This may sound a little bit crazy to some but, with every club except the driver and putter you should be striking the ball with a slightly downward blow. What this does is, it allows the loft of the club to work as it's supposed to and launch the ball up into the air. Proper golf ball contact will also increase distance because when the ball is hit at impact, the descending movement compresses the ball witch in turn releases more energy sending the ball further.
There is a common mistake made by beginners. What they tend to do is try to scoop the ball and help it into the air with their fairway woods and irons. This is a critical mistake because hitting up on the ball will only causes a lot more miss hits and give the player poor distance on each shot.
When you are swinging your irons and even fairway woods you should be aiming at the bottom front of the ball itself or even a little bit before the ball. This will allow the very bottom of your swing arc to still be on a descending path when you make contact with the golf ball. If you watch a good player when they hit the ball with a 9-iron for example, you'll notice that their divots always begin in front of the ball and never after the ball. What this means is the golfer is making contact with the ball first still on the downswing, and then contact with the turf takes place.
When this is done correctly the golf ball gets squished or pressed between the clubface and the ground, witch increases the compression and results in more distance and spin for that particular shot. If you try to hit up on the ball with your fairway woods or irons you could end up topping the ball or even missing it.
The Exception:
There's always one exception to every rule. This one involves hitting your driver off the tee. With this club you want to try to make golf ball contact on the slight upswing or the beginning of your upward swing arc. One of the main reasons for doing this is because the driver has very little loft and it's harder to get the ball into the air.
The other reason is the drivers now have very few grooves witch helps to eliminate spin that is put on the ball during compression. It allows the ball to travel through the air with a piercing or floating type action and travel great distances.
One of the most important tips you can learn about equipment and your golf game is when to make proper golf ball contact. It all depends on what club you are using and the situation. Try and use this little bit of info the next time you're on the course and watch what happens.
