MISCELLANEOUS
(7).."THE SLICE"
....Slicing is the most common problem that golfers have, it can be a result of many thing, but be assured of one thing
....If you are slicing your shots ( they are curving to the right, for right handers ) you have to be coming across the ball and putting a clockwise spin on the ball.
THIS IS THE ONLY THING THAT CAN CAUSE THE BALL TO CURVE!!!
This is usually referred to as the "outside-in" swing. To help you understand this
phenomenon, let's say you are at address with the club head behind the ball and ready to start your swing. There is an imaginary line extending from your ball to your intended target and one from your ball straight back away from your intended target.Everything above that line is considered "outside", everything below thatline is considered "inside".
Now, for whatever fault that causes it ( I will address the biggies below ), when you come down to hit the ball the club head goes above that imaginary line, comes across the ball and continues below that imaginary line thus putting the clockwisespin on the ball.
The following list examines a few of the most common problems that cause the above
phenomenon.
SWING PLANE:...Lay a golf club, broom, rake, whatever on the imaginary line I
talked about above. Now set up and make a slow swing and stop at the 3/4 swing point. Is the GRIP end cap pointing at item you put on the ground or is it pointing above the line? If it is not pointing at the item on the ground then you are OUT
of the swing plane and WILL be coming across theball at impact...ie."Outside-in"
HAND PRESSURE:..Grip pressure must be constant throughout the swing. Inconstant grip
pressure will result in a change of the swing plane and that is a "no no" if you wish to control the slice.
CASTING THE CLUB:..Start the forward swingwith a weight shift to your left foot using the right hip and leg before you move your arms down.NEVER allow your first move in the down swing to be the casting of the club. This almost always results
in a outside-in swing which results in the dreaded "SLICE".
BACK SWING:...Always start your back swing with the arms and golf club and NOT the
body turn. If you start your swing with arms, golf club and body turning at the same time you will be on a inside swing plane and the club face will come across the ball. Curve ball baby.
WRIST:...Keep your left wrist parallel to your left fore arm. If you allow your
wrist to bent in or out, the golf club will NOT remain in the correct swing plane...result big slice-a-roony!!
....The hit that goes straight down the middle of the fairway is a product of the club face contacting the ball perfectly square and imparting a back spin that is exactly straight up and down. When you put any side spin on the ball it WILL curve
and the amount it curves depends souly on the AMOUNT of sidespin that is imparted on the ball.
Next week I will offer up several drills that will help you cure these nasty habits and get you on the road to hitting straight shots.
DO NOT confuse shots that go to the right but, straight "no curve". This problem is
different and is addressed in golf tips #2 and #3.
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(8).."CONTROLING THE SLICE (1)"
Anti Slice Drills
Staying with in the swing plane is a must to avoid slices and hooks.
With a ball on the ground, pick a target to hit to and take two of your irons, lay one in front of your ball and one behind, both pointing at your intended target. Now address your ball using your driver. Be sure your feet, hips, and shoulders are
parallel to the irons on the ground,THIS IS CRITICAL to stop the out side-in swing. Start a slow golf swing and when the golf shaft is parallel to your body... STOP! Now look and see were the butt end of the club is pointing? It must be pointing somewhere along the line created by your irons. If the butt is pointing above or
below the line created by the irons you are out of the swing plane and WILL come across the ball causing it to curve either right or left.
DRILL 1....Address the ball again. Now slide your hands down until they are at the bottom of the grip. Do not move closer to the ball. Straighten up until the club head is the same distance above the ball as you've moved you hands down the shaft.
This is only to see better were the butt end is pointing during the swing. Start your swing, SLOWLY, by moving the club head 12 to 14 inches along the iron line and as you continue through the swing, WATCH the butt end and make sure it goes down the iron line also. When this occurs you are in the SWING PLANE....Practice slow, methodical swings to obtain the feeling of the correct swing plane.
Due to the length of this tip I will address some more slice drills next week.
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(9).."CONTROLING THE SLICE (2)"
Now that we got you back in the swing plane (lastweeks tip) let's attack another slice causing problem, "the wrist position".
It is very important to not let you wrist break down. When this happens the club head will drop down in your back swing, the butt end will be above the target line "last weeks tip" and the end result will be an outside-in swing.
What I mean is that the back of your left hand "right-handers" mustremain parallel with your left forearm during the swing, starting about 2 to 3 feet behind the ball to the completion of the swing. If you keep your wrist from breaking down then at the top of your back swing the club face will be parallel to your left forearm and this means the club face is "square" and in the correct position to come back "square to the ball at impact.
To help you visualize if your left wrist is breaking down, grab the old kitchen broom, pretend it is your golf club and at address the wide part of broom is to be pointing at your intended target. Notice that at address your left wrist is slightly
bent outward and as you start your swing when club head gets about to the toe of your right foot the wrist becomes parallel with your forearm, Now make a slow swing and stop at the top. The wide part of the broom should be parallel (it's allot easier to see this with a broom rather than a golf club) with your left forearm, if not you are allowing your wrist to bend and this causes a swing plane change that will put you into a out side-in swing plane. Hello banana ball.
Practice with the broom to achieve the feeling of correct wrist position and control that slice.
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10).."CONTROLING THE SLICE (3)"
....A lot of times you are staying in the swing planeand doing everything right, but not aligning your body correctly to the intended target. If your shoulder, hips, or toes are not aligned with your target line then you will be swinging across the
ball and that will cause side spin and that as you know will cause the ball to curve after impact.
Drill...3:
An easy drill to check your alignment is to lay a club on the ground pointing at your intended target, ball at the half way point. Address the ball as if you are going to hit, being sure the toes of your shoes are the same distance away from
the shaft! Now without moving your bodylet go of the club, extent your arms straight out, bend your index fingers 90 degrees to the back of you hands and touch your two index finger tips together. Raise or lower your arms until your fingers fall between your eyes and the shaft. The line formed by the index fingers should be parallel
with the shaft. If they go across the shaft, then your shoulders or hips are miss aligned and the end result is a swing that comes across the ball, which
will put side spin on the ball at impact.
You must be careful not to move your shoulders or hips while doing this, as it will give you a false indication of alignment.
Practice this in the living room to achieve the feel of proper alignment.
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(11).."CONTROLING THE SLICE (4)"
Not releasing the club at impact can cause many problems and enhance your slice or hook.
While swing path is a primary factor on whether the golf ball hooks or slices,
releasing the club correctly can also straighten out the ball flight. Hopefully these few tips will help some the players struggling to fight off that dreaded slice.
First we must determine if you are truly releasing correctly or not. Here's a good drill to try.
Set up to the golf ball with a mid-iron and take the club back until the shaft is
parallel to the ground. Now look at the club face - the toe of the club should be pointing to the sky (perpendicular to the ground and shaft). This is the proper position for this step of the swing and is achieved by most players, whether they slice or hook. Now return the club to the ball as if to hit the shot and proceed through the ball until the shaft of the golf club is parallel to the ground in the follow through position. The toe of the club should be pointing to the sky here as well. If your club face toe it is not pointing up to the sky then you have not
released the club. To achieve this position you must allow the club face to pass your hands. Relax, allow your hands to cross over naturally and DO NOT try to hold
your club down the target line. This will only result in blocked shots and loss of
distance.
Drill 4:
Take the club back parallel to the ground, allow the club to just fall to the ball and to the parallel front position and back to the parallel back position. Keeping your arms and wrists totally relaxed just keep going back and forth until you get
the feeling of your hands (club) crossing over at the ball naturally, being sure that the toe of the club is pointing up at the parallel position at each end......FEEL the club crossing at the ball......
Now continue by actually hitting shots from this drill and let the swing
progressively get longer until you achieve a full shot.
Remember, "RELAX" tension is not your friend, by releasing the club you are adding a few mph to your swing speed so distance should improve as well. Practice this drill and I think you will be surprised by the straighter ball flight as well as the added distance.
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(12).."BALANCE AND POSTURE"
I have been very fortunate working with the kids in our local junior league the
past few years. Although their natural athletic ability is amazing they seem to
have a major problem when it comes to posture and balance. Believe me there are many, MANY adult golfers out there with the same problem.
What is amazing is that you would think no one ever played any other sport. Most of these kids and adults have participated in at least a couple of the following: Baseball, Tennis, Ping Pong, Fishing, Bowling, Hockey, Racket Ball, Soccer, Football, Hand Ball, Skiing "water or snow", Cricket, the list is endless.
NAME one of these sports that you can keep your legs locked, arms straight and
stiff, body tense, and still be able do it well? It does not happen. So why do people insist on playing golf from a unbalanced, stiff position? Think about
it !! When you are in the batters box, the legs are not locked, body tense, etc. You are relaxed, knees slightly bent, back straight and bent forward at the hips, YOU ARE IN BALANCE. The same holds true for any of the sports, you must have a sound
balanced foundation for whatever sport you are playing.
OK, now lets find out if you have good balance. First of all it does not matter if your feet are 1" or 3' apart, if you toes are pointing in or out. Just get up and addresses the ball as if you are going to hit. Have a friend face you and give you a slight push on the shoulder. If you rocked back on your heels the balance needs some work. Another thing you might try is to get into your golf address position, let go
of the club and pretend you doing something else, ie. Tennis or a sport you are familiar with, now, pretending you have the racket, bat, or whatever, in your hands, does it feel comfortable as if you are playing that sport? If not you have a balance problem.
So now what? I'm glad you ask that question. Here is a drill you can do inside to find your balance when addressing the golf ball. In your stocking or bare feet stand erect and back up against a wall so your butt and back touch the wall, your legs straight, your knees locked and your feet about a foot apart. Now with your back kept straight start to bend forward keeping your butt against the wall. Allow you
arms to hang loosely as you bend. Keep bending forward slowly until you feel your weight shift out to the balls of your feet "easier to feel with no shoes". Stop! Slowly bend your knees until you feel the weight shift back to the center of your feet. Be sure you arms hang loosely, because that is were they should be at address. The golfers out there that do not allow their arms to hang and extend them out in a
unnatural position at address should try to correct this, because the arms do
weigh around 40 to 50 pounds and they do effect your balance. Your center of
gravity is shifted outward "not balanced" and consistent, comfortable golf swings will probably not occur.
You are now in balance, feel it, turn your shoulders, bounce a little, shift
side to side until you groove the feeling. Golf is not the exception, good
balance is required as in any sport.
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(13).."Straight Left Arm ???"
....Many golfer's create needless worry over trying to keep their left arm
straight throughout their swing.
This "old myth" is not only unimportant, for many individuals it is almost impossible. We do not all have the ideal build, Ladies, big men, bad backs, etc,it can be downright damaging to your swing to try and maintain a straight left arm.The only position in the golf swing where it is of relative importance to have your arm straight is at impact with the ball. Even there it is more a matter of letting it happen than trying to make it happen and this is achieved with a
relaxed swing.
The problem arises directly from the set up as golfers tense up their entire left
side in an effort to keep their arm straight. As discussed last week not only does the straight left arm mess up your balance, this pre swing tension is a killer to the over all swing motion. A tense left arm usually creates an arm dominated swing resulting in a reverse weight shift and a lack of proper shoulder turn. The result is a severe loss of power, an off balanced swing ,and an open club face at impact.
Professional golfers and good amateurs always have relaxed arms at address, the
little waggle of the club head while behind the ball at address is good way to stay relaxed while addressing the ball. They also frequently have a slight bend in their left arm at the top of their back swing. They are more aware of staying relaxed whereas the average golfer is attempting to remain rigid.
Who do you think will have a smoother swing?
The bottom line is not to worry or even think about keeping your left arm straight. It is more important to keep it relaxed, if you do this you will have better rhythm and gain more club head speed. This will translate to the extra distance and consistency you have been
searching for.
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(14).."PROPER TAKE-AWAY"
....Many golfers complain that they do not get enough distance out of their clubs,
they hit shots fat, thin, slice and hook. The biggest reason for this is that they break down immediately when they take the club away from the ball.
What I mean is that when they start their golf swing it usually begins with a bending of their wrists, an immediate turning of the hips, or combination of the two. and sweep or jerk the club immediately behind their back, above their shoulders, and have no extension. Basically, they are all curled up with a steep narrow swing arc and are out of the swing plain.
To attain distance, you need to increase the arc that is created in the take away. To accomplish this, you MUST learn the ONE-PIECE TAKE AWAY. The One-Piece take away goes like this:
After you address the ball, with no tension you take the club away with your arms, NOT your wrists and no turning of the hips, in a slow, steady motion. Nothing jerks or moves too quickly, just a smooth one peace take away. When you get the club 1/2 way back (golf shaft parallel to the ground), the toe of the club should be pointing straight up and the butt end should be pointed at your intended target and you hips, torso, and head should not have moved. The turn, wrist cock all happen after you have arrived at this position. You can develop the feel that you are reaching (not turning)behind you to shake hands with the person behind you with your left hand. Your hips do not turn, your torso and head do not turn, your wrists do not cock, the movement is from you shoulders sockets to the club head.A natural
rotation of the left forearm will occur that allows the left hand to end up in the position of the hand shake when the golf shaft arrives at parallel in the back swing.
The proper take away will help you accomplish many things: a larger arc, to create more club head speed though impact (with no more effort), a great rhythm (one of the key ingredients to a great, consistent golf swing), and a great swing plane. After a short while of properly working on this new feeling, you will not only hit your driver farther, but you will find much more consistency in your flight, trajectory,
and distances with your irons. This tip will help absolutely help you reach more
greens in regulation successfully. The real beauty of this feeling is that if you start to stray from the one-piece take away, you will feel it immediately. Your distances will decrease, and you will find that your timing will be off. You will know immediately what you need to correct. How many tips have you ever read or heard that will help you learn right away what you need to correct when you do it wrong? Trust me, work this out on the driving range, and you will improve your game dramatically and immediately.
Every time I miss a fairway or a green, the first thing I review in that last shot is , (1) did I have a natural relaxed grip? (2) Did I have a relaxed one peace take-away? 9 times out of 10 the missed hit was a result of a breakdown in one or both of these areas.If you work on the one-piece take away, you will feel it and see it when you do it wrong.
I will always try to give you tips that, if you practice them properly, you will
immediately be able to adjust or make the proper correction when you do it wrong on the course. Practice does not make perfect, but Perfect Practice does.
Look in the mirror, check your grip and your take away. You will love what you
feel, and you will love the results on the golf course.