A ball with side spin will slice or hook, while a ball with
backspin will go straight
Hitting a golf ball requires putting the correct spin on the ball. A ball with side spin will slice or hook, while a ball with backspin will go straight. So, how do you stop putting side spin on the ball?
A lot of it has to do with your shoulder alignment. Because your ball slices to the right, you naturally open your body and aim more to the left to compensate. However, this causes you to take the club to the outside of your target line on the back swing and then cut across your target line on the downswing, which causes you to hit the ball with a glancing blow and put side spin on it. The key is to not aim to the left but to make sure the points of your shoulders are aiming at your target.
You can achieve this by closing your shoulders at address, so the shoulders are aiming down the center of the fairway instead of to the left. This will give you a swing that will deliver a more direct angle to the ball and not put side spin on it.
A good drill to change your swing plane is to place a soft head cover about 14 to 18 inches behind your ball. Swing so your club travels to the inside of this on the back swing and down swing. This drill will have you swinging down the target line in no time.
Don DeLorenzo is a PGA-certified instructor at Gilroy Golf Course. To schedule a lesson with Don, call Gilroy GC at (408) 848-0490.
