Beginners Golf Swing Blog

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If you’ve been battling a hook for a while you understand how frustrating they can be. Everyone else is, more than likely, slicing the ball, and you are playing from the opposite side of the fairway.

But… the hook really is pretty easy to cure. Try this sequence of corrections, and most likely the hook will be fixed in no time. Your goal in correcting a hook is to swing from outside to in.

1) Weaken your Grip – You could be playing with a grip that is too strong. You’ll want to simply rotate both hands around the grip and towards the target. This will make it much harder for the clubface to naturally close through the impact zone. Don’t over do it, and like everything else, testing is crucial. Make sure to test this, before moving on, unless you are positive that you already play with a weak grip.

2) Move the ball forward in your stance – It is common of players that slice the ball to play the ball forward in their stance. So copy them. If you hook, the result should be a relatively straight ball. (Side Note: Whether you hook or slice, your first goal should be to learn to do the opposite.) Moving the ball forward in your stance should get some things back on track.

3) Aim to the left (to the right if left handed) of the target – Start out with an open stance to the target. This will put that clockwise rotation on the ball that you are looking for. Just open your stance a little bit, and swing along the line of your shoulders.

4) Make sure that you are finishing with your weight on your forward foot – This is the single best solution for the hook. If you hook the ball, chances are that you finish with some of your weight still on your back foot. This causes you to come around the ball with a closed clubface. This is the number one cause of the deadly snap-hook. Finish with all of your weight forward, and you’ll never experience it.

By: David Nevogt

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The slice is the most common fault in golf and in this article I plan to explore what causes a golf slice and how to cure it.

The slice is an uncontrolled shot that causes the ball to curve off to the right of the ball-to-target line, causing a loss of both direction and distance.

Most slices are the result of an unintentional out-to-in swing path, though other faults may also produce slicing. Whatever the swing path, the clubface always moves across the ball from far right to near left (right handed players). This causes the ball to spin in a clockwise direction, which moves the ball from left to right as it flies through the air.

Faults that lead to a slice occur at either the address position or during the swing itself.

Possible Causes During Set-up.

Bad Grip.

A club that is held too tightly creates tension in the arms and can cause the player to have an out-to-in swing. Try to relax your grip by imagining you are holding a little bird. You don’t want to squeeze it to death but at the same time you don’t want it to escape.

Having a “weak grip”. A weak grip tends to cause an open clubface at address. If this is your problem try turning both hands clockwise on the club.

Alignment.

May be open, which promotes slicing, or closed, which promotes an over the top swing. Align your feet and shoulders so that they are parallel to the ball to target line.

Ball Position.

Do not place the ball too far forward, this is a common fault which causes the shoulders to open and promotes an outside-to-in swing path.

Move the ball back in your stance, but still forward of center, so that when you set the club down your shoulders are parallel with the ball-to-target line.

Clubface angle.

An open clubface at address will cause the ball to slice. Ensure that your clubface is aligned square to the ball-to target line.

Possible Cause During The Swing.

Poor weight transfer.

If you are not transferring your weight from your back foot to the front (target) your clubface will be open through impact.

Use the famous Gary Player “down the fairway” drill, where you play your shot and take a step forward on your follow through and walk after the ball.

Another drill is the stepping drill whereby you grossly exaggerate your weight transfer by lifting your front leg on the backswing, shifting all your weight on to the back foot and then stepping on the front foot and lifting the back foot on the downswing and follow through. Try it, it works.

Also very effective is to swing with your eyes close and concentrate on the weight shift. Do not worry about the ball when using this drill.

Club follows an out-to-in path (points to left of target at top of back swing).

With your club in this position you will have an out-to-in swing path.

Use the following drill to cure this. Address the ball as normal and then raise the club about 18 inches above the ball so it is hovering directly above it. Make a backswing that is not pulled quickly inside. Note the angle of the plane going back. Now make a forward swing in which the plane is under or shallower than the backswing plane. A “back – under, back – under” routine. Lower the club to the ball and repeat.

Upper body tension.

This is probably caused by gripping the club too tight. See above for holding a bird. Also relax the tension in the arms.

I trust that this article has helped you understand what causes a golf slice and how to cure it. It won’t happen overnight but if you practice the above drills you will soon find yourself playing golf without slicing.

By: Lawrence Bredenkamp

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Are you looking for golf swing help? These 3 tips will add 10 yards to your drive:

1. Golf Fitness Training

Have you ever wondered how the world’s top golfers manage to drive the golf ball so far? Did you notice that many of them look very fit. For example, much of the power in Tiger Wood’s swing is attributed to his tremendous flexibility and core strength.

Their strength and flexibility does not come out of thin air. These professionals work out at the gym when they are not on the golf course or driving range. A little bit of weight training, lots of flexibility training and core training add a lot of power to the golf swing techniques of these top golfers. An additional advantage is that golf fitness training is done indoors, so you can get your workout no matter what the weather is like outside.

You, too, can do the same thing and add many yards to your golf swing. Even if you cannot work with a dedicated golf swing trainer, many gyms offer a Pilates training program. Although Pilates does not specially target golfers, the general core training and flexibility exercises in the program will still help you a lot.

2. Use The Longest Distance Golf Balls

Did you know that the longest distance golf balls can travel 260 yards when hit by an amateur golfer? CNN’s Golf Labs actually tested more than 50 of the best golf balls in play today, using a machine to hit the balls with a normal driver.

One of the longest distance golf balls is Noodle+, which travel 259 yards. Another excellent golf ball, Nike One Platinum, travels 240 yards. Tiger Woods actually uses this ball, because it gives him the greatest control over his game.

You could be losing many yards from your drive by using cheap golf balls. Try a top-grade golf ball and add another 10 yards to your drive.

3. Getting the correct golf clubs

Are you using the correct golf clubs? Amateurs have these 3 main problems with their golf clubs:
Grip – Are the grips on your golf clubs the right size for you? A grip which causes you to hold the golf club too tightly or too loosely can cause you to slice or hook the ball, losing precious distance in your drive. More than one golfer has found his slice miraculously disappearing once he got the grips on his clubs correctly fitted. Length – Yes, length matters. Too long or too short, and your swing could be badly affected. In the past, picking the golf clubs with the right length shaft was a hit or miss affair. However, with modern technology, many golf shops are equipped with golf swing analyzers and can analyze your golf swing and suggest the best shaft length for your driver. Flexibility – The more flexible the shaft of your golf club, the more power you have on tap. Unfortunately, more flexibility also means more torque, which can lead to a slice or hook. If you find yourself suffering from a bad slice, you may want to test a driver with a stiffer shaft. Conversely, if your golf swing techniques are good and you consistently hit the ball straight, getting a driver with a more flexible shaft could give you more power in your swing and a an extra 10 yards in distance.

Using just one of these golf swing help tips could add 10 yards or more to your drive. Use all three and gain 30 yards.

By: Godfrey Swain

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Golf tips for beginners are about as common as oxygen in the atmosphere, but being considered a “beginner” in anything is not always the most comforting thing in the world, especially golf, as us golfers all strive for that “scratch golfer” reputation. Also, one of the biggest and most challenging obstacle to overcome in the game is learning how to cure your slice, as being able to hit the ball straight is futile to shooting low scores and having more fun on the course. But before I reveal one drill that has helped me overcome that darn score-raising slice, just listen to these words. All of the great golfers in the world: Tiger Woods, Sergio Garcia, Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson, etc… were all beginners at some point and I guarantee you that they were struggling with a slice just like you are now. But enough rambling, read, print, and practice this drill, and hopefully your slice will vanish along with your high scores.

Anyways…

I call this drill the “three ball drill.” It is one of the best golf tips for beginners that I can recommend, if you are battling a strong slice:

The next time that you go to the driving range, hopefully soon, get the club that you slice the worst with, i.e. the driver most likely and follow these simple steps:

1)Get three balls out and set one up a normal distance away from you as if you were going to hit it.

2) Then place two balls (teed up if you are using your driver) on each side of the first ball, perpendicularly from you, and leave just enough space to where you can swing the clubhead through.

3)Then take a full swing and attempt to hit the middle ball. Try to just hit the ball in the middle, then it should go relatively straight, as hitting the other balls too will show you that your swing plane, i.e. the “line” that that your club swings on, is faulty, resulting in a slice or off-target shot. Practice this drill lots as I strongly believe that it is a great golf tip for beginners, and soon to be single-handicappers.

The reason that this drill works is because your main goal to learn how to cure that slice is to achieve an inside-to-outside swing path, which will cause you to hit the ball straight.

Read more information about how to cure your slice here, and find a final solution to that golf game destroyer.

By: Nick Tuttle

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Nobody likes to slice the golf ball as it results in both loss of distance and accuracy which in turn costs you strokes on the golf course. The way to get rid of that nasty slice is not really difficult but will require you to analyze your current swing and fix some of those mechanical errors that are causing the slice. Here are a few tips that can help you hit straighter shots more often:

Tip 1: Keep the right hand passive (right handed players)

Many players in their efforts to hit the ball far use their dominant right hand to try to muscle the club through the hitting zone. The problem with this strategy is that it usually results in poor shots since using the right hand tends to cause a problem known as casting.

Casting is simply releasing the club too early which result in an outside to in club path that imparts slice spin on the golf ball. One good way to eliminate this is to focus instead on pulling the club with your left hand on the downswing. This will help to almost naturally cause the clubhead to move in an inside to out swing path which is ideal for straight golf shots.

Tip 2: Use less wrists during the swing

It is best to avoid using the wrist too much during the golf swing. Think of your wrists as simply a support mechanism. Focus on making good shoulder turns and hip movements that produce an inside to out swing path. Using the wrists too much during the downswing will cause the club to usually release early which results in loss of power and slices.

Tip 3: Move the hips laterally rather than turning them during the downswing

Turning the hips too much on the downswing can cause a slice shot since it throws the club head to an outside to in path. Your hips should slide slightly towards the target through impact so avoid turning them too early. The hips should turn after impact when the momentum of the follow through naturally causes them to rotate.

Tip 4: Keep the head down through impact

This is a common tip given to all new players but it is important nonetheless. Raising the head up too early can cause the club to come from the outside and cause a slice shot. Make sure your head stays down through impact and comes up naturally with the right shoulder as the follow through completes.

Tip 5: Be sure the club is square at the address position

If the club head is open (pointing to the right of the target) at address then this will cause slice spin. Check the club head during address and make sure that it is facing the target.

Tip 6: Slow down your tempo

Tempo is unique to every player. Some players will naturally have a fast tempo and others a slower one. However, if you are always slicing the ball then try to slow down your tempo slightly especially on the downswing. Swinging too fast can throw off your mechanics in many areas that can result in slices so slow things up a little to help in your efforts to hit the ball straighter. Try some of these tips to help you reduce slicing the golf ball and shoot lower golf scores.

By: Marla Paulsone

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