|
From
Patricia
Rose,
golfer: |
|
I have a handicap of
23
and
have
been
playing golf
awhile.
It
seems I have developed this
"going to the right." Not really a slice, maybe a push,
but it sure puts me
in places I do not want to
be...help, please! |
|
PGA/LPGA
TEACHING
PROFESSIONAL
RESPONSES: |
Arizona
"Patricia
Rose: Without seeing your swing it is very difficult to determine your cause. It could be your takeaway, how you start the downswing or the swing plane. The end result is your club is coming from inside the target line (an imaginary line drawn from the ball back and thru to the target) with your club face open. I would suggest 1st you make very small swings in which you have little or no wrist hinge or elbow breakdown (as if you were putting). These swings should be no greater then your arms reaching waist high on you back swing and follow thru. Do these very slowly at first checking the club path and face at impact. Next, I would make full swings but brings the left arm back down to just past address position and see if you can keep the
club
head and path square to the target line extending the club about a foot past impact (do without a ball). Finally, I would put three tees down on the target line approximately 4 inches apart. Use a different color for each tee. An example would be: white 1st, red 2nd and yellow 3rd. Do this motion without a ball 1st and then with a ball (placing it on the 1st tee i.e. white tee) try to get all three tees to go forward. Good luck!"
-
Allyson Carter,
Teaching
Professional |
|
Arizona
"If I understand correctly, you are making swings that
are causing the golf ball to go to the right. In the forward swing, make sure that the toe of the golf club is pointing up, (toward the sky) when the club is at hip height. From that position the club should go to your left shoulder."
-
Vito
DeSantis,
Teaching
Professional |
California
"Patricia:
A push is a swing path error -- the club is moving from too inside the target line. Next time you practice play this baseball game. Aim your body and club to 2nd base. Now intentionally try to hit to 3rd base making sure your body finishes left and you are on your right toe, knees touching (for a right-hander). Keep hitting to 3rd base, then try 1st base a few times and finally short-stop all the while making sure your body follows where you want the ball to go.
When I do this with my students in person, it never fails to correct any shot that goes right and is the easiest way to feel what straight is."
-
Kati
Biszantz,
Teaching
Professional |
California
"The cause of the ball going to the right can be from a combination of a couple of factors:
1) club path coming across the target line (out to in).
2) club path going to far from inside the target line (in to out).
3) clubface open at impact.
Hit balls from grass with iron clubs. Take a divot. Stand back and observe the line of the divot. Is it going left - right or at the target.
Take rake handles, pvc pipe or even golf shafts. Lay one midway between your feet and the ball, aligning this very slightly left of the target. Take two additional poles and lay parallel to each other facing slightly to the right of the target, one on either side of the ball. Creating a railroad track like effect. Practice swinging the club through those 'railroad tracks' until you can hit the ball with the poles in place. This will develop the 'feeling' for swinging the club on the proper club path. This is a 'must' to improve your golf game.
Re: the hands - check the positions of both hands, being sure the grip is in the fingers and not in the palms. The palms of the hands should facing each other and slightly turned to the right of the grip (assuming swinging right handed). The purpose of the hands is to deliver the clubface in a squaring manner through the hitting area. This requires the hands for most people to be turned slightly to the right (v's at the right shoulder - approximately). Experiment with hand positions.
The best way to learn and determine the proper position for the hands and the club path is
to
visit your local PGA Golf
Professional."
-
Barry
Brumfield,
Teaching
Professional |
California
"There are two factors which determine where the
ball will go: face angle and swing path. A push is usually a result of an
"inside-out" swing path. When you practice,
instead
of
trying
to
hit
towards
a
target,
try
to
hit
left
of
a
target.
Anywhere
left
is
good,
even
30 yards if that's what you're trying to do. Pay close attention to the
difference in feel between a swing that makes a ball go left and one which
goes right. On a technical level, you should feel like your arms get in
front of your body early on the downswing. This will encourage a better
path."
-
Hunt
Cairns,
Teaching
Professional |
California
"If your ball is actually starting to the right and not curving much, a push, then try these two items.
1. Check your aim. It is quite common for players to allow their vision to make them think they are aligned properly. Put a club or ruler down on the ground and make sure it is pointing in the direction you desire. Then start from the ground and work up. Make sure your feet, the club face, and your shoulders are aligned parallel left to the club shaft on the ground.
2. Try to hit some iron shots and look at the direction of the divots. This is a good indicator of club path. When swinging, try to swing the club more toward left center through the finish. Be careful, if you overdo the drill, you might start to pull the ball. If so, re-adjust and swing more toward center field.
Good luck and thanks for the question."
-
Mike
Davis,
Teaching
Professional |
California
"Patricia:
Do you take
divots?
Take a look at your ball position
-
is it too far back? Is the challenge of the ball going off to the right
consistent
with all of your clubs or do you find it mainly in the short irons or
woods?"
-
Paul
Holtby,
Teaching
Professional |
California
"This could be caused by many issues. Incorrect ball position, failure to
finish the swing in balance, incorrect alignment and swing path and even
equipment that does not fit. See your local PGA professional for help."
-
David
Mutton,
Teaching
Professional |
California
"Without seeing your actual swing it is difficult to say what your specific
cause could be, but you might want to have someone check the following:
1. The path of your club - could be swinging inside out.
2. Check your hold - you may need to change the way you hold the club in order
to promote a square club face at impact.
3. Check your equipment. A softer more flexible shaft may help as well.
Thanks for the questions, hope the advice is helpful!"
-
Linda
Ramirez,
Teaching
Professional |
California
"Patricia:
The first thing to check is your ball
position. If your ball
position
is to far back in your
stance your club face will be left open through
impact, causing the ball to float right. If your ball
position
is good and it is still going right then it is
a
combination
of a few things, such as the follow
through, general set up, or swing plane. Good Luck."
-
Matthew
Reel,
Teaching
Professional |
California
"First, check your ball position so you are not playing the ball to far back
in your stance. For a right handed player this would be too far toward the
right foot. Make sure you play your woods off of your left
heel and
gradually move towards the middle of your stance with your lower irons.
Second, I assume you do not generate a tremendous amount of club head speed
yet, so the fact that your shots are going to the right may be caused by the
club face being open or pointing to the right. Make sure you are getting
proper rotation of your hands. A simple drill to help:
1. With a ball on a tee, take your normal back swing, but stop when the
club is only waist high. The toe of the club should be pointing straight up
in the air.
2. Now start your down swing and stop when the club is waist high on the
follow through. Again the toe of the club should be pointing straight up in
the air.
Do a couple of dry runs with out hitting a shot and you will feel the
natural rotation of the hands, then try hitting shots that only go 30 - 60
yards focusing on the toe being up on the back and down swings."
-
Troy
Sprister,
Teaching
Professional |
California
"If the ball is getting in the air and traveling to the right, the club face is open. The first step is to understand how the hands control the angle of the clubface. I would need to have a little more information on how you hold onto the golf club to make the best possible answer to you. If your hands are anatomically weak (meaning that the club is diagonally across the palm of your left hand) or weak by
position
(meaning that the hands are pointing more to the left of center the the
grip). This will cause the club face to become open either at the top of your
back
swing, or just prior to impact. Dealing with cause and effect golf instruction as I due I have to help you make changes during the address position, or during the takeaway. My advice is to 1) Place the club more in the fingers of the left hand, and stretch your left thumb down the shaft and place it on the right side of center. 2) Have the palm of your right hand and left hand face each other 3) Maintain a very light hand pressure during the takeaway. 4) Pull the club back with your right hand so the club face is slightly pointing more toward the ground.
The address position I advocate, the RALT Grip Will cause the left wrist to cup slightly. As the right hand pulls the club back the left wrist should become flat. This position can be maintained up the the top of your
back
swing. Our goal would be for you to learn to hit shots to the left for a short time. Rehearse the above procedure without a golf ball. Feel as if you are making this move hip high to hip high. Proceed to make the same move with a ball. Please place the ball on tee when working on this drill. It will help you in learning to make better contact. Learning to move the club correctly during the takeaway is the most important thing for you right now. Hitting balls off a tee will add in the learning process. Do not concern yourself with rolling your wrist, it is poor information that has led
to much tendentious in golfers. The wrist are complex hinge joints, they are not designed to roll."
-
Robert
Veroulis,
Teaching
Professional |
California
"There are a few possibilities. One, did you recently
take a lesson, and are
trying to create and inside/out swing path? Two, check your grip or hold on
the club to make sure it is compatible to "squaring up" the clubface.
Three, did you get new clubs, that might not fit you? Four, check your aim,
you just might be aimed there.
If any of these do not help, seek out your trained LPGA Professional for
hands on instruction, as she will be able to assess what the real problem
is, rather than just speculate, as I have to do.
Good
luck!"
-
Mardell
Wilkins,
Teaching
Professional |
Florida
"Dear Ms. Rose: If your ball goes to the right, not really a slice, but a
push, your club face is open at impact and you are not releasing the club.
A push usually indicates too much tension in your grip.
Very simply, just
relax your grip and the club should square up by itself at
impact."
-
Mike
Clayton,
Teaching
Professional |
Florida
"There seems to be some movement in your swing resulting in an inside to out path. I would first check your ball position at address and make sure it is not behind your belly button. If the ball position is correct, focus on keeping your head behind the ball on the downswing until after impact."
-
Lane
Creech,
Teaching
Professional |
Florida
"Patricia:
Thanks for the question. According to ball flight laws a "push" is primarily caused by an ill swing path. Your club is swinging from the "inside -
out". In other words, you are not swinging your club down the target line. I suggest you check your swing path by first checking a 1/2 swing. Position your ball between two clubs laid on the ground to resemble railroad tracks going to the intended target. Using the railroad tracks you will first verify that your clubface is square at address as the leading edge of the club is perpendicular to your "tracks". Next, put a tee in the butt end of your grip to aid in this drill. Now, swing the club waist high and make sure the shaft of the club is parallel to the railroad track. As the club swings back you should feel your weight shift into your right foot, leg and hip. Without a weight shift on the
back
swing your club could get caught inside. A club "too inside" will be going around or behind your body and not be
parallel
to your feet or the railroad tracks on the ground. The grip and tee in the grip will be pointing to the right of your target from this inside position. This identifies where your ball will most likely fly if you return to impact with a square clubface from this
position.
Practice making waist high to waist high swings to get that club swinging on the correct path. When the club is on path it will be be less effort to swing. You will notice that on your mini follow through at waist high the club is once again
parallel
to the railroad tracks and pointed toward the target with your weight now favoring your left foot.
Another reason for a player often gets "too inside" is by using too much hands during the take away of the club. This snatching away of the
club
head leads the club inside right away. Allow your hands to relax and let your arms swing naturally from your shoulders to "swing" the club into position. With a little practice on the short swings you will see improvement. From there you can move on to your normal full swing. Let me know how it works."
-
Jennifer
Cully,
Teaching
Professional |
Florida
"Dear
Patricia:
The fact that your shot pattern is a straight push and not a slice is a good thing. It indicates that your swing path is pretty good, moving down the line. However, your clubface is probably slightly open to your target line. Before you try anything too complicated I would suggest you simply move your ball position slightly forward of where you are playing it now. This will give you an extra fraction of a second to square the face. Remember to keep your weight centered at address. You should feel that you are set a bit to the right of the ball (unless you play left handed). From here just make your normal swing."
-
Mike
Dopslaff,
Teaching
Professional |
Florida
"Patricia:
It sounds like you are moving from the top, with your body swaying. If you
get your body, ahead of your hands coming thru your hip will open, hence the
push. DRILL:
Try your normal stance,
then drop your rear
leg
(maybe six
inches)
now try hitting a draw from the inside. This should help you learn to
finish from behind the ball. THIS IS ONLY A DRILL.
Good
luck!"
-
Chip Ebert,
Teaching
Professional |
Florida
"A ball going to the right is the cause of an open clubface. Try my simple drill called "catch the raindrops." Take your left hand and rotate it to your back swing then to your downswing and when you get to hip height at your follow through make sure that your palm of your left hand is facing the sky like catching rain in your hand. This will help you square your club face at impact."
-
Jess
Frank,
Teaching
Professional |
Florida
"Based on your information, I understand that your shot goes almost straight right from impact, not that it goes toward the target then turns right in the air. A shot that goes straight right from impact is produced from one of two errors. The first, and most common, is that you have simply begun to aim to the right. Check this by putting a club down along your foot alignment. Then place another club parallel to the first one but on the target line. (The target line is the line from the target to the ball about to be struck.) The second club tells you your intended line of flight. You may discover that the shot you thought was right OF target was in fact right ON target!
The other error however may be that your swing path is too far inside on the downswing. This is more difficult but not impossible to correct. First check your shoulder alignment to determine if your shoulders are parallel to your hips. To do this simply assume your address position, then place the club you are holding across your shoulders and check to see that it is parallel to your hip line. If the shoulders are pointing farther right than the hips, the shoulder alignment is the culprit. If not, then the shoulders are O.K. and the error is coming during the swing. To correct this, place some large, long,
preferably
soft object like an
aerobic
exercise noodle parallel to your target line but right of target and on the ground near the ball you are going to hit (if you are a right handed player). Then attempt to hit balls without hitting the noodle. (If you are left handed, the noodle goes on the left side of the ball about to be struck and parallel left of the target
line.)
This should help you eliminate the problem. Good Luck!"
-
Nell
Frewin-Hays,
Teaching
Professional |
Florida
"Patricia: 3 ideas to try:
1)
Play the ball further up
in
your stance and do not care if you hit a few fat.
2)
Use your eyes and look to the left.
3)
Appreciate
the consistent contact and play with that type of ball flight."
-
Sean Gorgone,
Teaching
Professional |
Florida
"Depending on what you are working on I would look at the path of your swing and see if you are sliding into the ball and not turning to your finish. Have you had any injuries on the left side at all? With a push you could be sliding or not releasing your club. It is hard to tell over the internet but check the position of your left hand at impact, are you behind the ball and is your belly button facing to the left of the target at your finish."
-
Mary
Hafeman,
Teaching
Professional |
Florida
"Patricia:
You need to look in this order to correct the ball going to the right.
1) Are you are correctly aimed? (Body and clubface).
2) Is your grip weak? (One or either hand too much to the
left).
3) Are you releasing? (Allowing the hands and wrists to
hinge). You may not be able to release if you hold the club too tightly."
-
Linda
Mandros,
Teaching
Professional |
Florida
"Check your impact position in slo-motion. The
club-face should be square or slightly turned in. Check your left hand grip.
You should see two or three knuckles on the back of your
hand.
Swing between
two tees to check your swing path. You want to swing toward the target. Put
a tee 1/2'' away from each side of the
club
head. Practice swing with your
feet together is a good drill for pushing. This eliminates excessive lateral
shifting."
-
John
Pallot,
Teaching
Professional |
FRANCE
"Dear
Patricia:
It sounds like your club is open at impact. Rotate your right arm over your
left arm on your down
swing.
This will help close the club head at impact."
-
Daniel
Raleigh,
Teaching
Professional |
Illinois
"Patricia:
The first thing I would recommend is to have your equipment evaluated by a golf club fitting professional. Directional control is sacrificed most often by an incorrect lie angle, but there can be other factors in the golf club that are contributing to your
'rights'. The best trained and qualified club fitters that I know of to evaluate your equipment are Henry-Griffitts Club Fitters. Go to
www.henry-griffitts.com
to find the fitter closest to you. They will be more than happy to help you get to the bottom of your
'rights' and get you back on the right track...I mean the straight and narrow.
Thanks for your question."
-
Ryan
Graff,
Teaching
Professional |
|
Illinois
"Dear
Patricia:
There can be many reasons for what you describe about hitting the ball to the right. Based
on
your question, I assume you are
right
handed. If so, might I suggest since it sounds like you are swinging to the right of the target as opposed to slicing that you might check three areas of your set-up. First check your shoulder and foot alignment. Make sure these areas are parallel to your target line or pointing near your target. Second, check to make sure that you are not standing to close to the ball. This is a common error for many golfers who don't use their bodies properly and swing with their arms too much. This situation can cause you to swing to the right or "push" you shots. Third, check you ball position, you may have the ball back too far in your stance. Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any more questions."
-
Rick
Johnson,
Teaching
Professional |
Indiana
"I find that most
beginners
hitting a ball straight to the right the problem can be solved very easily by moving the ball to the left in your stance. Students become very amazed when I can predict the flight path of their shot, simply by teeing the ball in different positions."
-
Gary
Focken,
Teaching
Professional |
Indiana
"Patricia:
Without seeing your swing it is hard to state what the exact problem may be. I would suggest checking your alignment. Often golfers will say they are sure they are aimed at their target, but their address position shows something completely different. A way you can check this yourself is to lay a club on the ground that is parallel to your target line, set up to the target, if your alignment is correct the
club
head will be perpendicular to the club on the ground. If you have someone you trust have them rest a club across the front of your shoulders once you have set up to play a shot - the club resting on the shoulders should parallel to your target line."
- - - - - - - - - > shoulders
- - - - - - - - - > target line
-
Christine
Lovrine,
Teaching
Professional |
Indiana
"Patricia:
Most people go to the right. However, I will give you one very important aspect of the swing that you can work on to get yourself to straighten your shots. I believe a lot of shots go to the right because your arms at contact are not in front of your body. They are lagging behind, mainly because your downswing may be started to much with your lower body or too much with your shoulders.
Your first swing thought after you have swung to the top is to get your arms back in front of you for impact. A good drill to work on provided your are right handed is to drop your right foot back about
one
foot away from the target line and hit golf balls. Work on keeping your right foot on the ground as long as your can, getting your arms in front of you as quickly as you can for contact.
Believe me, it works!"
-
Jeff
Mathew,
Teaching
Professional |
|
Iowa
"To Ms. Rose:
What I look for in right to right shots is what is happening with your
hands. You may be taking the club back flat not allowing your hands to
square up at impact or you may be trying to guide the ball to your target,
again not allowing your hands to work and leaving the clubface open at
impact. This is a very easy problem to fix with very simple drills."
-
Pat
Zedrick,
Teaching
Professional |
Maine
"Dear Patricia:
My first thought is for you to check your grip. The majority of shots that
go off-line is caused by an incorrect grip. When addressed to the ball,
look down at your hands...do not move your head! Are you able to see at
least two knuckles on your left hand? My guess is that your grip is too
weak meaning your hands are rotated too far to the right. If your grip
checks out ok, then my next suggestion is to check your weight
transfer. It sounds like you are moving your weight ahead of the ball at
impact.
Let me know if you have any questions or would like me to elaborate on the
weight transfer.
Good Luck!"
-
Chris
Christie,
Teaching
Professional |
Michigan
"Dear
Patricia:
Thank you for your inquiry. There are a few possible reasons for you going
to the right. Something to try is hitting small shot with just your right
hand placed on the grip, almost as if you were throwing the
club
head
underhand towards the target. Another drill is to hit balls off a tee,
start with small short easy swings as you feel comfortable expand the swing
but always try to have the clubface face the ground after impact about belt
high. I hope this helps, let me know."
-
Shaun
Bezilla,
Teaching
Professional |
Michigan
"Try this drill. Set up as if you are going to hit the ball straight.
Then with just 3 balls hit one to the right, one to the left, and one
to the center. When you can do this with every club in your bag, you
will have real good control of your clubface at impact."
-
Woody
Erickson,
Teaching
Professional |
Michigan
"For your shots that 'go to the right,' presuming you are right-handed, this is mostly caused by the club face being 'open' or 'facing to the right'
at impact. Many times this is caused when the ball is too far to the right in your stance, so moving the ball an inch or two forward or closer to your left (target) foot can help "square" the clubface. Another reason is that your swing is too slow or decelerating. To help this problem, make sure that you 'finish' your swing so that 95% of your weight is on your left (target) foot at the finish and your right foot is on
its toe, your chest should be facing a bit left of the target and the club behind your back."
-
Diane
Patterson,
Teaching
Professional |
Michigan
"There are a number of things that will cause a pushed shot. When I am working with a student, the first things I will look for will be setup and alignment. If things are good there, I will check hand and arm tension. From there I will look at the swing. If everything looks good and the ball is still going to the right (push), I will check the
player's equipment. Again, there is not one specific thing that will cause a shot to be pushed. It always helps to have an extra pair of eyes watching to help cure this problem."
-
Joe
Perdue,
Teaching
Professional |
Michigan
"If you are a 23 handicap that has developed a going to the
right
a
few things could be happening. You are aimed there. The ball position is too far back in your stance or the club is traveling on a too inside to out path. Those two could be related. Put some clubs down on the ground that aim at your target to check and see if your alignment is OK. If that is OK then place another club perpendicular to the clubs on the ground and pointed at the golf ball, this club will run between your feet. Now make sure that the ball position is opposite of the logo on your shirt.
It is difficult to make changes in someone's swing that I can't see, but it sounds as if this could be and an alignment and or ball position problem. Try it and see before I try to make changes in your golf swing."
-
Jack
Seltzer,
Teaching
Professional |
Minnesota
"Check:
1st
alignment,
2nd
clubface alignment. If satisfied that they are correct,
3rd
grip. Make sure that both hands are turned properly to the right on
the club.
See the third knuckle of the left hand. See that both V's point to the right
shoulder."
-
Jim
Manthis,
Teaching
Professional |
Missouri
"Dear Patricia
Rose:
So many people have the same problem.
In
fact around 80% of the amateur
students I teach have the same thing. More than likely you are starting
your takeaway with your hands and/or arms instead of the shoulders. Try a
couple of things: First, set up to the ball and try and focus on nothing but
making a good shoulder rotation. For a good shoulder rotation, the center
of your back should be pointed to your target. If that does not work, let
me know.
There could be several other things that may need to be fixed, but
without knowing more about your swing, I don't want to have you try
something and it not be the right thing."
-
David
Mulso,
Teaching
Professional |
Missouri
"Dear
Patricia:
My first thought is you are probably aiming to the right and not even realizing it. Take another club when you are hitting balls and place it on the ground at your feet. Take your normal stance and act like you are hitting the ball. Set the club down on the ground and make sure your feet are touching the club. From there step back and go behind where you are hitting. Make sure the club is aimed at your target. You will probably find it is aimed right of you target. Place it so it is aimed directly at your target and then practice that way. Hopefully this had made sense and hope you find this helpful. I think this is what is giving you some problems. Get your alignment set and then just hit the ball at the target."
-
Toby
Yates,
Teaching
Professional |
|
Nevada
"Very
simple
situation
and
common
as
well.
You
are
not
alone!
Any
worthy
and
seasoned
instructor
can
tend
to
your
needs
in
minutes.
First,
let
us
look
at
the
facts.
You
are
going
right
of
target
line.
If
it
is
a
straight
'ball
flight'
right
you
are
'pushing
the
ball'.
If
your
'ball
flight'
is
curved,
you
have
imparted
'spin
rate'
on
the
ball
which
is
a
'fade
or
slice'
depending
on
the
severity
of
'spin
rate'.
To
solve
or
improve
this
situation,
you
need
to
make
certain
that
your
'set
-up'
components
are
correct
to
support
your
desired
procedures.
You
need
to
make
sure
you
are
properly
prepared
to
execute
the
desired
shot.
Until
this
is
the
case,
you
need
not
proceed.
The
'555
golf'
five
set-up
fundamentals
are:
1)posture,
2)grip,
3)stance,
4)ball
location
and
5)alignment.
We
need
to
address
these
for
a
moment.
Try
this:
lay
a
long
iron
on
the
ground
pointing
directly
at
your
target.
Now
adjust
it
slightly
to
the
left
(about
two
paces)
if
you
are
right
handed.
When
it
is
straight
at
the
target
this
is
called
the
'target
line'.
When
it
is
slightly
left
it
is
your
'body
line'.
Place
you
toes
close
to
this
shaft.
Match
your
knees,
hips,
shoulders
and
ears.
Now
you
are
'aligned'.
The
physical
action
you
are
about
to
create
will
be
directed
at
least
in
the
general
direction
of
your
selected
target.
Your
belly
button
will
also
be
facing
forward
at
'address'
as
are
your
hips.
Turn
you
target
toe
(left
one
for
righties)
about
45
degrees
towards
the
target.
It
will
now
be
farther
away
from
the
target
line
shaft
that
is
your
right
one.
Leave
it
that
way.
This
open
target
toe
will
promote
good
hip
rotation
and
enable
you
to
'clear'
in
your
'rotational
action'.
If
your
target
toe
is
straight
ahead,
your
own
foot
will
block
your
own
motion.
So
you
know
what
I
mean,
drop
your
target
arm
down
and
out
in
front
of
your
target
hip,
palm
facing
aft.
Now
raise
your
brace
(right
hand)
around
and
up
to
your
brace
shoulder
while
turning
your
brace
should
back
a
little
too.
Let
it
drop
and
slap
the
palm
of
your
target
hand
in
the
direction
of
the
target.
Follow
through
until
your
momentum
carries
you
towards
the
target.
Your
belt
buckle
or
belly
button
will
be
facing
the
target.
The
sole
of
your
right
shoe
will
be
off
the
ground
and
facing
backwards.
This
is
the
motion
you
should
feel
during
your
swing.
Take
an
#8
iron
in
hand.
'Sole'
it
on
the
ground
behind
a
teed-up
golf
ball
that
is
about
forward
or
even
with
your
target
heel.
Make
sure
your
'clubface'
is
'squarely
aimed
at
the
target'.
Make
sure
your
'grip
v’s'
that
are
formed
by
your
thumbs
and
index
fingers
are
pointing
towards
your
brace
shoulder
while
the
'clubface
is
aimed
squarely
at
the
target'.
Now
make
a
nice
easy
'take
away'
with
at
3/4
swing
through
the
ball
ensuring
that
you
continue
turning
until
your
belly
button
is
facing
the
target.
Do
it
several
times.
Just
swing
the
'club
head
through
the
ball'
without
trying
to
hit
it
hard.
We
are
not
working
on
'distance'
here
but
'direction'.
Watch
your
ball
come
off
the
'clubface'.
Don't
look
away
early
to
see
where
it
is
going
or
you
will
accomplish
what
we
call
a
'bail-out'
which
will
certainly
cause
you
to
go
right.
If
your
ball
still
goes
slightly
to
the
right,
'hood
your
clubface'
slightly
to
the
'closed
side'
or
to
the
'left
side'
of
your
target
line.
Make
your
'clubface
aim
to
the
left
of
where
you
want
your
ball
to
go'.
Now
make
the
same
good
swing
with
your
hands
going
down
the
target
line.
Remember,
'your
ball
goes
where
your
hands
go!'
Doing
all
this
in
person
is
better!
Come
out
to
Las
Vegas
to
one
of
our
'mastering
the
basics
or
short
game'
schools
or
for
a
private
lesson.
'Satisfaction
guaranteed'!"
-
Karl
Fischer,
Teaching
Professional
|
New
Jersey
"Dear Patricia:
Here is some advice that has been passed down through the years from the
teachers who I learned from. When in doubt, fundamentals first. This
statement means the following: before you try to change your swing to fix a
ball flight problem, check the obvious:
1. Alignment.
2. Ball Position.
3. Grip.
The fact that the ball is not curving tells me that your clubface is square
at impact (good thing). The fact that the ball is pushed to the right
indicates a swing path that is too much from inside to out (not so good). I
would check to make sure your ball is not positioned too far back in your
stance. The best way to do this is to place the ball where you think it is
too far forward. Hit about 10-20 shots from this position and see if the
ball starts out straighter. If it starts way left from this position,
gradually move the ball back in your stance in small increments to find the
spot that gives you the direction you want."
-
Marty
Strumpf,
Teaching
Professional |
New
Mexico
"Hitting to the right (for a
right handed player) is typically caused by a failure to rotate the body
and/or the
club
head into a square position. I would suggest relaxing the
arms (especially the left), moving the ball position a little forward, and
working on finishing the swing facing the target or even slightly left of
the target. These are possible quick fixes to try, but it would certainly
be advisable to have a professional take a look at your swing."
-
Warren
Lehr,
Teaching
Professional |
New
York
"Patricia:
With out seeing you set up, and by the brief description of your ball flight, Check these two things first: 1} Alignment - Aim - Be sure your body is on a line left
{parallel} to your intended target.
2} Ball position - The placement of the ball in your stance.
Start with a 5 iron and make sure the ball is in the middle your stance.
Good luck and swing smooth."
-
Stephen
Kladis,
Teaching
Professional |
New
York
"Patricia:
Sounds like you may not be getting your weight shifted forward
during your swing. A push can result from hanging back."
-
Ron
Venturini,
Teaching
Professional |
Ohio
"Dear
Patricia: A couple of different scenarios may be causing your push.
1) Ball position. If the ball is too far back in your stance you could push it.
2) Swinging the club on to much of an in to out direction. Not a common
occurrence
in high handicappers who usually swing from outside the target line to inside.
3) Poor release of the club head so that the club face is not square at impact. If you are not shifting your weight to the front foot and allowing your wrists to unhinge and your forearms to rotate (all part of releasing the club) then you can push the ball to the right.
A good
drill: Swing the club to waist high on the back swing. The toe of the club should be nearly vertical pointing to the sky. Now turn your body, let your arms swing and forearms rotate to waist high and the club shaft pointing towards the target. Again, the toe of the club should be pointing to the sky. Your arms should be extended and your right hand should be "shaking hands with the target. Work on this release and you should stop pushing."
-
Grayson
FitzHugh,
Teaching
Professional |
Ohio
"You could have developed a swing path that is too far inside on both
the take away and the
downswing. To check this, try laying two clubs down on
a line behind the ball. The first club should be pointing straight back, the
second one should be placed upside down with the
club
head touching the butt
end of the other club. This club should then be pointing on an angle toward
the inside of the first. When you take the club back, stop at the halfway
point (the 9:00 position) and check to see where the club is. If it is
inside the two clubs, then you are taking the club back too far inside. You
want to be able to see the club between the two clubs at the 9:00 position.
To check the downswing, take the club up to the top of the back swing, then
bring the club down and stop again at the 9:00 position. Again, check to see
that the club is in between the two clubs.
The other possibility is that you can't get your right arm to rotate over
through impact. This is called the release move. To practice this move, all
you have to do is swing the club and watch you right arm rotate over the left
through the swing. After trying this a few times, then work on hitting the
ball using this move. Start by hitting 5 balls using a swing that only goes
back as half way. You goal is to hit the ball to the left with a slight
curve. If done correctly, will result in a slight draw. After hitting 5
balls, then make a slightly longer
back
swing (hands waist high), and hit 5
more balls. You can keep going, making the swing a little longer each time.
After you have hit about 20 balls, it should start feeling easier. However,
you should have your LPGA/PGA professional check out your swing if either of
these drills haven't straightened you out after a few weeks. Don't expect
instantaneous results, it will take time to get this swing change to feel
better."
-
Patty
Reno,
Teaching
Professional |
Oregon
"This problem of a possible push would really need to
be seen. But to take a
stab at it; I would say check
your leg action. After we play a while we get lazy
from the waist down.
Chances are you are not clearing your left side and
getting to a
balanced follow thru that you can hold for
five seconds.
This sometimes comes from being lazy, and sometimes
comes from trying to hard to AIM the ball down the middle thus holding the
club back from
its normal
fold."
-
Tom
Blair,
Teaching
Professional |
Pennsylvania
"Dear
Patricia:
Without seeing your swing, I would first check your G.A.S.S. That is Grip,
Alignment,
Stance, And Setup. One of my beliefs is that most golfers miss, before they swing.
First, if your ball is not slicing, but going to the right, I would check your alignment. You can do this by laying a shaft along the ground in between you and the ball. Make sure that your stance is somewhat parallel to the target line. If this is not the culprit, then check your ball placement, sometimes, a ball placed too far back in the stance will cause a shot to be missed to the right. If none of these two ideas help, then your swing path is going too much from in to out. Just put a shoe box a few inches away from the ball and parallel to the target line then hit a few shots, if you hit the box after you hit the ball, you are swinging too much from the in to the out.
Good luck Patricia...If none of these ideas help, make sure you see your local PGA Professional and he or she may be able to help you.
Lots of 1
putts!"
-
Mike
Dynda,
Teaching
Professional |
Pennsylvania
"Check your alignment. We all have a chance of aiming right at
address.
When you practice you should lay a club down on the ground to assist you in aligning correctly. This alignment will become easier for you to do when playing."
-
Robert
Sheppard,
Teaching
Professional |
Pennsylvania
"Dear Patricia
Rose:
Thank you for your question. The first thing to do is always check your setup. First make sure your clubface is "square". A "square" clubface is deemed to be so when the bottom groove of the clubface is perpendicular to your target line. If that is good, then check to make sure you have the proper grip, good posture, and proper ball position.
A good grip is one where your palms are facing each other. One palm shouldn't be on top of the grip and facing the ground, while the other one is under the grip and facing the sky. Your hands should be placed along the side of the grip with your palms facing each other.
One thing to look for in your posture is to make sure the shaft of your club intersects your spine at 90 degrees ( in other words make the club point to your belt buckle).
In regards to your ball position, check to make sure the ball is not too far back in your stance. For a right handed golfer that means too far back towards your right foot. The further back you position the ball in your stance, the less time you have to swing the
club
head around back to the ball to hit it straight. The further forward (towards your left foot for a right handed golfer) you place the ball in your stance, the more time you have to swing the
club
head around and thru the ball. A ball that is
positioned
too far forward will in most cases go towards the left.
So, once again, first check the clubface. If that is good check grip and posture, but sometimes just by moving the ball a little more forward in your stance could help alleviate the push to the right!"
-
Ralph
Viola,
Teaching
Professional |
Rhode
Island
"Dear Ms Rose:
Aim left!!!
Only kidding....the reason you go right could be
an alignment
issue.
When practicing, place a club on your intended target line between your feet and the
ball.
You might also want to check your grip
- maybe
the
left hand has gotten weaker.
You should see two knuckles of the back of your left hand when you look
down.
Check your
club
head
- it might be slightly open at address.
Hope this helps."
-
Susan
Bond,
Teaching
Professional |
South
Carolina
"Patricia, you are not alone. Even the great players have the "rights"
every once in a while. One thing I would suggest is to make sure that
your belt buckle and sternum are facing your target when you have
completed your swing. A common cause for the rights is an uncompleted
follow through. When you are done swinging, put the butt end of the
club in your navel. Where is it pointing? If it is pointing right,
that could be your solution."
-
John
Hughes,
Teaching
Professional |
South
Carolina
"Patricia Rose: Review
grip, posture and alignment. Then
relax the complete body. THEN swing the club waist height to waist height with your feet together feeling the arms rotate
...
or toe to the sky in the back and forward swing!"
-
Doug
Weaver,
Teaching
Professional |
Tennessee
"I need more detail. If the ball is an actual push then I would say you are not getting any extension.
My drill for that without more information is to take a normal grip with the ball on a tee. Slide your right hand down the shaft 2", leave the left alone. Now swing and let your arms form an X on the follow through at waist
high. This should produce a hook and the only way you will get the X is extension."
-
Jeff
Dukehart,
Teaching
Professional |
Texas
"Ms. Rose:
The first thing
I
want you to check is your grip pressure. If the left hand is too tight the heel tends to come off the ground and the ball will tend to go to the right.
I want you to feel that there's very little tension in your left arm and hand. this will allow the natural
release
(when your left elbow folds during the follow through) to occur.
Good luck!"
-
Dave
Baron,
Teaching
Professional |
Texas
"First make sure you can see two knuckles on your front hand. If your grip
is OK then your hips could be sliding through impact. Try folding your left
elbow quicker through impact: Imagine the left arm staying closer to your
side through the ball which should let the hands turn faster through impact.
This should also rotate your hips not slide through
the ball.."
-
Fred
Collins,
Teaching
Professional |
Texas
"Dear
Righty...Pushing the golf ball to the right is directly related to physics! The golf ball's direction is simply controlled by the direction you swing your arms. Since your arms are connected to your body at the shoulders (not a tough concept) and the uncoiling of your body controls the rotation of your shoulders: the cause of hitting a golf ball to the right (known as a push) is caused by lack of uncoil of the body which causes the arms to swing more on an arc to the left of your current swing path...In curing this affliction, you need to practice at first, using a seven iron with a slower swing speed to allow you to "feel" the difference. Try swinging down the third base line and pulling the ball left of your target. When you
exaggerate
the motion at first it is easier to sense the correction.
To clarify: If you "slide" laterally during the downswing without the proper amount of "uncoil" the arms swing to the right and the golf ball will follow, to the right! Conversely, a downswing with "early" uncoil rotation will cause the arms to swing to the left (known as a pull) and the ball will go to the the left of the target as well...Patricia, I hope this corrective information will allow you to see a new part of the golf course! Lots of luck!"
-
Dan
Howard,
Teaching
Professional |
|
Utah
"Hello Patricia, sounds like a lot of the rest of the golfers around! What I would
recommend is to check your ball position relative to your stance. If the ball is too far back towards your right foot, you may be releasing the club too late pushing the ball straight right! Try this little trick. Start at address with your feet together and the ball in the middle of your stance. Take your right foot (right handed player) and step sideways to the right, down the target line, about shoulder width apart. Open your left foot by turning off the heel and twisting your toes towards your target line. This will make sure your playing the ball off your left side or the up part of your pendulum swing. If you need anymore help, visit your local PGA professional."
-
Brent
Wootton,
Teaching
Professional |
|
Virginia
"Hi
Patricia!
First start by checking your alignment. It is very likely that your feet are lined up right and you are hitting a block push. Also, make sure the club face is square to the target. These are the first places to look. I hope this helps.
"
-
John
SanGiacomo,
Teaching
Professional |
Washington
"Not seeing your swing it's hard to say what is wrong. Two things to look at
are 1) swing path and\or 2) clubface angle at impact. Hope this
helps!!"
-
Charles
Knight,
Teaching
Professional |
