Chunking golf iron shots is frustrating because even a good-looking swing can produce a heavy strike, a short shot, and a lost stroke. The most direct fix is not trying to lift the ball or making a dozen swing changes. It is learning to control your low point, meaning where the club first contacts the ground.
This golf practice plan uses pennies to give you immediate feedback on where your club touches down. It can help you improve chipping, pitching, and short iron contact by training the club to strike the ground just in front of the ball.
Table of Contents
- Step 1: Understand Why You Chunk Golf Iron Shots
- Step 2: Build the Penny Drill for Golf Low Point Control
- Step 3: Use a Relaxed Release Instead of Dragging the Club
- Step 4: Add an Obstacle to Stop Dragging the Club Inward
- Step 5: Move From Pennies to a Golf Ball
- Step 6: Diagnose Your Results During Golf Practice
- Step 7: Avoid the Most Common Golf Contact Mistakes
- Step 8: Use the Drill for Chips, Pitches, and Iron Shots
- Step 9: Build a Repeatable Golf Contact Routine
- Step 10: Take the Low Point Feeling to the Course
- Golf Penny Drill FAQ
- Final Takeaway for Better Golf Contact
Step 1: Understand Why You Chunk Golf Iron Shots
A chunked golf shot happens when the club strikes the turf before it reaches the ball. The ground slows the clubhead, so the ball travels much shorter than intended. On a pitch or chip, this can leave the ball barely moving. With an iron, it can produce a heavy, weak shot that comes up well short of the target.
The key measurement is the club’s first ground contact. Strong ball strikers are able to bring the club into the turf in a very small area just ahead of the ball. For your golf swing, that means the objective is simple: make contact with the ball first, then brush or tap the ground immediately in front of it.
This is especially important in golf shots played from the turf. You do not need to scoop under the ball. The loft on the clubface is designed to launch the ball. Your job is to deliver the clubhead consistently.
What low point control means in golf
- Low point behind the ball: You are likely to hit the shot fat or chunk it.
- Low point at the ball: Contact may be thin, inconsistent, or unpredictable.
- Low point just ahead of the ball: You are far more likely to create clean golf contact.
The penny drill is useful because it turns this invisible part of the golf swing into a clear target you can see and measure.
Step 2: Build the Penny Drill for Golf Low Point Control
You only need a few pennies, a wedge or short iron, and a safe practice surface. Begin without a ball. Put two pennies directly beside each other so they create a narrow target area. A penny is roughly three-quarters of an inch wide, making the pair a compact reference for your club’s ground contact.
Place several pairs in a line if you want to perform multiple repetitions without resetting the drill after every swing. The goal is to make the sole of the club contact the ground in the small space occupied by the pennies.
Do not worry about hitting the pennies perfectly every time at the start. The purpose of this golf drill is feedback. If the club hits far behind the coins, your low point is too far back. If the club never reaches the target, you may be trying to help the ball into the air rather than allowing the club to descend naturally.
How to perform a repetition
Address the penny target with your normal short-game posture.
Make a small backswing that matches a chip or short pitch.
Allow the club to return and touch the turf at the pennies.
Check whether the club contacted the intended narrow area.
Repeat with the same smooth motion rather than adding speed.
A productive starting target is 20 practice swings. Aim to contact the coin target on about half of your attempts before progressing. That is enough feedback to develop a more repeatable golf strike without turning practice into a mechanical endurance test.
Step 3: Use a Relaxed Release Instead of Dragging the Club
Many golfers chunk shots because they try to force the clubhead through impact by dragging the handle aggressively. That can make the club approach too steeply or cause the club to strike the turf too far behind the ball.
A more useful golf feel is a small, controlled hammer tap. Let the club hinge naturally in the backswing and allow the wrist angles to release through the strike. Think of the clubhead as lightly tapping the ground rather than being pulled along the turf.
This does not mean flipping wildly at the ball. It means allowing the clubhead to flow through the bottom of the swing with enough freedom to reach its intended low point.
Useful golf swing feels for the drill
- Tap the turf: Your task is to touch a specific spot, not dig a deep divot.
- Let the club release: Avoid holding the clubface open or dragging the grip forward excessively.
- Keep the motion compact: Use a short backswing first so contact is easier to monitor.
- Stay rhythmic: A smooth motion makes low point control easier than a rushed hit.
If you keep missing behind the pennies, slow down. Make smaller golf swings and focus only on contacting the target. Once the club reaches the pennies consistently, your motion can remain athletic and responsive instead of overly rigid.
Step 4: Add an Obstacle to Stop Dragging the Club Inward
After the penny drill, you can add a simple obstacle to improve your golf club path and prevent the club from being dragged too far to the inside. Position an alignment stick or training aid outside the ball line, with the outside edge aligned approximately with the ball.
The goal is to take the club back above the obstacle and return without colliding with it. This setup encourages a cleaner route into the ball and removes the urge to pull the clubhead inward along the ground.
Use the obstacle as a guide, not as something to fear. You should still make a natural golf motion. The obstacle simply provides feedback when the club is being pulled too far inside on the way back or down.
Set up the obstacle safely
Place a ball on the practice surface.
Set an alignment stick or similar guide outside the ball line.
Leave enough room for the clubhead to travel without touching the guide.
Make slow rehearsal swings that go above the guide.
Hit short golf shots only after the rehearsal feels comfortable.
Start with a sand wedge or another lofted club and a short swing. This makes the drill more manageable and lets you prioritize crisp contact over distance.
Step 5: Move From Pennies to a Golf Ball
Once you can repeatedly strike the penny target, add a golf ball without changing your intention. Set the ball so its back edge is about one penny-width ahead of the penny. The penny now gives you a reference point behind the ball, while your intended turf contact remains just in front of it.
Make the same compact motion you used without the ball. Your focus should not be on trying to lift the golf ball. Instead, let the club strike the ball and then tap the ground in front of the penny. Good contact should feel simpler after the target practice because you already know where the club needs to reach the ground.
A simple golf practice progression
Pennies only: Make 20 short swings and record how often you strike the target area.
Ball with penny reference: Hit 10 to 20 short shots while preserving the same ground-contact goal.
Obstacle plus ball: Add the outside guide if you tend to drag the club inward.
Change distance: Use longer or shorter swings only after your golf contact remains reliable.
Do not rush to full-speed golf swings. A clean, repeatable strike on a small pitch is more valuable than random heavy and thin contact with a long swing.
Step 6: Diagnose Your Results During Golf Practice
The location of your strike gives you useful information. Rather than guessing at your golf swing, use each result to decide what to repeat or adjust.
| Practice result | What it usually indicates | Best response |
|---|---|---|
| Club strikes well behind the pennies | Low point is too far back | Shorten the motion and rehearse a gentle forward turf tap |
| Club brushes the penny target | Low point control is improving | Repeat the same tempo before adding a ball |
| Club collides with the outside guide | Club may be dragged too far inward | Rehearse taking the club back above the guide |
| Ball is hit cleanly but turf contact is inconsistent | Timing is not yet repeatable | Return to penny-only practice for several repetitions |
Golf improvement comes from consistent feedback. The pennies make your contact pattern visible, so you can stop relying solely on whether one shot happened to fly well.
Step 7: Avoid the Most Common Golf Contact Mistakes
Trying to scoop the ball
Trying to slide the club under the golf ball often moves the low point behind it. Focus on the ball first, then the turf just ahead of it. Trust the loft of the club to launch the shot.
Dragging the handle through impact
Holding on too long can make it difficult for the clubhead to reach the intended strike point. Practice the controlled hammer-tap feel so the club can release naturally.
Practicing only with a ball
Ball flight can disguise poor golf contact. A shot can still travel a reasonable distance even when the strike is not ideal. The penny target reveals the actual location of the club’s low point.
Making the drill too difficult too quickly
Use a wedge, short swings, and slow repetitions first. If you begin with full iron swings, you may be practicing speed instead of low point control.
Changing several things at once
Keep the golf task focused. First learn to touch the target. Then add the ball. Then add an obstacle if needed. This sequence gives each drill a specific purpose.
Step 8: Use the Drill for Chips, Pitches, and Iron Shots
The same golf contact principle applies across several shots. The length of the swing changes, but the need to control where the club meets the ground remains.
- Chips: Use a very short motion and a small turf tap just ahead of the ball.
- Pitches: Allow a little more hinge and release while keeping the same low point intention.
- Short iron shots: Gradually lengthen the swing only when your strike point stays ahead of the ball.
A simple training aid can be useful for setting an external club-path reference, but it is not required. Pennies and an alignment stick are enough to begin improving golf contact immediately.
Step 9: Build a Repeatable Golf Contact Routine
Use this short routine before a range session or before working on your short game:
Make 20 penny-only practice swings.
Try to contact the narrow target area on at least half of the repetitions.
Add a ball one penny-width ahead of the reference penny.
Hit 10 controlled golf shots with the same turf-contact intention.
Add an outside guide only if you notice the club being dragged inward.
Finish with several shots toward a target, maintaining rhythm rather than forcing distance.
The best sign of progress is not one perfect golf shot. It is being able to repeat clean contact without feeling as though you must force the club into position.
Step 10: Take the Low Point Feeling to the Course
On the course, you will not place pennies behind every golf ball. Instead, use the practice feeling: a smooth swing, a natural release, and a small brush of the turf ahead of the ball.
For a chip or pitch, think about the landing spot and allow the club to tap the ground through impact. For an iron shot, avoid trying to manufacture a divot. Focus on making a committed swing that reaches the ball before the turf.
If chunked golf shots return under pressure, go back to the smallest version of the drill in practice. A few focused penny repetitions can restore the contact sensation far more effectively than searching for multiple technical fixes.
Golf Penny Drill FAQ
Can this golf drill help stop fat iron shots?
Yes. The drill directly trains low point control, which is the central issue when the club strikes the ground before the ball. Begin with short swings and pennies only, then progress to hitting a ball.
How far in front of the penny should the golf ball be?
Place the back of the ball about one penny-width in front of the penny. This gives you a clear reference behind the ball while encouraging the club to contact the ground ahead of it.
Should you hit the pennies during the golf drill?
The pennies are a target for the club’s ground contact. The goal is to contact the narrow zone they create. They provide feedback on whether your low point is too far behind, too far ahead, or in the desired area.
What club should you use for the penny drill?
A sand wedge or another lofted wedge is a practical place to start because the motion is short and easier to control. You can move to short irons after your golf contact becomes more consistent.
Why do golfers chunk shots even when their swing feels good?
A swing can feel good while the club’s low point is still behind the ball. The penny drill removes that guesswork by showing exactly where the club first reaches the ground.
Final Takeaway for Better Golf Contact
To stop chunking golf iron shots, focus on a single skill: controlling where the club touches the ground. Use two pennies as a narrow target, practice a relaxed tapping motion, and progress to a ball once you can repeatedly strike the target area.
Clean golf contact does not require you to scoop, force, or overthink the strike. It requires a repeatable low point just ahead of the ball. Practice that skill in small, measurable steps, and your chips, pitches, and iron shots can become far more dependable.
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