Building a consistent and repeatable golf swing is the goal of most players who take up the game. However, hitting a ball consistently takes a lot of work and many players take lessons from teaching pros or experienced players in order to facilitate their improvement. One of the most common problems is the slice. There are steps you can take to get rid of this pesky problem and start hitting the ball straight.
Step 1
Address the ball in the correct manner. In order to hit the ball straight and avoid slicing the ball, make sure you are lined up correctly. Your left shoulder--for a right-handed golfer--should be square to the target. Your left foot should be directly underneath your left shoulder. Your feet need to be slightly more than shoulder width apart. Your knees should be bent in an athletic position. This will facilitate your weight transfer when you swing the club. Play the ball about one ball width closer to your front foot than your back foot.
Step 2
Grip the club firmly. You don't want to squeeze the club so tightly that you cut off circulation in your fingertips, but you must hold the club firmly enough so that when the club head makes contact with the ball it will not move on contact with the ball. If you are not holding it in that manner, the club head will move and the ball will go into the rough or out of bounds. Grip the club at a "6" on a scale of 1 to 10. That's the same as a firm handshake.
Step 3
Swing the club at an even pace. High-handicap and new golfers often rush their swing and that hurts the timing of the golf swing. When you rush your swing, your hands get to and through the ball faster than the rest of your body. You want to get your hips through the hitting zone slightly before you make contact. Getting your hands through first will usually result in a sidespin action being placed on the ball and it slicing off target.
Step 4
Finish your swing if you want to avoid slicing the ball. Many players fail to follow through on a tee shot or a long fairway shot. This is particularly true of new golfers, but seasoned players also have this problem on occasion. By stopping the swing shortly after contact, the ball will be sent on a slicing pattern that will result from your next shot coming from the rough or a hazard. Always follow through and don't start admiring your shot until you have taken a full and complete swing.
Tips and Warnings
- Work on your golf swing by going to the driving range twice a week. Don't go just to see how far you can hit it. Work on your address, grip and golf swing with each of your clubs.
References
- Golf Tips Mag: Golf Swing Tips
- Cure A Slice: Golf Slice Explained
Member Comments