Embarrassing Golf Shots You Should Avoid

on May 04, 2022

 

For most people, golf is seen as a game of hitting the ball long and far. It’s about completing the course with a lower score and fewer shots as much as possible. Like any other sport, golf also has different methods, tricks, and techniques to manage the course. There are, however, embarrassing golf shot mistakes players continuously struggle with. 

 

 

 

Here are the common embarrassing golf shots you should avoid: 

1. The whiff 

This golf shot mistake often happens to beginner players. There is nothing more embarrassing than completely missing your shot at all. It is understandable to not miss contact with your tee shot if you’re just new to the sport. It takes some time to get used to the feeling and hitting the ground.

 

But to avoid this, give importance to finding your balance and proper posture pre-swing. It is one of the first key points in making solid ball contact. 


2. Toe Shank 

This golf shot happens when the ball contacts the toe-end of the club which commonly sends the ball flying off target by 45 degrees. One of the main reasons this happens is the distance to the ball during setup. Not setting up properly during the address position will likely cause you to hit the ball more towards the toe because your arms are too far out from your body or too close causing your trail arms to break away from your alignment.  
To fix this, get the ball to line  up with the center of the clubface when you swing. Set up your position according to the club you are using. Stay in your swing plane and keep your underarms from moving away from your body during the swing.
 

 

3. Slice

One of the most commonly known terms when it comes to golf shot mistakes.  The slice is when the ball sidespins and curves off course to the right. This is commonly caused by poor setup position and poor grip. Weak grip has the tendency to resist the natural movement of the clubface to return square at impact and remains open clubface which causes the slice.  
Correcting the slice, you need to properly grip the club and position yourself properly on the ball. Make your grip stronger and firmer but not too tight. Next is to maintain a solid stance. Align yourself with the target line and maintain within the swing plane.

 

4. Hook

Hook like the slice is a golf shot that curves off the target. The only difference is the direction of the curve. Some hook shots started with a good trajectory but ended up curving to the left. A slice curves to the right, while hook curves to the left.   
Like slice, it is also caused by poor grip and alignment. To prevent this, make sure to learn the proper grip and alignment during address position is correct. Also during the swing, make sure to shift forward and properly execute your rotation. 

5. Fat Shot 

This golf shot mistake happens when your clubface hits the ground before making the ball contact. It usually takes off a chunk of the ground as you send the ball flying, affecting its spin and distance. This is commonly caused by poor timing especially in shifting weight during the downswing.
To prevent this, shift your weight forward correctly during the downswing. As you are drawing the club back, distribute your weight to the back foot and shift it back to your front foot again as you finish the downswing. Properly distributing your weight throughout the swing will eliminate the heavy strike. 

 

6. Thin Shot 

Opposite of a fat shot is the thin shot. It happens when the clubhead hits the golf ball too high or above the midpoint. This commonly results in the ball curving off target while flying too high. 
To stop hitting the ball thin, make sure to stay in alignment throughout the swing. Prevent your upper body from rising, especially your trail arms bending during the downswing.  Stay in your swing plane and target line.  

 

Avoid making these embarrassing golf shots by practicing drills and monitoring your swing. There are golf training aids that will help address alignment, angle, and rotation issues. Also, a golf training aid that provides real-time feedback on your swing, making self-correcting more effective. 

 

 

 


 

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