The CSGA Links Volume 2 Issue 2 April, 2014

Links Lessons By George Connor, PGA The most common ailment in the full swing is the dreaded slice. This month I want to describe the two step process that we have to take in order to eliminate this ugly, stroke wasting, distance robbing ball flight. The classic slice is defined as a club face aimed to the right (open) of the path of the club during impact and a club path that is traveling too far to the left. This combination will cause the ball to curve to the right. We must first discuss how the slicer fell into this pattern. The evolution of the classic slice is as follows: • The club face is open to the path. • The ball flies to the right of the target • The club path starts to travel to the left of the target in an effort to not miss to the right • The face is still aimed right of the path • The ball curves further to the right • The path shifts further left • And so on, and so on... While this pattern is a dreadful one, the real problem is that the compensations that the golfer applies are instinctive and make sense to the golfer. Think about it, the ball is missing the target to the right so the golfer swings the club further to the left. The more left the club travels, the bigger the curve to the right. In golf, what makes sense often makes things worse. The real problem is, it still makes sense so the golfer is slow to try a new approach. All too often the golfer, his friends or sadly a golf professional will see that the path of the golf club is “wrong” and try to fix that first. If this typical golfer changes the path of the club without changing the club face, the result will be a shot that starts right of the target and curves further to the right. Fixing Your Slice: Addressing the Clubface The way a golfer swings the golf club evolves based on rewards or penalties. If the club face is open and the path is perfect, the golfer is penalized with a shot that starts right of the target and curves further right. As long as the club face is open to the path there is some reward to swinging the club left as the ball will start closer to the target before curving to the right. However, if you fix the path first without addressing the club face problem the penalties become more and more severe. This short video will address two key areas that most commonly need to be changed in order to get the club face in a more square position. » Click here to visit ConnorGolf.com and learn more 10 Connecticut State Golf Association

The CSGA Links Volume 2 Issue 2 April, 2014 | Page 10