How to Work the Ball Left or Right

Mark Oswald
General Manager
The Highlands at Dove Mountain in Marana, AZ.
Marana, AZ
oswaldpga@gmail.com

More Information

Five Keys to help you hook the ball. What makes the ball hook is the golf club coming more from the inside and swinging out to the target along with the clubface being slightly closed at impact.

•  Strengthen Your Grip. For the right-handed golfer you will turn both hands more to the right. This will allow you release the golf club more, closing the clubface at impact.

•  Lighten Your Grip Pressure. Lightening the grip pressure will also help promote the release and help to close the clubface prior to impact.

•  Flatten Your Golf Swing. The backswing will be lower, more around your body, and the finish will also be lower.

•  Finish Low. Let your hands swing more around your body and lower than your shoulders at the finish.

•  Close Your Stance. Put your rear foot back off the line of your target. This helps promote a more inside out swing path by bringing the club more inside on the takeaway and making it easier to swing the club away from your body crossing the target line at impact.

Five Keys to help you slice the ball. The slice occurs when the club is swinging from outside the target line across the line and the clubface is open at impact.

•  Weaken Your Grip. Turn both hands more to the left. This will not allow the club to square up at impact. The clubface will be open promoting the slice spin.

•  Firm Up Your Grip Pressure. Tightening the grip pressure, in particular the back hand on the grip, will not allow the grip to turn or square the clubface to your target.

•  Make Your Swing More Upright. Swing the club more with the arms. Your backswing will be higher over your head. This position will promote the outside to in path on the downswing.

•  Finish High. Your hands will finish more over your head. This promotes less body turn, more arm swing and leaves the clubface open at impact.

•  Open Your Stance. Move your front foot back off the target line. This promotes more of an outside take away and will cause you to swing across the line at impact.

As you can see from these tips, what causes the hook or slice is the path the club is swinging on and the squareness of the club at impact. If you know how to slice the ball, think the opposite to hook it.

For more help with your golf swing contact Mark at www.accelaratedgolfacademy.com or email moswald@orovalleycountryclub.com.