| Error |
Correction |
| Direction: Path |
- Ball travels straight but lands left or right of target. A path error due to an alignment problem.
|
- Adjust the alignment of body to square position. Stance should be parallel to target. Check: feet, hips and shoulders. Explanation: Directional errors are primarily caused by one of two problems: lack of square alignment or club swung on a path not aligned to the target.
|
- Ball lands right or left of target due to path on which you swing club.
|
- Swing club on path to target. Check alignment to visualize desired path of ball flight. Explanation: Direction of ball flight is primarily the same as the direction in which you swing the clubhead
|
| Direction: Clubface |
- Ball slices
|
- Allow clubhead to return to square at contact. Check to make sure hands are relaxed. Check “release” at contact and your grip. Explanation: The angle of clubface in relation to the path of your swing determines sidespin imparted to the ball. An open club face produces a slice.
|
- Ball hooks
|
- Arms are stopping too soon and hands unclock too early. Increase the tension in the hands slightly to change the timing of the release; be sure hands and arms start down as a unit from the top. Explanation: Angle of clubface in relation to path and swing determines sidespin imparted to ball. A closed clubface produces a hook.
|
| Distance |
- Balls lands short of target, but flight looks about the right height.
|
- Increase length of swing or swing speed. Explanation: Distance a golf ball travels depends on 4 things: the length of the swing, speed of the clubhead at the moment of impact, squareness of the contact made by the club on the ball and the angle of approach or path of the club to the ball.
|
- Ball travels too high with an iron and lands short of target.
|
- Angle of approach is too steep. Adjust angle of approach to be shallower or less steep by extending swing (making it wider on backswing and forwardswing).
|
- Ball seems to pop up in the air on the tee shot due to a steep approach.
|
- Adjust angle of approach of club by extending swing (by making it wider on the backswing and forwardswing). This flattens the angle into the ball.
|
- Ball lands short of the target, but swing seems about the right speed and length.
|
- Check for square contact of clubface on ball. Club selection may need to be changed. Explanation: Each club has a sweet spot (centroid) which is its center of mass extended to the clubface surface. This is the point on the clubface that can impart the moist force into the ball, allowing the ball to travel its maximum distance. The farther away from the sweet spot the ball is hit, the more its distance and direction will vary.
|
- Ball shoots off sharply in front due to being hit in the hosel — a “shank.” Upper body falls back on forwardswing.
|
- Contact ball at sweet spot of club by keeping proper posture over ball on forwardswing.
|
