Fix A Slice And Hit A Golf Ball Straight Every Time
If you are constantly hooking or slicing your shots, you will want to know how to hit a golf ball straight. Clearly, every golfer desires a straight shot because it gives you maximum yardage of the tee. In addition, if you can hit a golf ball straight down the fairway, it makes your approach shot to the green that much simpler.
What causes so many golfers the inability to hit a golf ball straight? The first thing to know is why the golf ball moves to the left (a hook) or to the right (a slice) of the tee. Once you know how to fix a slice or a hook, you will then be in a position to learn how to hit a draw or a fade – which are basically just controlled versions of the hook and the slice but with less movement on the ball.
The following descriptions and instruction deals with the slice; for the hook everything is generally reversed. A slice is made by a significant tilt of the spin-axis of the golf ball to the right, or a clockwise spin. A slice usually ends up right of the target line, and the term is often used when the curve in the trajectory is extreme and unintentional. The less extreme version of a slice is called a “fade”.
When you know the basics of the golf swing you will know that you have to return to the original place at impact if you want to hit the ball squarely and straight. When the club face is open at the point of impact, a slice will occur and the ball will spin in a clockwise direction. Generally, the swing path is right but the golf ball is not hit squarely at impact; this is normally caused by a “weak grip.”
The first thing to check is your grip when you find that you can’t hit a ball straight. The one cause that can shape the path of the balls flight is the strength of the grip – it doesn’t matter if you use an interlocking grip, an overlapping grip, or a ten finger grip. To fix a slice, experiment with moving your hands around on the grip, over to the right, into a more strong grip position.
There are several other factors you can try to cure a slice. The first is not to grip the club so tightly that you tense up the muscles of the wrist and forearms. Also, work on increasing the speed of your golf swing as a quicker swing speed will give you more distance and, most importantly, it will reduce the amount of slice that you pass on to the golf ball. You may be using the incorrect flex of shaft which can affect your shots; if you hit over 250 yards then use a stiff or extra stiff flex, from 200 to 250 yards use a firm or regular flex, and under 200 yards use a ladies or senior flex.
If you want to hit a golf ball straight then you have to setup correctly. Line up your feet and shoulders square and parallel to the target line. Even though your right shoulder will be lower than your left, they should still be parallel to the target. The ball position is also vital; with a driver, place the ball opposite the instep of your left foot. Stand the right distance away from the ball so that the club is grounded properly; if it is tilted forward then you are too close to the ball, if it is tilted backwards then you are too far from the ball.
Remember all the basics of the golf swing; keep your eyes on the ball, feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly flexed, spine straight and chin up. I won’t go into detail about the golf swing here, just take your club back straight and bring it down again on the same plane. Maintain the same swing speed throughout the backswing and the downswing – don’t try to over hit the ball.
Lastly, there are an other two types of swing faults that will prevent you to hit a golf ball straight – the push and the pull. As opposed the slice, the push shot happens when the ball shoots straight off to the right, and the pull is when the ball goes straight off to the left. The push is a result of an incorrect golf swing when the club goes through an in-to-out plane, and the pull is an out-to-in swing plane. The push or pull shot comes about due to an improper golf swing action and forgetting the basics of the golf swing.
Mick Euan Tait is a keen golfer and golf fan as well as a golf writer. Go to his website for more Golf Tips for Beginners, golf swing tips and reviews of Golf Swing Aids and golf equipment. Grab a really unique version of this article from the Uber Article Directory