Tip From the Archives

Blocked Shot

Problem

You keep pushing your drives. You think that you made a good backswing but you know something goes wrong during the forward swing because your upper body seems to move excessively or faster ahead than your lower body.

Cure

Make sure you are bringing the club back along the target line. If you bring it back too far on the inside it will set you up to block the ball from needing to move your upper body too much, just to make contact with the ball.

Therapy

The first couple of inches during your backswing are very important in preventing a slice or a pushed shot; so practice taking the club straight back. Put a ten inch strip of masking tape on the ground behind the ball and practice taking the club back along the tape as you begin your backswing. Try to take the club back straight as long as you can until it is necessary to begin your shoulder turn, usually just before the club is about waist high. If you notice you are blocking your shots on the course, lay a piece of grass behind the ball along the target line to remind you to take it back straight.

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5 votes

 
Ken | last year, mid-April

This, along with hips traveling forward on the downswing (instead of rotating around) are the two main causes of my "lateral" shots. If I can keep these two things under control, I'm good to go.



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