MY driver and irons

Question
QUESTION: Hi Eddie

I am 12 at the moment and i don't have a handicap. I am getting one soon so I can play in the weekend competitions. People say I am quite good for my age but i have a problem with my swing. Whenever i hit my driver its always a slight or normal fade. I purposely try to draw the ball and i still fade it. With my woods and irons i can hit a straight shot but it is very rare that you see me hit a straight shot. Most of the time it is a fade and some times a hook.

Do you have any ideas on how i can prevent a fade and hit a straight shot or possibly a draw.

Thanks, Alex

ANSWER: Hello Alex:
Sure I know how!  The problem sounds like it is your grip and simply learning how to use your hands correctly.  It doesn't matter what club is in your hand Alex, it still has a clubface and you still have to know how to square the clubface.  Your hands (grip), and how you hold onto the club make all the difference in the world in learning how to square the clubface.  Make sure the shaft lies across the base of your fingers.  It does not sit down in the fingers and it most definitely should not rest up in the palm or lifeline of your hand.  If you extended your left hand and fingers down and pointed your fingers at the ground, tilt your head to the right so you can see where the club should go.  The club would would go across the base of your fingers and hit the first knuckle of your left index finger.  As you begin to grab the club with your fingers, the heel pad of your left hand should be able to completely cover the top of the grip.  You have probably heard of the "V" that is formed between your thumb and forefinger, well that V needs to be pointing towards your right shoulder.  Both V's should be matching and pointing towards the right shoulder.  This is great as long as you are holding the club correctly in the left hand.  Remember, the club does not sit in your fingers and does not go up in the palm or lifeline of the hand.  It goes across the base of the fingers, so that when you close your hand on the club, your heel pad would completely cover the top of the club and your V would be pointing at your right shoulder.  Match the right hand to your left hand and then hit some balls using your hands to rotate or turn the clubface into the back of the ball.  It happens pretty fast, so don't think too much, just hit some balls with a 7 iron and see what happens.  Your grip controls the clubface, and if the clubface is closing as it strikes the ball, do you see how that would impart right to left spin on the ball?  So think about what happens to you when you hit a fade or a slice.  Your club is striking the ball with the clubface open or moving across the ball to the left which would impart left to right spin on it, sending it off to the right.  Get it?  So check your grip, and if you if you need to see a PGA Professional, do so.  Your grip is so important to your development as a player Alex, do not leave it to chance that it is OK.  AND REMEMBER, IT IS NOT JUST A MATTER OF TURNING YOUR HAND MORE TO THE RIGHT TO FIX IT.  WRONG!  IT MUST BE IN YOUR HAND CORRECTLY, THEN YOU CAN USE THEM CORRECTLY TO CONTROL THE CLUBFACE BETTER.  

Good luck, but your golf ball will be your coach once you start hitting balls and try putting right to left spin on the ball instead of left to right spin.  

Eddie Kilthau
PGA Member

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Eddie

Don't worry about the thing I said in my comment. I meant that I already do that grip. I have cheacked the placing of my feet when i swing and I always make sure they are parrarell to the clubface. Yet i still get left to right ball spin. Im just not sure so can you please help me again.

Thank, Alex

Answer
Alex: The two things (and only two things) that affect your ball flight are the clubface and the path the club swings on.  If, and I will say a BIG IF, your grip is good and you know how to use your hands properly, then you should be able to curve the ball from right to left with no problem.  The clubface puts the spin on the ball, so if you cannot get the ball to move from right to left, then you don't know how to use your hands correctly, and that is related directly to your grip.  But assuming you have a good grip, the only thing left is that the club moves to much across the line through impact.  If the club moves through the impact area across the target line to the left, then the clubface would glance off the ball producing a left to right spin on the golf ball.  This is sometimes called a fade or is the curve of the ball is dramatic, then it is a slice.  Both not good.  Check the path that you are swinging on and check the path the club is moving as it goes through the impact area.  If the path is good, as in moving towards the target and not to the left, then the only thing left is that the shaft in your driver is too stiff for you and you will more than likely hit fades and slices and the ball would be somewhat low in trajectory.  You would need a more flexible shaft so it can "kick" for you and square that face up.  Check all 3 of those Alex and you should be on your way.  

Eddie Kilthau
PGA Member