Cutting across the ball

[saevel25]

I am cutting across the ball, ie the divot points left. My club face is closed, so i usualy do a pull slice.

I have been trying to work on this, to play my leagues i just accept its going right and try to play for it, but like most things if i aim more right the ball will end up starting more right because my clubface will open up more defeating the purpose. My only hope is to hit the pull slice, but majority of the time the ball starts off straight and goes right. Just imagine how open the clubface is to the swing plane on that one.

But i have looked at video, sorry i didn't post one, my digital camera just devours batteries when i use the video function on it, and i don't have the money to buy a video camera right now. So i am hoping mayb for some ideas on what i describing. But back to point, i have looked at video and I take the club back good to the top, and i transition down a good plane, but right before impact my hands dive in on me, cutting across the ball. Its a pain because its hard to get the feeling of not doing it. I can't even hit half shots with out cutting them. My loan good shot was a half shot on the last hole yesterday, it was just a nice pitch shot to 5 feet. I have no clue what i did different. But it went straight.

Any good drills to help get the proper motion through impact?

[JGus]

But back to point, i have looked at video and I take the club back good to the top, and i transition down a good plane, but right before impact my hands dive in on me, cutting across the ball.

Not sure if you have the same problem I had, but that started happening to me and I realized that my left shoulder (righty) was opening up way to quick, which felt like it dragged my hands back into my body, but it was actually causing me to cast the club resulting in an over the top swing.

I used a quick drill before my pre-shot routine which helped a lot. Think it was called the 'pump' drill, or something like that. Basically just bring the club back on a 3/4 shot, and then force your arms down into the slot without moving your left shoulder. I would do it around 5 times to get that feeling back.

[RedCard03]

try the stack and tilt swing i am a major out to in swinger (RH) it seems to be helping me! its still a little out to in but its turing back to the right! something that has helped me was "think about swinging to first base.

[muggs]

I'm no expert, but I can tell you it could be any number of things. Get a video up and like others will probably tell you, your best bet is to take a lesson or two.

[James_Black]

A open clubface causes a draw.

You could be taking it up too steeply, try taking it more on the inside.
And could you post a video?

[Gordon McTavish]

But back to point, i have looked at video and I take the club back good to the top, and i transition down a good plane, but right before impact my hands dive in on me, cutting across the ball.

Sounds exactly the same as me.

Same ball-flight and same down-swing motion. Not really over-the-top at the start of the down-swing, but I seem to bring the club across to the left as I move through impact. I've tried the "swing to first base" with some success... even managed to get draw-spin on the ball but it didn't last very long!

[saevel25]

Yeah video might take a while, don't own a video camera. I am thinking of saving up for the Droid X, 720p video capture with slow mo, oh yea..

Well, i was thinking it might be my shoudler turn is to flat causing my right shoulder to stay to high then dip in the swing. Or my left shoulder is pulling shallow which if you think about it. If its spinning on a shallower plane that means its going behind me earlier and would cause my hands to dive in. If they rotated on a steeper plane then there woudl be less movement inward.

I will try the pump drill and try to get a video up.

[James_Black]

do you have a cell phone with a camera on it?

[stacks04]

Just to clarify things, does the ball start straight then fade to the right, or does or does it start right then get worse from there? Based on this

but majority of the time the ball starts off straight and goes right

I am going to tell u that this was me. I made the conscious choice to follow the s&t; swing and I think more than anything having some basic principals to go off of have helped alot. I was always standing up on the top of the backswing which brought me to my ott swing. Having the guidelines of s&t; have honed my thought process into constant spine angle, hands in on the backswing, and maintaining my inclination to the ground. This, like is being discussed in another thread, may or may not be the basics of good golf, but they helped me considerably. Last nine, most every drive was straight and irons were good. Still have alot of work to do with consistency, but for 2 months of bad habits play/practice and a week of s&t;, I am happy at my progression.

[saevel25]

Depends... If i aimed down the middle of the fairway it would do the following...

Start left side of the fairway, cut to the just in the right rough
Then later on the round it would go straight and have a large cut way into the rough
Then there was that one i pulled left

All my irons tend to be a straight then it cuts right


All points to me having the clubface open to the swing path, my club path being a cut. And it just depends if my hands roll over to produce a pull slice or a straight cut.

[stacks04]

Yes your club face is open to your swing path, but I think your club face is straight to your target line.

[rudygu]

Depends... If i aimed down the middle of the fairway it would do the following...

Yes your club face is open to your swing path, but I think your club face is straight to your target line.

The angle of the club face controls the starting direction almost totally. The scenarios mentioned where the ball starts toward the target are the second one with the driver and apparently all iron shots. This would mean the swing is out to in, but the clubface is closed to the target everytime the ball starts left.

[saevel25]

yeah, but the issue i have is that my swing plan in the downswing is good until i get near impact were it suddenly goes left. I have looked at video on this from down the line, i do not cast from the top or com over the top. my downswing plan could be a bit flatter, but nothing to cause such a dramtic cut, its right through impact. I am wondering if any drills to focus on this area.

[Harmonious]

Check your grip. Sounds like it's too weak.