Occasionally I just hit the snot out of the ball but at about 20 degrees left

[Ricepr]

Ive been working on my swing, and its usually a slight fade, nice high flight. But occasionally (1 in 10), particularly with longer clubs, I will just mash one what seems a bit farther than usual, dead straight left.

So can you list the 293 things that its possible I'm doing wrong? I used to slice quite a bit, and now have worked on making sure I have an inside out path, is it possible I am overdoing it sometime? I mean its straight and far, I wish to hell I could repeat it and I might just aim that way :-)

[Paradox]

to hit a dead pull left(I assume you are a righty) You HAVE to be coming over the top with a clubface square to the path.  I don't know of any other way to hit a straight pull ;)

What you feel like is an inside out path is probably more straight down the line in reality.

[Ricepr]

Thanks. I'll look and feel for that tomorrow at the range

[MbolicGolf]

If he's pulling it left that means he has a closed fact to the target line that is square to an out side in path line.

[Ajlepisto]

You should try something:

You are obviously swinging outside in. That's no question. You can't really hit a hard, flushed straight pull without that. When you hit a fade, does the ball start left and fade right? As someone who usually hits a fade myself, this is my ball flight when I'm having a bad day. Ideally the fade should go straightish and slightly peel right. If you are coming outside in, over the top, you'll pull it and then it slices back straight.

Anyway, try putting a shaft or an alignment stick through your front belt loops.

Like this: http://www.toursticks.com/template/images/drills/TourSticks/Training_HipAlignment.jpg

If you think you're not over the top, it could be that your hips are a little out of sequence and your hands are behind you. When you take a slow swing, do your hands get stuck behind the stick on the downswing? Mine sometimes do. So what happens with me is, you think you're inside out, because your arms are coming low and inside, but your body has pivoted around too soon, so your arms are kinda flinging through at a different angle.

It's confusing, but this would be an easy way to tell. I was told by my teacher that when you start to get better, you can have issues getting stuck like this with your hands low behind and it causes an over the top to actually hit the ball solidly.

[Ricepr]

usually my fade starts just a shade right or down the line, and tails off just a bit. So it may still be sometimes outside in like the slice days, but now with more solid contact....I'll try the sticks

[MbolicGolf]

hold on are you a lefty?

[Ricepr]

Originally Posted by MbolicGolf

hold on are you a lefty?

Weird like a lefty, but hit and throw right :-)

[Ricepr]

My fade starts just a shade LEFT and drifts maybe 5 yards right. Sorry.

[Paradox]

For the record..a pull-fade (read: a ball that starts left of the target line and comes back to the line) is the preferred way to hit a fade.  You never want your ball to move further away from the target line.  Just remember..a pull-fade is just the mirror of a push-draw.

[boogielicious]

Quote:

For the record..a pull-fade (read: a ball that starts left of the target line and comes back to the line) is the preferred way to hit a fade.  You never want your ball to move further away from the target line.  Just remember..a pull-fade is just the mirror of a push-draw.

Except that Jack Nicklaus hit a push fade and he was pretty good.  Either, of course, is fine as long as it is consistent for you.

Ricepr,

It could be that in your 1 in 10 your club face is a bit more closed at impact than it normally is either at address or your during the downswing.  If your normal path is slightly out-to-in a straight pull would happen this way.  Just be a bit more conscious about where your club face is aimed.  I have this issue with a straight push.

BTW, nice Taylor in your Avatar.  Which model?

[Ricepr]

Its a 510 from around '92. Love it!

[Paradox]

Originally Posted by boogielicious

Except that Jack Nicklaus hit a push fade and he was pretty good.  Either, of course, is fine as long as it is consistent for you.

Ricepr,

It could be that in your 1 in 10 your club face is a bit more closed at impact than it normally is either at address or your during the downswing.  If your normal path is slightly out-to-in a straight pull would happen this way.  Just be a bit more conscious about where your club face is aimed.  I have this issue with a straight push.

BTW, nice Taylor in your Avatar.  Which model?

Jack Nicklaus also lined up left of his target line and had a push fade that started left of that line and moved back to it.

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by boogielicious

Except that Jack Nicklaus hit a push fade and he was pretty good.  Either, of course, is fine as long as it is consistent for you.

Originally Posted by Paradox

Jack Nicklaus also lined up left of his target line and had a push fade that started left of that line and moved back to it.

But that was Boogie's point.  But your original statement implied that a push-fade was a no-no.  If you are plan for it - like Nicklaus, I believe Lee Trevino as well, and probably others - then it's a perfectly playable ball flight.

OP's problem sounds exactly like my dad's.  He has an OTT swing and pulls and pull-fades everything.  The weird part is he has a nice relaxed very in-to-out practice swing when he takes one.  For the life of me though, I cannot get him to mirror that swing with a ball on the ground.  In 20 years of golfing with him, the only time I have ever seen him hit anything straight or drawing, its started 20 or more degrees left already.  Ugh.

The goal is to get that path out more to the right.  (Don't know how though, I'm not a teacher)

[Paradox]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

But that was Boogie's point.  But your original statement implied that a push-fade was a no-no.  If you are plan for it - like Nicklaus, I believe Lee Trevino as well, and probably others - then it's a perfectly playable ball flight.

OP's problem sounds exactly like my dad's.  He has an OTT swing and pulls and pull-fades everything.  The weird part is he has a nice relaxed very in-to-out practice swing when he takes one.  For the life of me though, I cannot get him to mirror that swing with a ball on the ground.  In 20 years of golfing with him, the only time I have ever seen him hit anything straight or drawing, its started 20 or more degrees left already.  Ugh.

The goal is to get that path out more to the right.  (Don't know how though, I'm not a teacher)

I didn't imply that it was a no-no...I may have just worded what I was trying to say the wrong way.  What I meant was that theres nothing wrong with a pull-fade...its a great shot to hit and theres no need to go and try to change a million things in his swing to "fix it".  Of course, any controlled shot is gonna be good to play with..thats a given.

[Ricepr]

Turns out I do occasionally revert to out to in, but have the face squared. Happens when I try to swing too hard with longer clubs. So more practice on in to out, and control!