Cure your swing faults with a football

Say goodbye to slicing and hooking courtesy of the ‘beautiful game’

Soccer saves: Use a football to say goodbye to your slice (left) and your hook (right) once and for all

By doing some simple drills using a football, you can sort out some of your swing faults. When I’m teaching, I often come across people who shape the ball too much in the air – they either suffer from a huge slice or even a snap hook. Both are caused by incorrect clubface aim and swing path.

If you slice the ball, your swing path will be from out-to-in with the clubface wide open, and if you hook the ball your swing path will be from in-to-out with the clubface closed. These two swing path faults can be solved very simply by using a football.

Outside for slice cure

Place the football just outside the line of the golf ball and just behind, like I’m demonstrating in the pic, above left. Hitting balls with the football in this position will give you the feeling of attacking the ball from the inside. Make sure your grip is neutral when doing this!

Inside for hook cure

Place the football on the inside of the ball to target line and more towards the back foot, just like in the picture, above right. Hitting balls like this will give you the feeling of attacking the ball from the outside. Again make sure your grip is neutral when doing this.

Gavin Abson is the Head PGA Golf Professional at The Carrick. For lessons, call Gavin on 07967 206266. Follow him on Twitter @GavinAbson

Originally published on bunkered on September 14, 2012.

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