Golfing Tips?

[Shibby]

So I went golfing today for like the 4th time. I tried to adjust everything and I still sliced the hell out of it to the right...?

[mindstar]

my best advice is not to golf :D

[shortz]

Here is my advice...any time someone hits a ball and it goes straight, say "Now there's a golf shot!" Then gulp your beer.

My uncle has recommended that I get with a trainer at a golf course and take a beginner's class. They teach you alot and from what he was telling me, it's well worth the money.

[hlcn8]

yeah, it's kind of costly for lessons, but let someone teach you the good habits and get you started, then learn bad habits and later have to break them

... that said, make sure you're getting a full shoulder movement and cracking your wrist!

[BBAddict]

Look at the tee marks on the bottom of a driver or at a divot from an iron. If the marks or the divot goes from right to left, then you're cutting across the ball, which puts a spin on the ball that causes it to slice. If it starts straight or even left and then goes right, that is probably what you're doing. If it goes right immediately, then you're probably blocking the shot, which happens when your hands/arms get behind your upper body. I would start with trying to slow down your swing, make sure your club doesn't get beyond parallel at the top and watch where your club is pointing when it is parallel to the ground both at the beginning and end of the backswing. If the shaft isn't pointing along the target line, there's virtually no chance of the ball going where you intended.

[SloppyJo]

I had this problem when I first started golfing. Make sure you don't turn your wrists on your downswing. Opening the face of the club causes a pretty bad slice.

[grnmchn]

The biggest problem most people have with the slice is that the stop their swing short in an effort to not slice the ball. When in reality, if you make a complete swing you have less of a chance of slicing the ball. It's like you know you are going to slice the ball, so you swing softer. This will create a greater slice because the club face is more open at contact.

[Shibby]

Thanks for the advice. You guys are describing alot of what I saw I think. I probably will go again a couple weeks and then tell you how it went.

[shortz]

Oh yeah, I wanted to add. One thing alot of guys/gals do is they look up too fast to see where the ball is going. Keep your head down until you know you made contact with the ball. Raising the head too sonn will really screw up your shot. This is a major problem for me.

[Shibby]

Well I know one problem when I swing the club I end up pulling it around my back like a bat. I will concentrate through the whole thing, then as soon as I start my swing I forget to come up with it and I come around :)

[SloppyJo]

Just hit up the driving range a couple times a week and it will really improve your swing/game. Plus it's pretty damn relaxing.

[dot1]

Shorten your swing. Practice sqareing your club face to the ball. Take some lessons from a qualified pro. Free lessons are worth what you pay for them.

[malibu barbie]

I used to slice also. I don't think that it was because of one particular thing. I met with an instructor, slowed my swing down to a more even tempo and quit trying to send it into orbit. I also focus on completing my full swing and not looking up too soon.

Just keep practicing at the driving range and start with your PW, then work your way up to your irons and then to your woods. If you are not getting better, get a couple of lessons. Golf is a tough sport and like bodybuilding, you get out of it what you put into it and the results are not overnight. I have been playing for 8 years now and I am finally broke 100 this summer. Good Luck

[bonebreaker]

For many years I had a slicing problem, and from to time I will still slice one, well it's more a fade than a slice, but it comes from the same thing. Most of the earlier advice is solid. My main problem was that when I addressed the ball I really didn't have the club face squared. If you're right handed, when you address the ball and think you have the club face squared, turn the toe of the club more to the left and keep adjusting it more or less until your slice improves. You probably know this, but that means you're closing the club face a bit more. Also, and this probably helped me more than anything. Strengthen your grip up more. To do this, take your normal grip, then rotate both your hands just a wee bit to the right so you can see more of the tips of your fingers on your right hand, and more of your knuckles on your left. Keep adjusting this in combination with over-squaring your club face. These two adjustments should help to get the club face more square at impact. Also, take the club back very, very slowly, almost to the pont it seems ridiculous, then just let the club head fall into place to meet the ball. DON'T overswing, let the club do the work. It's not how fast you take the club back, nor really how fast you swing through the ball. The longest drives I've ever hit and the sweetest irons I've ever hit was when I didn't seem to apply any effort to the swing, I just let it happen. It's putting all these things together in rythm, which takes practice. Most of all RELAX!! Pretend your hitting the ball into the ocean, no fairways, no OB markers, no bunkers. Just hit it as if you don't care where the hell it goes. Also, when you take your stance, the teed ball should be played just off the inside of your left heel, (for the driver), and progressively more to the center of your stance based on what iron you're hitting. You can also experiment here by moving the ball up more , say instead of just inside your left heel, maybe more to the left off your left toes for example. Grip and club squaring are, IMHO, the most important, then a nice slow smooth take away, and nice slow release down with a fluid and full follow through. Golf is supposed to be fun, don't make a job out of it. Hope this helps. BB