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| After you straighten the swing path it's time to work on squaring
the clubface. The key to good shot making is hitting the ball with a
clubface that is very close to square to the swing path. The further from
square the clubface is the more the ball will curve. Many factors
including your swing, release and grip effect the position of the clubface
at impact. Start by making sure your clubface is square at address.
Experiment with your grip by moving your left hand over to the right a
quarter inch at a time. Note the changes in ball flight that each
position produces. Check your divots every time you practice or play to
make sure your swing path remains straight. |
Practice every week with your five iron. The five iron is a club
most golfers have confidence in. While it will slice, you'll seldom get
bananas (big slices) like you will with the driver. Hit range balls or
plastic practice balls every week. Work on learning the actions that shape
your shots. To learn control, try to hit some fades, then hit some
straight balls, and finish by trying to hit some draws. The goal is to
understand and then control the effect the clubface position has on the
flight of the ball. If any problems develop, review your fundamentals,
then go on to the anti-slice drills. When playing stay with your standard
shot. |
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Purpose
- To develop
your standard shot. Hitting a straight shot all the time is
almost impossible, so the better players try to play a fade or a draw. To
be a consistent player you need to standardize the way you work the ball.
If you are a slicer your natural tendency is probably left to right, so
the fade may be the best shot for you. Although the draw may travel a
little further, the fade is probably the more repeatable and controllable
shot. When you do choose the shape of your shot, stick with it. While
there may be pros who can switch back and forth hitting accurate fades and
draws, that mastery is beyond most mortals. There are even touring pros
who have difficulty changing the shape of their standard shot. The key is
consistency. Work hard at being consistent with your shots and your
accuracy will develop.
- To learn the
easy way to play the fade and the draw. Don.t attempt to hit
deliberate fades and draws in your golf game until you have gained
experience and confidence with them on the practice range.
To hit a draw:
Aim the clubface squarely at the target, but instead of aligning your body
parallel to the target, set up a little closed with your feet, knees, hips
and shoulders slightly to the right of the target. The more you want to
draw the ball the more closed your stance. Swing the club in the direction
your hips and shoulders are pointing at address. Some golfers find it a
help to pick a secondary target to align their bodies with, then they
concentrate on swinging their hands straight out toward the secondary
target in their follow-though. Learning to draw the ball can, in effect,
be a .positive. way to cure your slice.
To hit a fade:
Aim the clubface squarely at the target, but instead of aligning your body
parallel to the target, set up a little open with your feet, knees, hips
and shoulders slightly to the left of the target. The more you want to
fade the ball the more open your stance. Swing the club in the direction
your hips and shoulders are pointing at address. Some golfers find it a
help to pick a secondary target to align their bodies with, then they
concentrate on swinging their hands straight out toward the secondary
target in their follow-though. The fade is the preferred shot of many of
todays. top pros.
Do's and Don'ts
As you gain confidence and
experience you can experiment with other changes in your grip, stance,
alignment, etc. Keep it simple or you will wind up confused.
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