Butch Harmon and professional Tommy Fleetwood ultimately yr’s Masters.
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For those who’re hitting the ball proper, Butch Harmon says, attempt to hit it left.
And vice versa.
“I’m a terrific believer — and I realized this from my dad — in opposites,” he mentioned.
Harmon, a GOLF Prime 100 Lecturers corridor of famer, was speaking on a not too long ago recorded episode of A New Breed of Golf on SiriusXM, and the topic was a much-discussed one: Tips on how to repair a slice. After his preliminary opposites thought, Harmon dove into what that appears like.
There are a couple of steps, mentioned Tiger Woods’ one-time coach:
— Use a stronger grip.
“So when you’re a slicer,” Harmon mentioned on the present, “usually you’ve acquired the clubface open an excessive amount of, you’re a little bit excessive, your path is a little bit out to in, except you’re hitting an enormous push from beneath. So I’d actually have a look at an individual’s grip, I’d strengthen their grip, get the highest hand — which for me, being right-handed, left hand about two or three knuckles and the best hand beneath.”
— Use a extra closed setup.
— “Allow them to exit round their physique as a lot as they’ll,” Harmon mentioned on the present, “to attempt to get the clubface closed coming in.”
Harmon additionally mentioned he has two coaching gadgets. The primary is a membership that’s a pair ft lengthy — which may intensify to a participant the motion of the membership face.
“I’ve a membership that’s about … simply so long as a grip, and I take advantage of that lots in reference to point out folks what their grip does to manage the membership face,” he mentioned on the present hosted by Michael Breed, a GOLF Prime 100 Trainer lifetime achievement recipient. “And while you get your fingers this far on the membership face, you’ll be able to actually see it. And I clarify to them, you’re coming in an excessive amount of this fashion. If we get this left hand over and proper hand beneath, this toe goes to get in there extra. After which if we get you coming a little bit extra from the within, you may get that membership releasing.”
Harmon’s different transfer is to have a participant swing in gradual movement.
“And I movie it,” Harmon mentioned on the present. “As a result of in gradual movement, you may make your physique just about do no matter you need. And I’ll have them hit balls for possibly 5 or 10 minutes, on a tee, with, say, a 6- or 7-iron, in gradual movement, stronger grip, a little bit bit extra of a closed stance, really feel such as you’re hitting the within of the ball, not the surface of the ball, which is what you do while you include the over-the-top swing.
“And two issues occur: No. 1, they’ll really feel the method, they’ll really feel what they’re making an attempt to do; however No. 2, they’re amazed at how far they hit it with what they assume is a slow-motion swing.”
Editor’s notice: To hearken to A New Breed of Golf, please click on right here. [A SiriusXM subscription is needed.]
Editor’s notice two: Not too long ago, three-time main winner Padraig Harrington additionally vouched for making an attempt to hook to be able to repair a slice, and that story will be learn by clicking right here or scrolling under.
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Hook, Padraig Harrington says.
And hook and hook and hook some extra.
“The most important hook you’ll be able to, like 20, 30, 40 yards of a hook, the worst-looking shot,” he says.
And that’s how amateurs can appropriate a slice, he believes.
And that’s how amateurs may also perceive clubface management.
And that’s how amateurs may also study this:
“There isn’t a golf swing that stays the identical,” Harrington mentioned.
He was speaking throughout a not too long ago launched episode of “The Tough Reduce Golf Podcast” — which you’ll hearken to in full right here — and the slice topic is a well-liked one. Proper-handed amateurs ship it proper typically (and lefties left). Amateurs additionally analysis the remedy for it as if it have been a illness. Simply Google “the right way to repair a slice” and prepare to scroll and scroll.
Harrington’s thought, although, is considerably easy.
Go left when you’re a righty. Go proper when you’re a lefty.
“So most amateurs, say when you’re hitting a slice, they assume, properly, I need to discover ways to hit this lovely, straight or say a 5-yard draw,” Harrington mentioned on the podcast. “Effectively, really, when you’ve acquired a slice and also you need to eliminate it, you’ve acquired to remain on the vary and hit the largest hook you’ll be able to, like 20, 30, 40 yards of a hook, the worst-looking shot. And also you’ve acquired to maintain hitting that for some time.”
Over time, although, Harrington mentioned, the gamers will begin to hook the ball, which then requires vary work in the wrong way. On the vary, the golfer ought to purposely attempt to slice the ball.
There are a pair of penalties.
Harrington thinks the participant will study clubface management. Notably, at a special level within the episode, he famous that understanding that is a matter for “individuals who strike the ball badly.”
“So for many amateurs,” Harrington mentioned on the podcast, “they’d be higher off going to the vary and hitting an enormous hook and an enormous slice and the whole opposites each second shot, after which a minimum of they’ll perceive. And what shut face is and an open face. And as they get higher, they’ll scale back how a lot they’re doing it. Whereas most individuals are going from an enormous slice to making an attempt to get sq. face. And sadly, most amateurs have no idea what a sq. face is. In order that they have some likelihood to know what a shut face and an open face is, however they’ve little or no likelihood to know what a sq. face is.
“So that you study by doing the extremes.”
And ultimately the ball will go left. Or proper.
However simply don’t count on issues to remain that manner, Harrington mentioned.
Golf, proper?
“It’s [the swing] by no means going to remain the identical,” Harrington mentioned on the podcast. “Don’t consider it ever will. It all the time — all the time in golf, you go from one to the opposite and also you overdo it a little bit bit. OK, now cease that, return, and hopefully the higher you get, the much less that strikes, that it’s solely a slight fraction of motion, however it’ll by no means keep the identical for the remainder of your life.
“There isn’t a golf swing that stays the identical.”
