Ten Most Common Golf Swing Faults and Causes

Golfers often get confused at the difference between hitting a slice or a hook or hitting the golf ball thin or fat.聽 With that in mind, we have compiled a list of the ten most common golf swing faults that all golfers have the unfortunate luck of experiencing as well as a few underlying causes.

1.聽聽聽聽聽聽 Shank: A 鈥渟hank鈥?is when the ball flies violently to the right after impact.聽 This usually happens due to tension in the swing causing the ball to strike the hosel of the golf club.

2.聽聽聽聽聽聽 Chicken Wing: The dreaded 鈥淐hicken Wing鈥?is a golf swing fault that occurs when the left arm (for a right handed golfer) 鈥渃ollapses鈥?before golf ball impact or shortly after impact in the follow through.聽 This occurs when the arms and upper body do not properly release toward the target after impact or when the upper body outraces the lower body in the downswing.

3.聽聽聽聽聽聽 Pull Hook: The pull hook is a golf swing fault where the golf ball starts left and curves farther left. It is usually caused by a closed clubface, too strong of a grip聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 or 鈥渙ut to in鈥?swing path.

4.聽聽聽聽聽聽 Hook: The golf hook shot is a golf swing fault where the golf ball starts right of the target and curves left of target. It can be caused by body alignment right of target, too strong of a grip or closed clubface at impact.

5.聽聽聽聽聽聽 Pull: The pull is a golf swing fault where the golf ball starts left of target and continues straight left.聽 This usually occurs if the body is aligned left of target, the grip is too strong, the clubface is closed or the swing path is 鈥渙ut to in.鈥?/p>

6.聽聽聽聽聽聽 Push: The push golf swing fault results in the golf ball starting right of the target and continuing straight right.聽 This is caused by a weak golf grip, body aligned right of target or an open club face at impact.

7.聽聽聽聽聽聽 Slice: The slice shot is a golf swing fault that results in the ball starting left of the target and finishes right of the target.聽 Common causes of this golf swing fault include body alignment left of target, 鈥渙ut to in鈥?swing path, weak golf grip or open club face at impact.

8.聽聽聽聽聽聽 Push Slice: The push slice is a golf swing fault that causes the golf ball to go right of target and continue farther right.聽 This is caused by too weak of a grip and an open club face.

9.聽聽聽聽聽聽 Thin/topped Shot: A thin or 鈥渢opped鈥?golf swing fault occurs when the leading edge of the club strikes the equator of the ball usually sending the golf ball a few inches off the ground.聽 This is usually caused by too much tension in the swing.

10.聽聽 Fat Shot: A 鈥渇at鈥?golf swing fault occurs when the golfer hits behind the ball and hits the turf before the ball is struck sometimes popping the ball in the air with little distance.聽 This can be caused by poor weight transfer toward the target or too much tension in the swing.

Designed by top PGA instructors for on-course play and off-course preparation, Golf Genie鈩?provides easy-to-absorb golf tips, golf instruction, golf practice drills and golf training aids to accelerate your development and rapidly lower your score.