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Hit A Golf Ball Straight Down The Middle Of The Fairway

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Written by Mick Euan Tait

Monday, 07 July 2008

by MickEuanTait

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.

So why do so many golfers struggle to hit a golf ball straight? First, we have to understand why the golf ball moves to the right (a slice) or to the left (a hook). After you have learned how to fix a slice or a hook, you can then move on to how to hit a draw (a controlled shot that moves to the left) and how to hit a fade (a controlled shot that moves to the right.)

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".

When you understand the basics of the golf swing you will know that you have to return to the original place at impact if you want to hit the ball squarely and straight. When the club face is open at the point of impact, a slice will occur and the ball will spin in a clockwise direction. Generally, the swing path is correct but the golf ball is not hit squarely at impact; this is normally caused by 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.

If you want to cure a slice, then try changing some of the following factors: Don't grip the club too tightly so that your muscles tense up in your wrists and forearms. If you can work on increasing your golf swing speed then not only will you increase your distance, you should be able to reduce the amount of side spin and therefore cut down on the chance of slicing the ball. Check the flex of the shaft that you currently use; if you are a powerful hitter of the ball then use an extra stiff or stiff flex; if you are a medium hitter of the ball then use a regular or firm flex; and if you can't drive the ball more than 200 yards, then use a ladies or a senior flex.

If you want to hit a golf ball straight then you have to setup correctly. Line up your feet and shoulders square and parallel to the target line. Even though your right shoulder will be lower than your left, they should still be parallel to the target. The ball position is also important; with a driver, place the ball opposite the instep of your left foot. Stand the correct distance away from the ball so that the club is grounded properly; if it is tilted forward then you are too close to the ball, if it is tilted backwards then you are too far from the ball.

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.

Finally, another couple of swing faults that will not allow you to hit a golf ball straight down the middle of the fairway are the push and the pull. Unlike the slice, the push shot is when the ball goes off directly to the right, and the pull shot is when it goes directly to the left. A push is an action of the golf swing and is normally an in-to-out swing path and the pull is an out-to-in swing path. The push or pull comes from an improper golf swing and not knowing the basics of the swing.

About the Author:

At Mick Euan Tait's website you can find more tips on how to hit a golf ball straight and fix a slice.
Also, if you sign up for his newsletter you will receive a mini-series taken from his book "The Ultimate Guide To Golf."

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