One of the biggest faults that I see in an amateur's golf swing is trying to help get their ball in the air. This can lead to poor contact, erratic dispersion, and the loss of ability to compress the golf ball. Try this simple drill to help increase the contact you make with the golf ball and turf.

#1 Setup
Place an alignment stick 6" behind the golf ball. Place another vertically on the forward side of your arc. The goal is to make contact with the golf ball and the ground, while missing the alignment stick on the ground.

#2 Swing
Swing the club in one piece just past your right leg. From here, start to take the club a little further back to set/hinge the golf club into a strong striking position.

#3 Impact
When hitting the golf ball, miss the alignment stick and come into impact, making a divot in front of the golf ball's original placement.

#4 Extension
Make sure you're building width on both sides of the arc. As you swing toward the second stick, you will help ensure that the club is not stopping at impact and is continuing to accelerate to the target/finish position.

One of the biggest keys to remember is to make sure that your eyes stay centered. Doing so helps control the point where you are making contact with the golf ball/ground and ensure a consistent strike!