Beginners Golf Swing Blog

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When you’ve given as many golf lessons as I have, it doesn’t take much thought to figure out that slicing is golf’s most common swing error. In fact, many weekend players who attend my golf instructions sessions for the first time slice, with both men and women slicing about the same amount. And they all want to know one thing when they first come to me: How do I cure my slice?

Curing your slice isn’t easy, especially if you’ve had it for a long time. You’ve ingrained the swing fault in your muscle memory and making changes to it will feel uncomfortable and strange. But the benefits of slicing less far outweigh the costs. Hitting straighter shots more consistently not only keeps you on the fairway, it also cuts strokes from your golf handicap because it produces better approach shots.

Causes Of A Slice The causes for a slice are well documented in magazines and often discussed in golf lessons. Four things trigger a slice:

1. Upper body turns too soon

2. Hands are too high at impact

3. Upper body outraces the club on the downswing

4. Grip end gets too far in front of the clubhead at impact.

These errors leave the clubface open at impact-a major swing error. How major? Recent research by one club manufacturer indicates that a club with an S flex shaft with 9.3 degrees of loft and the face open at impact about 2 degrees results in a shot that finishes 16 degrees off the target line. Obviously, you must get the clubface square at impact to hit the ball straight.

Slices and Cures Let’s look at the four most common types of slice and consider four drills you can practice to help cure your slice. Your divots will tell you what kind of slice you have.

1. Opening Up Too Soon (The Pull Slice) This is perhaps the second most common slice type. Its generated by your right shoulder moving out and over on the downswing, causing the clubface to come into the ball on an outside-in swing path. Your hands sensing that the club is coming from the outside hold the clubface open to the path, resulting in a pull slice. With iron shots your divot points left of target.

Drill: Hit practice balls with your back foot moved back a few inches from the target line and your heel down. Swing the club back making a full shoulder turn. The idea is to feel as if you’re swinging the club primarily with your arms and shoulders through impact. Let your body respond to the swinging of the arms and the releasing of the clubhead.

2. Handle Too High At Impact If your hands are too high at impact just before and through the ball, you’ll cause the clubhead to get stuck behind you. Often this happens because the golfer tries to clear the hips too fast or doesn’t trust the loft of the club to get the ball airborne. Whatever the cause, you end up with a slice. There’s little or not divot with irons.

Drill: Take your normal address position. Have a friend hold a club so the grip hovers just above your hands. As you swing back and through your friend should keep his club’s grip end steady. Concentrate on letting your hand pass just under his club.

3. Body Outraces Club (The Push Slice) With the push slice your ball starts to the right of your target, then goes even farther right. Usually this means that your body outraces the clubhead. Some people call this a lunge. To compensate some people try flipping the club through the ball with their hands in an effort to square the clubface to the ball.

Drill: Use your driver or fairway wood. Tee the ball up. Take your address as you normally would but with your left leg positioned slightly inside the ball. Now stand only on your front foot. Swing the club back and through and try hitting the ball. Alternate hitting five balls on one leg, then with your normal swing. 4. Handle Too Far Ahead Of Ball Getting the handle too far ahead of the clubhead is probably the most common cause of a slice. The primary problem is back of forearms rotation. If you make a strong strike of the ball and it starts straight down the target line before curving to the right. With your irons the divot would be square to the target line.

Starting with knockdown pitches, rotate your left forearm (right-handers) during the swing so your left hand knuckles face the ground just after impact, with the clubface turning down. Let your right hand come off the club. Once you get the hang of this, use other clubs. This drill increases clubhead speed and squares the clubface for a straighter shot.

Keep in mind as you practice these drills that you may not want to turn your slice into a draw. Hitting a fade has its advantages, too. The key, regardless of the type of shot you develop, is hitting a dependable, more consistent shot that keeps you out of trouble and gives you control of the where the ball lands. The type of shot will cut strokes from both your scores and your golf handicap.

By: Jack Moorehouse

About the Author:

Golf lessons for beginners – are they really necessary? One of my ex-bosses would argue that all you need is an Internet connection and you can find out how to play golf online for free. On the other hand, it has to be said that he is quite a talented natural sportsman. Most of us just cannot learn a sport just by reading how to do it. We need someone to show us how.

Unlike many sports, there are actually professional trainers who give golf lessons for beginners. Some of these instructors are private trainers while others work for special golf schools. Obviously, a school offering group lessons will be cheaper than a private trainer. Yet getting your own personal trainer can give you a lot of personalized instruction and more flexibility.

Increasingly, we can find more and more online courses with very high quality video showing how to play golf. Are they useful? To some people, yes. These online video lessons offer the flexibility of personalized instruction and the price of group lessons. The main problem is that they lack interaction with the instructor. If you have a question or problem, how do you get it solved by a video? Of course, you cannot.

Many of us take up golf for fun, while others play golf for business. Regardless of your reason, the most important thing is to enjoy the game. On the other hand, if you keep on getting stomped into the ground by your golf buddies, you may want to take some remedial action. The fastest and easiest way to fix your problem is to find a golf professional and pay him to discover your biggest mistakes and fix it. This is not the same thing as getting personalized golf lessons as a beginner. You golf pro will play a few rounds with you to find out your worst mistakes, then set up some lessons to teach you how to correct your mistakes.

If you cannot find a good instructor to help you do this, then you will have to resort to the internet. For a start, you will need to know what your main problem is. Then you can look it up online. Hopefully, you will be able to find the solution for free. If your problem is more complex, you will probably have to buy an online course which targets your specific problem.

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, you cannot discover the cause or solution of your poor performance on the golf course. In this case, the problem could be more fundamental. Perhaps your basic golfing techniques are wrong. You may need to go through another round of golf lessons for beginners. In this case, an video course is probably your best option. You can look for a highly-rated course on Amazon, or just search the internet for an e-course. Amazon will offer you the better deal. The downside is that you cannot communicate with the person who is demonstrating the techniques in the video. An online course, on the other hand, will normally have some way for you to ask the instructor questions – normally be email.

By: Godfrey Swain

About the Author:

I usually talk about lightning in golf lessons and golf tips because it’s important. Lightning claims more lives every year than hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods combined, according to some reports. That’s a lot of people. And golfers with their hand held lightning rods, as I mention in my golf instruction sessions, are as likely to be killed as anyone, unless they’re careful.

How deadly is lightning? If you’re hit by lightning, you probably won’t get another chance to lower your golf handicap. A typical shock from lightning sends several thousand amps through your body in an instant. Unfortunately, it takes only two amps to stop your heart. So your chances of surviving after being struck by lightning aren’t good. That’s why you should know exactly what to do when you’re on the course and lightning strikes.

Here’s a short golf instruction session on what to do.

Get off the course immediately

If you see lightning or hear thunder, even in the distance, get off the course immediately. Squalls and thunderstorms bearing lightning move quickly sometimes. Before you know it, they’re right on top of you, catching you unprepared. If you see trouble, get off the course instantly. Don’t worry about your clubs or the cart. Just get to shelter.

Find a dense wooded area

Don’t seek refuge under a lone tree. That’s extremely dangerous. Thickets of short trees, On the other hand, are relatively safe. Also, avoid isolated shacks, unless they are grounded with lightning rods. Many are not, so be careful. Don’t enter one unless you know for sure that it’s been grounded. One golfer who took a golf lesson from me was surprised to find out after a storm that the shack she took shelter in wasn’t grounded.

Fall to your knees

When caught in the open, fall to your knees. Lightning strikes the highest point in the immediate vicinity. So if you’re caught in the open and you think you’re going to be struck by lightning, go down to your knees. Get as low as possible, but don’t lie down. You want as little of the ground touching your body as possible. Lightning often travels through the ground

Take off you spiked shoes

Not many golfers who take golf instruction sessions from me wear metal spikes these days. But some do. If you happen to be one and you get caught on the course when lightning strikes, take your shoes off. The metal attracts electricity. You’re better off getting your socks wet than being hit by lightning.

Get rid of your umbrella

Most golf umbrellas are made of fiberglass, making them less likely to attract lightning. However, lightning will strike an umbrella occasionally, because lightning tends to strike the highest point in the immediate vicinity. Never carry an umbrella except during a light drizzling rain.

Stand away from your clubs

Stand as far away from your clubs as possible and never get caught holding one. Golf clubs are natural lightning rods, and nothing attracts lightning faster than a golf club. When Lee Trevino was hit by lightning at the Western Open in 1975, the same bolt hit Arnold Palmer’s golf club 40 yards down the fairway.

Stay away from water

Get as far away from ponds and lakes as you can. Water is a great conductor of electricity. If lightning strikes a lake or a pool, it can move through the ground and hit you where you stand. Remember few people are struck directly by lightning. It almost always strikes something near by and conducts through the ground.

Golf carts are not safe

Forget what you’ve heard about golf carts being safe during a storm. Rubber tires do not ground electricity. That’s a myth. It’s not unusual for lightning to bounce off a tree and go right through a car’s roof, killing the car’s occupants. Golf carts are even less safe. Lightning strikes the highest point on the ground and that might just be the top of your golf cart.

Avoid the green

This is one time on a golf course where it’s better to be in a greenside bunker than on the green. Greens are often a bit higher than the surrounding terrain, making them more likely to be struck by lightning. In addition, the flagstick is especially likely to be struck by lightning. So the last place you want to be is on the green. Forget what you’ve been told in golf tips about how bad it is being in a bunker. This time it’s good. Move to a greenside bunker and kneel down.

Newspapers publish stories about golfers being killed by lightning about 150 times a year. But lightning is much more dangerous than that. Follow the advice given above when lightning strikes and it’s a good bet your name won’t appear in one of those stories. We want everyone around to be able to take more golf lessons, read about golf, and continue lowering their golf handicaps. Be safe.

Copyright (c) 2007 Jack Moorehouse

By: Jack Moorehouse

About the Author:

Are you wondering whether a golf lesson or two would improve your golf? Maybe you hit the ball off the fairway too often, or you are just inconsistent, getting a par on one hole and a double bogey on the next. These are good reasons for having a golf lesson.

You might even be playing pretty well, able get round in 82-86, but just unable to break through into the 70s. Or you might be a complete beginner. Whatever the state of your game, having golf lessons may have entered your head.

Some people say: ‘I only play golf for fun, I don’t need golf lessons.’ Others might ask: ‘Are these pros any good at giving someone like me golf lessons? I mean they are all athletes, naturally good at sports, and they probably do things automatically without knowing why.’

Beginners: Go to the local pro

Let’s start at the beginning. If you are just taking up golf, or have been playing for less than a year you will benefit enormously from lessons. Almost any golf pro will be able to give you lessons to help you:

1.Grip the club correctly – this is the basis of all good shots

2.Stand in the right position when you address the ball – also vital

3.Show you how to swing the club up and down

Meanwhile, if you go to a driving range every so often with a 5, 6 or 7 iron – nothing longer, no woods – you can start to learn to hit the ball. But do not make a full swing! To start with, just stand with your feet together, and swing the club back with the arms only, then hit the ball.

Why do this? Because with this exercise you will start to train your muscles to find the ball and connect with the clubhead square.

So with some golf lessons and exercises in hitting, you will be on the way. The big question is whether having lessons will help you improve your game beyond basics.

Again, if you are a beginner I recommend a series of 10-12 lessons, spaced a week or two apart, depending how much time you get for practice – oh, yes, you need to practice when you are learning.

Not many top pros are good at teaching ordinary folk –

Beyond that, my experience with golf lessons has been mixed. You see, some pros are good teachers and some are not. Of course, if you had stacks of money, you could fly to see one of the world’s top teachers every week for lessons.

For most of us that is impossible, so we need a better way of getting golf lessons – and in most cases, th at is not your local pro. Quite frankly, some are good, some are not so good, and some play the game on automatic so they don’t really know how to put you right.

- But here’s a system that will work for you

Instead, I recommend some golf lessons that are designed around the ordinary golfer, who needs to have it explained in simple language and with simple demonstrations. I have been playing golf a long time – with a long lay-off in between – and can tell you that with these lessons make golf simple for any golfer.

You see what you want is someone to explain how to hit the ball 10 yards, or 20 yards form a bunker – not to tell you that you just have to judge it. Little tricks of the trade like this will form part of these golf lessons and will turn you into a much better golfer.

By: John Hartley

About the Author:

Like many of golf’s great players, Sam Snead relied on swing keys to help him achieve consistency. As his membership in golf’s hall of fame attests, these swing keys served him well during his career. What’s interesting is that many of them are still used by today’s pros to do the same thing.

Below are several time-tested swing keys that can help you achieve consistency and knock that golf handicap down a few notches.

1. Relax Your Hands

Your hands are one of the keys to your swing. If your hands are tight and tense, your body will be tight and tense, and you won’t be able to swing freely. If your hands are loose, you’ll not only hit the ball farther but you’ll even swing smoother as well.

Snead used to think of gripping the club with the same amount of pressure you’d use to hold a bird just firm enough to let it fly away but not firm enough to hurt it. Others think of holding a tube of toothpaste in their hands, just firm enough to squeeze a little toothpaste out of the tube but not hard enough to push out too much.

2. First Move Down

Different golfers key on different things to begin their swings. Some focus on pulling downward with the left arm (for right-handers). Others concentrate on turning the front hip in slightly. Still others key on lowering the left heel slightly. For Snead, it was all these things. Since you can think of all them at once while you swing, choose whichever move reminds you to make your first move down.

3. Hit The Dimple

A lot of my students ask during golf lessons what to look at when putting the ball. Apparently, a lot of people also asked Sam the same question when he was playing on the tour. He had a simple answer. Pick out a dimple on the ball and try to hit it.

The idea is to make the club strike the farthest back part of the ball every time. Zero in on that particular dimple, then putt away. If you hit that dimple squarely your putter is probably moving and facing in the right direction. You’ll get solid contact unless you’re chopping at the ball or swing up to it. Aiming for the dimple will improve consistency.

4. Cure The Slice

The slice is probably the biggest swing fault among recreational golfers. To cure a slice, check to see that:

The club starts back inside the line

Your left side is completing the turn

The left arm/hand dominate the backswing/downswing

The stance is not the same for the intentional slice, hindering a complete pivot.

For a quick cure, try hitting the ball to the right of the fairway. This approach aids in bringing the club into the ball more from the inside than the outside.

5. Lobbing to the Green

Snead always relished a challenge. And trying to hit a lob shot over a hazard to the green is a challenge. Snead’s advice when pitching over a hazard with little green between him and the hole was simple: You want the shot to fly high and land soft-one that will settle in its tracks. To execute this shot, you first need to address the ball with the clubface laid back more than usual, increasing the loft.

Once you’ve done that, take the club straight back and break your wrists early in the swing. Strike down through the ball with the hands leading through the clubhead, and with the wrists snapping into the ball. This produces a high lob that lands softly. The whole swing should be leisurely and rhythmical.

6. Swing in “Waltz” Time

Everyone has his or her own pace. Some golfers play at a fast pace. Others play at a more leisurely pace. If you had seen Sam play, you would have noticed that he always swung the club slowly and smoothly. He called it swinging in waltz time and that was his swing key for keeping his swing under control.

Sam liked to tell the story of the time he gave a lesson to player who played like he was going to a fire. He couldn’t get at the ball quick enough in an effort to try and hit the ball 400 yards. The divots were flying father than the balls. Afraid the guy might hurt himself, Sam stepped in and told the guy to slow his swing down. Next time Sam saw the man, he was amazed. The man had slowed his swing down to waltz time.

Sam Snead was one of the games best players and teachers. Like many golfers he used specific keys to trigger his golf swing and achieve consistency. The six we explained above were just a sample. By incorporating them into your swing, you’ll be well on your way to reaching that single-digit golf handicap you’ve always wanted.

Copyright (c) 2006 Jack Moorehouse

By: Jack Moorehouse

About the Author: