Golf Slice Instruction
Golf has been around for more than 500 hundred years, with the first game on record played in 1456 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Its exact origins remains open to debate. Some theories being tossed around are that the sport originated possibly from China, the Netherlands and in Scotland. However, the most widely accepted theory is that the game began in Scotland as early as the 1100’s.
It has evolved into a premier sporting event and has gained wide acclaim due to its ever-increasing media coverage. What used to be an aristocratic sport has now developed into a sport for the masses, thanks in large part to its current roster of young icons Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Vijhay Singh et al. They have taken the reins passed on by the likes of Jack Nicklaus and have elevated the game to a whole new level.
Since its early beginnings, the game, its rules and the equipment used has changed drastically through the years. The composition of the material used for the golf balls and the clubs has evolved along with the game to complement the modern era.
However, there are still some major aspects of the game that remain unchanged.
Amateurs and first time players still have to struggle with learning the rigors of the game. This remains true today as it was in the 1500’s.
Undoubtedly the most difficult part of learning the game is developing a standard ‘textbook’ swing. Or just learning to hold the club properly.
Naturally, new players must learn to cope and deal with taking ‘poor shots’. Some of the more common poor golf shots include:
• Hook – this type of swing is found in both left handed and right handed players. The balls trajectory veers sharply to the left for the right-handed and the opposite way for left handed individuals.
• Pull – this is characterized by a ‘pull’ on the ball across the body of the player causing the ball to shift to the left, without curving, of the target for right-handed players. While for left-handed players the ball takes flight to the right without curvature.
• Push – this is the inverse of a Pull, characterized by a push of the ball away from the golfer’s body. The balls flight takes to the right for the right-handed and the left for the left-handed.
And finally, the Slice – this is probably the most dreaded of all poor golf swinging techniques primarily because of the difficulty it takes to cure it. This is found among new golfers and can sometimes be attributed to over zealousness.
This swing causes the ball to veer sharply towards the right for right handed player, and to the left for left handed players.
Recent studies suggest that the common causes of slices are:
The upper torso opens prematurely on the downswing – this is when the right shoulder goes out and above the downswing, causing the club to hit the ball on an out-to-in swing path.
The Fix: Place your right foot slightly behind you – make sure your heel is down when you put your right foot back, when you take your practice swings. This is so you get comfortable with the posture and reduce the incidence of swinging a slice. Make sure you swing your arms properly to feel the clubs head upon impact
Grasp of the golf club is too tight – this is dangerous, as well as incorrect, because it may cause possible wrist injury once you swing the golf club and your hold is too tight. This is also causes an open clubface upon impact. This is also happens when the player attempts to clear his hips too fast.
The Fix: Keep your hands low and relax your grip – the grip should be a comfortable grip.
These are only some of the more common causes and basic cures for ’slicing’ swings. If you need more information about how to improve your overall game, there are lots of instructional videos available and loads of information online that you can make use of.
Who knows, once you put in all the effort you might end up in the PGA tour and go head to head with Tiger Woods! Who knows!