Place a tee 2–4 inches in front of the golf ball.
- Hit the ball first — then clip the tee after.
- This reinforces extension, low point control, and intent through the ball.
We call it the “positivity drill” because it gets you thinking forward — through the shot, not at it.
Final Thoughts
You don’t need fancy tools or swing thoughts to compress the golf ball — you just need the right feels and drills. Focus on:
- Ball-first contact
- Forward shaft lean
- Weight shifting into your lead side
With these drills and a little bit of practice, you’ll start striking your irons cleaner, crisper, and farther — just like the best players in the world.
🎥 Watch the full video: Compress the Golf Ball Like a Pro
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Andrew Kiger, PGA
Director of Instruction | Andrew Kiger Golf