Mental Golf Lesson - Hit a Bad Golf Shot

Try to hit a bad Golf Shot

What? Am I mad?

Yes, you heard me right, I want you to hit bad shots.

I want you to go to the range and try this golf tip to hit a slice, hit a hook, hit it fat and shank it.

If you can manage to hit all of these shots by trying to hit them then there is no reason whatsoever why you cannot hit the ball STRAIGHT!!!

Go on, go and try this now.

SLICE

A slice is the result of a swing that ends too soon or quickly and it prevents you from squaring the clubface in time.

So one way to create a slice is to end the swing short.

Use an 8-iron and tee the ball up. You’re not focused on distance here, this drill will help you to understand how and why a slice occurs and how you can hit one on demand.

Swing back to waist height and cocking the club up a bit aim to pull the club through to impact and hold your finish soon after the ball has left the clubface.

By holding off the follow through the clubhead will still be lagging behind your hands which in turn will open the clubface slightly and produce a slice or a power fade.

Feel like you are hitting the ball with your arms.

HOOK

Have you ever wondered how you can actually control the golf ball, bend it around trees or over water on a wide arc and actually bring it back to the pin.

The aim should be to do this when you want to, to control it at will.

Doing these things in practice will give you the feel of how to draw a ball. So when you’re out on the golf course you will know why it’s happening and change the ball flight in mid-round.

To hit an intentional hook you need to do a few simple things

1. You keep the clubface aimed at the target where you want the ball to go
2. You adjust your shoulders and feet to make them aim to the right of the target
3. You start the club on the same path as where your shoulders and feet are pointing.

It’s the opposite if you want to fade the ball

HITTING A FAT

This is caused mainly by swaying during the swing or not transferring your weight from the back foot to the front foot.

I am sure you have hit a fat shot before. You get on the range before your round and start to hit a few shots and find you are hitting them fat, not only is it very embarrassing but it can cause you injury.

Now by trying to hit an intentional fat I do not want you to use a full or fast swing, but I do want you to aim to hit a spot about 2 inches behind the ball and see what happens

Hitting a fat can be caused by coming into the ball too steeply or actually decelerating the clubhead as it comes into the ball.

SHANK

“The Shank” the worst shot in golf.

A shank is a shot which is normally caused by hitting the ball with the hosel (thick part) between clubhead and shaft

Whenever it happens, it comes as a complete shock. Technically it isn’t a golf shot you try to hit like you might do with a slice or hook

As far as I know, nobody has ever tried to intentionally hit a shank on the course while competing.

To try and hit a shank open the clubface so that it is aligned with your body or pointing backwards, this will leave the hosel facing the ball and now try and hit a shot with the hosel. If you can connect with the ball it will most likely go directly right.

I know this drill is barmy, crazy, daft and all of those things but we are trying to get you to think of these shots as ones you need to produce when you want to.

To make this drill very effective, you should do this with a friend and once on your backswing your friend should shout out SLICE, HOOK, FAT, SHANK and you have to try and hit the shot.

Good luck with this

Richard