Fix My Golf Swing - 9 Bad Golf Shots To Avoid

9 Bad Golf Shots to Avoid

1. Slice. Perhaps the most common complaint the among weekend golfer -- the sliced golf shot has enough clockwise spin to cause the ball to curve to the right (for right-handed golfers), The ball flies through that dreaded curving trajectory to the right ending up in the rough or worse, the woods.
2. Push. The pushed golf shot also goes to the right, but not as a result of imparting too much spin. The swing seems solid, but the club-head strikes the ball straight on but pushes it off the target line to the right.
3. Hook. The hook is the opposite of the slice. The ball is hit with enough counter-clockwise spin to cause it to curve to the left. A bad hook can end up in the woods or rough.
4. Pull. The pull is the opposite of the push. The ball goes off to the left. Instead of curving to the left, it shoots straight to the left.
5. Skied. The ball takes off on an extremely high trajectory resulting in a very short drive. This happens when the bottom of the downswing is too low, and the strikes the ball with the top of club-head rather that the face.
6. Topped. When the bottom of the downswing occurs too soon, the club-head strikes the top portion of the ball with the bottom edge of the club face. This drives the ball into the ground resulting in a low bounce and very short rolling drive.
7. Shank. A shanked golf shot is when the club-head strikes the ball not on the face of the club, but near where the shaft is joined to the club-head. The ball usually flies off to the left.
8. Toed. A toed drive is the opposite of a shank. The ball is struck near the toe of the club-head rather than in the sweet spot.
9. Weed Eater. The clubface strikes the ball with the vertical face of the club turned down. A solid hit but the ball simply skims along the ground. The club's designed loft never comes into play. The player has in effect delofted his or her golf shot.

If you have ever experienced hitting one of these bad golf shots at the first tee in front of your playing partners and other golfers, you probably felt embarrassed and a bit angry at yourself for flubbing the shot. You're thinking -- "Fix My Golf Swing."

So how do you "fix my golf swing"?

Arrive at the golf course early enough to spend time to do pre-game golf warm-up stretches, and practice pitching and putting on the practice green. Don't go to the first tee "cold." and expect to hit a good golf shot on your fist swing.

As you play, evaluate your golf shots. Look at your divot. Is it in line with your target line. A divot pointing to the left of the target line can be evidence of a slice or a pull to the left.

When you step up to hit the ball, take a slow motion practice swing and observe key points in your swing. Look at your left arm and wrists. How upright is your backswing? Check your footwork and knees. Does your belt buckle point to the target at the end of your swing? Make mental notes for future reference.

Work with a golf pro who can help you evaluate your swing. He or she can give you tips and drills that will improve your game.

There is an excellent online golf instructional resource that offers articles, instructional materials, drills, DVDs and more produced by an expert team of golf instructors. Spend time with these resources. Follow the pros' suggestions. And practice! They will show you exactly how to "fix my golf swing."

Golf should be fun!