Push-slice, hook, push, draw

[Hank Hill]

The title of this thread is what ball flight occurs when I swing a golf club these days. It is very frustrating as I seem to have no control of when each one will occur.

I feel like I am swinging the same each time. My path must be coming from the inside, my divots point only slightly to the right.

Therefore I don't seem to be able to square the clubface with any consistency.

wide open at impact = push slice = OB right
open at impact = push = right rough/woods
square at impact = draw =
closed at impact = hook = OB left

What it all adds up to is scores in the 100-110 range. I was knocking on the door of the 80s earlier this summer (PB is 92), only putting was holding me back, I worked and worked on my putting but now I can't get the ball in play to take advantage of my improved putting skills.

I am so frustrated, I will line up with a PW and have no idea where the ball will go. I should be able to hit green with a PW from 100 yards with my eyes closed.

I have 2 rounds coming up and I don't really want to play, as I am so frustrated right now, I am even thinking of quitting for the year and with a new baby on the way I may not even play next year, so may end up leaving the game I love for good.

Any thoughts before I put the sticks away?

[Wknd_Warrior]

no silver bullet, but I'd say...

setup, setup, setup

[jvincent]

Sounds like you are trying to manipulate the club face instead of just swinging and trusting where it's going to go.

[byerxa]

Sounds like you are trying to manipulate the club face instead of just swinging and trusting where it's going to go.

I agree. Typically this occurs when you swing too quick and do not give the swing enough time to square itself. Therefore you are forced to manipulate with the hands which is tenuous at best. When I am swinging well I am doing zero with my wrists and hands - they just follow along for the ride.

[BC MIST]

T My path must be coming from the inside, my divots point only slightly to the right.

My path is from the inside, my divots are either straight or curving slightly left at the end, or slightly inside to start and straight at the end. These give me a straight or a hint of a PURE DRAW ball flight. For your divots to be aimed right, your path is well from the inside, probably too much, although this is seldom the case.

wide open at impact = push slice = OB right
open at impact = push = right rough/woods
square at impact = draw =
closed at impact = hook = OB left

For a PURE DRAW the club face is slightly OPEN at impact. With an inside path and a square face at impact, your ball will HOOK, starting right of target and curving left of target.

Your arms control the plane/path of the club head while your hands/wrists control the face position. From the time you start your backswing until your swing is finished, every effort should be made to keep the left wrist FLAT and the right wrist BENT. Something is probably happening to this relationship at the transition from backswing to downswing. Very often golfers wrists will CUP, opening the face and the ball will go right, and some will subconsciously correct this error by flipping them closed coming through. This is also caused by the grip slipping in some way, as you start down. At the top the wrists should be LOCKED into the flat/bent relationship after which there is no altering of position until inertia may force this to happen, post impact.

[Hank Hill]

Thanks for the advice and comments.

I played today in windy conditions and played pretty well at times. Unfortunately the push-slice turned up at all the wrong moments so I has a few nightmare holes. I was also hitting most of my tee shots fat (with a 5W).

Still I struggled on though the bad holes and had a stretch of 3 holes where I was -1 so I came home relatively happy. A 103 (100 after ESC) is still a bit high for me, but I was hitting my irons really well and came away with a birdie (the 7th of my life) so I guess the positives outweigh the negatives.

It was also one of those days when I had problems reading greens and stroked a lot of putts right down my intended line only for them to not break as I had anticipated.

I play again tomorrow and armed with the knowledge of what bonehead descisions got me in trouble and some confidence from my stellar play (for me) on the last few holes I think I can get back to the mid/low-90s again.

Cheers everyone.

[Kakarot]

I really shouldn't be replying to a post of this nature... as I am a noob to the game... but I did read something in Harvery Pennicks little red book....

errr, the gist of it was... if you head is elsewhere.... you are gonna have a bad game.

"I am so frustrated, I will line up with a PW and have no idea where the ball will go. I should be able to hit green with a PW from 100 yards with my eyes closed.

I have 2 rounds coming up and I don't really want to play, as I am so frustrated right now, I am even thinking of quitting for the year and with a new baby on the way I may not even play next year, so may end up leaving the game I love for good."

[Justin_w]

Well I know how you feel being frustrated, I was suffering from a nasty slice all year.
I tried everthing, then I figured it out, basically watched tiger woods swing in slow motion for hours and realized comparing to mine he was starting his down swing with his hips and I started with my shoulders. So I tried with the hips and bam, dead straight everytime and further than usual. Basically the point is, ya the game is definatly frustrating when things aren't going well, but don't give up, you'll figure it out. If I did, anyone can.