Reprinted Articles

If you are constantly hooking or slicing your shots, you will want to know how to hit a golf ball straight. Clearly, every golfer desires a straight shot because it gives you maximum yardage of the tee. In addition, if you can hit a golf ball straight down the fairway, it makes your approach shot to the green that much easier.

Why is it that many golfers find it difficult to hit a golf ball straight? First it is necessary to comprehend what causes the ball to move from left to right (a slice) or from right to left (a hook). If you know how to fix a slice or hook, you can then practice how to hit a draw or a fade which are useful skills to know so that you can shape your shots around hazards or dog-legs.

The following descriptions and instruction deals with the slice; for the hook everything is generally reversed. A slice is created by a significant tilt of the spin-axis of the golf ball to the right, or a clockwise spin. A slice usually ends up right of the target line, and the term is often used when the curve in the trajectory is extreme and unintentional. The less extreme version of a slice is called a “fade”.

In the basics of the golf swing, if you want to hit the ball squarely and hit a golf ball straight every time, you must return the club head to the original spot at the impact position. The slice is caused when you leave the club face open when striking the ball, which makes the ball spin in a clockwise movement. The swing path is normally correct but the ball is not struck squarely at impact, mostly because of a “weak grip.”

If you find that you can not hit a golf ball straight, then the initial problem could be your grip. Whether you use an overlapping grip, an interlocking grip, or a baseball grip, the aspect of your grip that can influence the golf balls flight path is the strength of the grip. So, if you want to fix a slice, move your hands around to the right on the grip into a strong grip position.

Other factors that can cure a slice are the grip pressure; don’t grip the club so tightly that the muscles of the wrist and forearms are tense. Try to increase the speed of your golf swing, not only will that add more distance it can also cut down on the amount of slice that you impart on the golf ball. The flex of the clubs shaft can also affect your shots; big hitters will need a stiff or extra stiff shaft, medium hitters should use a firm or regular flex, and shorter hitters should use a senior or ladies flex.

The setup position is also important if you want to hit a golf ball straight. Keep everything square and parallel to the target. Your feet, hips, and shoulders should all be parallel to the target line. With a driver, place the ball opposite the instep of the left foot and don’t stand too close or too far away from the ball - the sole of the club should be grounded and not tilting forwards or backwards.

Remember all the basics of the golf swing; keep your eyes on the ball, feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly flexed, spine straight and chin up. I won’t go into detail about the golf swing here, just take your club back straight and bring it down again on the same plane. Maintain the same swing speed throughout the backswing and the downswing - don’t try to over hit the ball.

There are two more swing faults that can stop you to hit a golf ball straight down the fairway - the push shot and the pull shot. Not like the slice, the push shot is when the ball flies of the club face to the right and the pull shot to the left. The push shot is a direct action of the golf swing that is caused by an in-to-out swing path and the pull shot is caused by an out-to-in swing path. Both the push and the pull are effects of an improper golf swing and not remembering the basics of the golf swing.

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Tags: Golf