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Golf... Hitting the ball straight...

A

AccruedExpenditure

Diamond Member
I just picked up golf a short time ago (i'm 21, never played before in my life, but its a pre-req for finance) and I've been working on developing a consistant solid swing at the driving range. I've learned how to get decent contact/distance with the ball, but all of my shots seem to be hooking to the right everytime...

I've enrolled in a series of 4 90 minute training courses at the range as well, but I want to get some of the basics rehersed to make the best use of my paid courses...

Any quick pointers to straighten up my shot or good sites would be much appreciated...

thanks!
AE
 
That is a slice if you are right handed.

If that is occurring its most likely because youe wrists do not rotate back before your arms come through. Pretend like you are holding the club and rotate your hands a bit right and you will get the picture. Its all about timing
 
are you a lefty or righty? if you're a righty then your balls are slicing to the right.

anyhoo there are as many common remedies for the slice as the cold. you'll hear something different from just about every amatuer. pros can definitely let you know what you're doing wrong, but sometimes they can be confusing too.

my method is to check my setup, including grip. grip is very important - you don't want too weak (hand underneath) or strong (hand coming over the top of the grip) of a grip. you basically want the palm of your right hand and the back of your left hand to be facing the target at setup. locking your fingers, using the Vardon grip (overlap) or even the baseball grip isn't an issue IMHO because i have seen players of all levels with all three types of grips. whatever you feel comfortable with.

there are a lot of other elements to the setup which i won't get into because i have to crash soon - but... take the clubhead back SLOW and LOW. don't take it back too much - maybe try some half-swings first. to start the downswing, i like to think, "turn your hips"... that is, towards the target. this will keep your clubhead in line and prevent you from that nasty out-to-in swingpath that you're probably grooving.

bottom line... your clubhead is coming across on the ball and causing it to spin like crazy when it gets airborne. what you have to do is square that clubface up. heck, try hooking some and find your middle ground on the range if you have to. make sure you finish your swing no matter what - let the shaft touch the back of your neck at the end of your follow-through and HOLD IT.

these thoughts might help you out. good luck... a slice is the most common ailment for guys like us but it can be taken care of 🙂

edit: and don't swing for the fences. think fairways! pick a spot 150 yards out and just accept that anywhere past that is a bonus. if you can get this thought nailed down, you'll find that stroking it a little smoother & slower will often result in your ball sitting 250 yards out instead of 150. 😉 build confidence in this game and you will really begin to enjoy it. don't try to do too much! shoot for bogeys at first.
 
I imagine he's being facetious, implying that working in the finance world will necessitate a decent golf game, lest his co-workers and boss make fun of him.

And I agree with what's been said already: get lessons and your wrists are open at impact. don't try to purposely rotate your hands through impact, as that's overcompensating. just watch your hands through your swing and then slow down on the downswing...watch your hands and see where they are when you reach the ball and adjust accordingly.
 
I recommend getting this book by Ben Hogan:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de...1435-0987052?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

It's a little outdated, but it really explains the golf swing well. It helped my golf game a lot.

I would suggest looking at where your divots point after your swing. Do you have an outside-in or and inside-out swing. If you're coming across you body too much, you will slice (or hook) every time, regardless of how perfect the rest of your swing is.
 
So easy to dispense golf advice, so hard to implement in your own swing sometimes. Meltdown75 had the best advice so far ... don't swing for the fences, and you'll start to correct things. If you are indeed hooking, it means you're swinging on an inside-out path, which is desirable. Hooking is more 'controllable' than slicing in my opinion. Try to visualize swinging straight through the ball, with your hands following through to the target.

I'm not the best one to advise on this though, as I'm a bit of a slicer at the moment, which I'm desperately trying to control. So far I'm making progress, but lose it every time I try to swing too hard.

Keep putting in the hours on the range, but don't neglect putting & chipping too, even if everything else isn't great, you can make up a lot in short game. :thumbsup:
 
Originally posted by: LeonarD26
I recommend getting this book by Ben Hogan:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de...1435-0987052?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

It's a little outdated, but it really explains the golf swing well. It helped my golf game a lot.

I would suggest looking at where your divots point after your swing. Do you have an outside-in or and inside-out swing. If you're coming across you body too much, you will slice (or hook) every time, regardless of how perfect the rest of your swing is.
Click to expand...
This is a brilliant book, and not outdated at all in my opinion.

 
A good swing has to start with the proper grip and stance. Grip I find hard to explain. It needs to be shown. Take a lesson. That said, if you're hitting the ball left to right as a right-hander it means you're swing path is probably outside-in, which means you're bringing the club back to far away from you, and having to bring it in on the downswing to compensate. Try to focus on staying in tight and swinging through the ball from the inside.

Edit - A little note on grip - The club should be positioned in your hand such that when you let your left arm fall naturally with the club in it the club face will be closed (that is, poiting at you). This comes from griping it in your fingers instead of your palm.
 
There is absolutely no way to explain it on a forum... you need someone to show you.

Most slices to the right are caused by a "figure-8" type swing as the face of the club comes from the outside to the inside on your downswing.

 
Originally posted by: edro13
There is absolutely no way to explain it on a forum... you need someone to show you.
Click to expand...

that's what i was thinking.....especially if you're a beginner (like myself), all this talk is rather confusing.
 
go buy a couple of magazines. they will show you how to hold the club, address the ball, and also realize that you shouldnt be finishing looking like a chicken wing. if you are, you are blocking the shot out because your wrists never finish through the ball. another problem, could be that you are swinging so hard, that the generic clubs you have dont have time to come completely around.. that is the torque of the club. it could be wide open when you are hitting the ball. just a few thoughts... good luck and enjoy the game.
 
Great advice so far, esp meltdown75's entry... For the record (those of you who didn't read the OP thoroughly) I HAVE enrolled in classes...

Keep it coming!
 
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