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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. |
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.