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how do i know what causing me to block the golf ball

by Ms. Retha Fay Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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It's very common for a block to be caused by a weak left hand or sometimes a weak right hand grip. But sometimes a very strong grip can cause a block too. If the grip is so strong that by releasing the club the ball will fly severely left, release will be resisted and instead the shot will result in a block to the right.

Blocks occur when you slide too hard with your lower body on the downswing (above). The club drops behind you and swings too much from the inside. You have too much lateral motion and not enough turn through the shot.Apr 13, 2009

Full Answer

Why do golf balls get blocked to the right?

If the grip is so strong that by releasing the club the ball will fly severely left, release will be resisted and instead the shot will result in a block to the right. Incredibly, both a ball too far back and a ball too far forward can encourage a blocked shot to the right.

How to stop blocking a golf shot?

Placing a golf club or alignment stick in line with your feet parallel to the target on the driving range is a great drill to integrate the feeling of proper alignment. Too much tension in your hands and arms can have an adverse effect on your golf swing and contribute to blocking golf shots.

Why does my left hand block when I hit the ball?

The velocity and the weight of the club head will make the joints in your arms and wrists line up very quickly. The drill above somewhat re-creates this action. It's very common for a block to be caused by a weak left hand or sometimes a weak right hand grip.

What causes you to top the golf ball?

Here are a few solutions depending on what is causing you to top the golf ball: This mechanical error in your golf swing can result in topping the ball. Whether you’re sliding your hips back and not correcting prior to impact or you’re sliding too far forward during the downswing, the result is the same.

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How do I stop my golf drive from blocking?

2:318:56How To Stop Blocking Your Golf Shots 3 Must Do Tips!! - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipLeft of center so slightly nearer to that lead foot. So it would take a small step with that leftMoreLeft of center so slightly nearer to that lead foot. So it would take a small step with that left foot slightly bigger step with that right foot.

How do you fix a golf ball that is blocking?

The hip slide prevents you from making a proper hip rotation as your hips have already moved too far left and the arms and hands can only move in to out resulting in the block. To fix this issue you need to slow down your hips and allow them to rotate open slowly so that your arms and hands can synchronize perfectly.

What causes a block slice?

A slice is a result of a swing path through impact that is moving from outside to in, or from right to left as viewed from behind the golfer. This action of the club 'cutting across' the ball imparts a left to right spin on the ball, which quickly causes the ball to turn to the right when it gets up into the air.

Why am I blocking every shot?

Blocking shots occurs as a result of a club path that is of the inside-out variety. In addition to that club path, the clubface matches the path at impact and will aim at the right, resulting in no favourable draw spin to bring the ball back towards the target.

How do I stop my hard drive from pushing to the right?

The best way to fix a push is to make the opposite move: Don't use your lower body as much, and swing your arms past your chest through impact (above, right). First, set up in a closed stance, which makes it harder for your lower body to rotate open. Then, focus on letting your arms extend and release past you.

How do you fix a block slice?

2:525:20FIXING YOUR PUSH SLICE - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBack toward my for up that for me is doing two things it's keeping some bending my right wrist whichMoreBack toward my for up that for me is doing two things it's keeping some bending my right wrist which is keeping the club head nicely.

Does a strong grip cause a slice?

The ball will always leave the clubface, at a right angle to the clubface, regardless of the path the club is swung on unless there is enough time and force to alter what's known as the Venturi Effect. 2. A strong grip eliminates a slice.

Does a weak grip cause a slice?

You might have a so-called "weak grip," which means your thumbs are more at the top of the club. When you swing with this type of grip, your hands resist their natural tendency to return the clubface square at impact, and instead, they leave the clubface open which causes a slice.

Why does my golf club block?

A common cause of a held release is getting the lower body too far ahead on the downswing, trapping the arms behind. Trying to hold onto the angle between the wrists and the club on the downswing is another problem that regularly causes a block.

What does it mean to hit a block in golf?

Regarding athletics, the trusted Webster's dictionary defines a block as “a halting or impeding of progress or movement.” In golf, a block can mean two things. First, it describes a type of shot or ball flight. For a right-handed golfer a block is a shot that flies straight right of the target with no curve. When a shot is hit off-line with no curve that typically means that the club face is square to the path the club is swinging on. Pretend you had wet paint on the bottom of your club. To hit a block the paint would draw a path that points to the right of your target line when you swing. That means that your clubface would be perpendicular to that line, or square.

How to hit a golf shot without the ball?

Slide your right hand down to the bottom of the grip. Swing back with the split grip, which will force your right arm to fold early. On the downswing slide your right hand back up to meet your left and hit the shot. If you find at first it's difficult hitting a shot this way, try it without the golf ball first.

How to fix a blocked shot to the right?

Fixing the path and clubface position are the ultimate solution to curing a blocked shot to the right. Finding the faults and then curing them with drills and new concepts will get you back on the road to straighter shots.

How to get rid of a triangle in golf?

The cure is to simply take the club back straight down the target line for the first several inches. Maintain the triangle formed by the arms, wrists and hands as you pull the clubhead away from the ball, making sure the shoulders rotate in unison with the triangle. Here's a good drill to ingrain the proper takeaway:

How to swing a golf club?

Place a light object, such as a clubhead cover or empty golf ball sleeve, about six inches behind the ball, directly on the target line. Keeping the clubhead low, push the object back and out of the way as you start the swing, letting the club arc naturally away from the target line.

How fast does a golf club swing?

When your club is returning to the ball at impact it is swinging at anywhere from 50 miles per hour to over a 100 miles per hour. The velocity and the weight of the club head will make the joints in your arms and wrists line up very quickly. The drill above somewhat re-creates this action.

Why does my golf ball go in the wrong direction?

Golfers who normally hit a draw will sometimes let loose with a huge push- slice, where the ball starts well right of target and curves ever farther in the wrong direction. This is called a “block,” and it's generally caused by a mismatching motion between the upper and lower body.

How to tell if a golf club is too far back?

If it's too far back (right) in your stance, the club will catch it from an inside angle before the arms have had time to release the club.

Why do golfers slide?

Often, a slide comes from a simple misunderstanding of how the golf swing is supposed to work. Many players mistakenly believe that there is a significant amount of lateral movement in a proper golf swing. These players will try to move right in the backswing onto their right foot, and then slide forward onto their left foot in the downswing. This is the wrong way to go about swinging the club, and it will never lead to the same power and accuracy that can be created by a rotational swing.

What happens when the hips slide laterally on the downswing?

When the hips slide laterally on the downswing, or turn too rapidly to the left (for a righty), the shoulders and arms lag behind. The club's path is from the inside – as it is for a draw – but the lack of hips-and-shoulders synchronicity prevents the hands and forearms from releasing fully through the shot. The inside path starts the ball right, and the open clubface imparts left-to-right spin.

How to keep your lower body under you in golf?

The best way to work on keeping your lower body underneath you successfully in the swing is to practice hitting fades on the driving range. To hit a fade, you have to stay over the ball and allow your arms to pass across your chest at impact. This is the opposite of what happens when you spin out of the shot early. Even if you prefer to hit a draw when you are on the course, hitting some fades on the driving range can help you control the movement of your lower body in the downswing.

What happens if you slide to your left in a golf swing?

If you slide to your left in the downswing, you will be immediately notified of your mistake – because you will physically contact the bag with your left hip and/or leg.

How to start a golf shot at intermediate?

Take your stance and align your body to start the ball at your intermediate target. You should go through your full pre-shot routine just as you would for any shot out on the course.

Why is my golf ball blocking my shot?

Often the position of the ball in your golf setup contributes to whether you hit a blocked golf shot to the right. When the golf ball is positioned too far back in your stance it increases the chances of blocking the golf ball. This is because your clubface will meet the golf ball too early in the downswing well before it has a chance ...

Why do my hands block my shots in golf?

This is because it restricts the ability of the hands especially to rotate and properly square the clubface in the downswing.

Why do you put the golf ball in the middle of your stance?

This is because your clubface will meet the golf ball too early in the downswing well before it has a chance to square up to the target line. Ideally, you want to position the golf ball in the middle of your stance for your shorter irons such as 8-iron to sand wedge.

Why is my downswing blocking my golf shots?

How to fix lower body speed issues in the downswing. A lot of problems with blocking golf shots happen because of timing issues in the golf swing. As mentioned above quite often golf shots going right is the result of the lower body moving too quickly and the upper body is unable to keep up. This results in little or no balance in your golf swing.

What is it called when a golf ball curves back?

If the golf ball curves back either left or right severely it is known as either a push hook or a push slice.

Which position allows the clubface to reach the ball in the bottom of the swing arc?

The more forward of centre ball position allow the clubface more time to reach the ball in the bottom of the swing arc and time to rotate and square up for solid contact.

How to practice swings in golf?

Practice making golf swings feeling like you are holding the golf club with just enough grip pressure to support and feel the weight of the club.

How to stop your body from sliding back when you take a golf ball?

Solution: Lean in your right knee as you turn away from the golf ball. This prevents the upper body from sliding back during the backswing and takeaway.

Who said golfers make the mistake of topping the ball?

Here’s the thing. Even skilled golfers make the mistake of topping the ball on occasion, according to Jack Nicklaus.

What happens if your arc is too high?

When this happens you usually have two options. You either completely whiff the ball. Embarrassing, but it happens. Or you hit above the equator, topping the ball. You reach the bottom of the arc before hitting the ball and are on an upswing when the club connects.

What happens if you hit the ball too far forward?

For instance, if the ball is too far forward or back in your stance, the arc of your swing will be off, resulting in a topped golf shot. Solution: Position the ball in the middle of your stance for irons and in-line with the lead heel for your driver.

What happens if you slide your hips back in golf?

This mechanical error in your golf swing can result in topping the ball. Whether you’re sliding your hips back and not correcting prior to impact or you’re sliding too far forward during the downswing, the result is the same.

How to stop choking down on golf clubs?

Solution: Invest in custom-fitted golf clubs or hold the club higher on the grip instead of choking down.

What happens when you hit the bottom of the arc too late?

When the bottom of the arc occurs too late, you’re still hitting above the ball’s equator, meaning you’re hitting at the top of the ball rather than the sweet spot.

What happens if you spin a golf ball sideways?

If it’s spinning sideways as it comes off the tee, the air will catch the dimples on the ball and cause it to drift off to the right. A High, Weak Ball Flight – another consequence of putting too much spin on the ball is that sometimes it has a tendency to rise up into the air.

How to move golf ball in stance?

Try moving the golf ball farther up in your stance (closer to your lead foot). As a general rule of thumb, the ball should be in line with the heel of your lead foot.

What is a slice in golf?

A slice is a type of shot in golf where the ball starts on a straight line and then immediately veers off to one side. For a right-handed golfer, a slice travels from left-to-right. For a left-handed golfer, the shape is right-to-left. For the remainder of this article, I’ll refer to directions based on what a right-handed player would see as ...

Why is it harder to slice a golf club?

If you have a weak grip and your right hand is more on the top of your club, it makes it harder to release the club. If you can’t release the club, then it will stay open at the point of impact, resulting in a slice.

Why does a ball slice?

Because the ball is traveling in a curved line, it will not go as far as a ball that travels in a straight line, assuming all else is equal. The picture below helps you get a better idea of why this is: You’ll Be Less Accurate – the reason a ball begins to slice is that it has too much sidespin.

How do you know if you hit a headcover?

If you make a swing and hit the headcover, you’ll know you’re swinging over-the-top or on an out-to-in path.

Why is it important to choose the right clubshafts for your game?

In order to make sure your clubshafts aren’t the root cause of your slice, it’s important to make sure you choose the right clubshafts for your game based on your unique swing.

Why are golf balls blocked?

Because they start right, the only way they can reach the target is through a finely tuned draw spin, which can be tricky to apply. And in some instances, trees or other obstructions may render a draw ball flight unavailable.

How to call a golf shot a blocked shot?

Make Sure You Are Not Aligned to the Right . Before calling a golf shot a blocked shot we first need to make sure you are not simply hitting a great shot but while being aligned to the right. Indeed, your first step is to make sure you are aligned straight ahead. In order to do so, position your feet so that they are aligned parallel to ...

How to fix a blocked shot?

The simplest way to fix blocked shots – in theory – is to fix the path the club will travel on. Indeed because blocking shots are caused by an inside-out club path, the solution will be to replace this club path with the inside-square-inside club path. That ideal club path is set early in the swing, during the takeaway and it features a square takeaway in contrast to an inside takeaway.

Why does the golf ball have no chance of reaching the target?

Because the ball will start its flight path right of the target it has no chance of reaching the target unless draw spin is applied. This variety of spin can only be applied when the clubface is closed to the club path. If that closed clubface is not present, the golfer is left with a blocked shot that has no chance in spinning back towards ...

What is a blocked shot in golf?

Blocked golf shots are shots that shoot straight right when hit by right handed golfers. They result in what is referred to as pushed shots (again for right handed golfers). Blocking shots occurs as a result of a club path that is of the inside-out variety.

How to make your clubface straight?

Finally, make sure that your clubface is aligned perfectly straight at the target.

How to fade a golf ball?

1. Pull Fade/Slice. A pull fade/slice is when the ball starts left and then moves back toward athe right. You may be thinking that this is what you want your ball to do, but the problem is when you pull the ball just to fade it back towards the target, you lose a lot of distance and accuracy.

Why does my golf club face close?

If your stance is too closed, meaning your front foot is too far forward, it can also cause your club face to close at impact. A good stance allows for a controlled and athletic swing, but a poor stance forces you to reach or adjust your swing when the ball is too close or too far away.

What happens if your golf club shaft is too short?

If your shaft is too flexible or not flexible enough, you can pull the ball. Also, if your clubs are too short and make you reach or too long and force you to put the ball too far forward in your stance, you have the wrong clubs. I would suggest getting fitted for clubs and allow the golf pro to tell you which clubs fit best with your height, power, and swing.

How to know if your downswing is strong?

Your takeaway is actually one of the best indicators of how strong your downswing will be. Start the club slowly, don’t rush into mistakes. Keep the club wide during your takeaway so that you will be able to come through with an inside-out swing.

What is the first move in golf?

Your first move when you start the swing, your takeaway, usually dictates how your downswing will go. Many golfers, when they are struggling with their golf game, immediately try to fix what is wrong at the top of their swing or during their downswing.

What does it mean when a golf club is pointed in the right direction?

Alignment sticks (or a golf club pointed in the right direction) can show you the natural direction the ball should be taking based on where you are aiming. If you are aiming left, you may not actually be pulling the ball, you may just be hitting a good shot aimed in the wrong direction.

How to get a better grip on a golf club?

If your grip is too strong for your swing, you may just have to move to a more neutral grip. Simply rotate your hands backward on the club until the “V” shape between your thumb and index finger are pointing straight down or slightly backward. A strong grip helps players who slice the ball or who desire to draw the ball, but it can also cause your club face to be closed at impact.

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