First make sure your primary latch hook (on the radiator support frame) is lined up properly with the striker (on the underside of the hood). While closing the hood slowly, just look through the crack between the hood and grille. Watch the engagement and confirm that the striker bar is aligned with the middle of the slot in the primary latch.
Next adjust the hood stop bumpers - this is likely your issue. If these are set too high, getting the striker to engage the primary latch can require a lot of slamming. The stop bumpers are on the far left and right sides of the radiator frame support:
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As long as the threads are not stripped, these are wicked easy to adjust. They simply screw in or out to lower/raise the stop points. The only problem is that you can't see the final clearance so they are adjusted by trial and error. This is how I do it:
1. Screw them way down - until there is no contact between the underside of the hood and the bumper (when the hood is closed).
2. Start adjusting them so that when the hood is closed they just barely make contact with the underside. Just take your best guess about how far to raise them.
3. Try closing the hood. As long as you haven't raised them too far, the hood should close and latch easily without any slamming.
4. Continue to raise the bumpers in stages until your each the point where the hood starts to require a bit of a slam to engage the striker/latch.
5. Screw the bumpers back down 1//2 turn.
6. Drive around for a few days and note whether you hear any rattling at the hood grille interface.
7. If you do hear rattling, raise the bumpers back up just a bit - until the rattle is gone.
