# Hitting the Ball Straight



## DrewUAT (Apr 18, 2007)

I went golfing for the first time today, was a blast... Though it would have been alot easier to find my balls and my score wouldnt have resembled a telephone number if I could just manage to hit th ball straight.

My tee shots, irons, hybrids, wedges all manage to slice bad. I know that you cant really specifically tell me why other than my stance and swing but is there any kind of tips I should follow to ensure a straighter drive?

Driver: Orlimar Black Ice 10degree 460cc
Ball: Callaway war bird

Still had a blast golfing though, cant wait to go again lol. I managed to slice 3 balls into yards though :/ and I kept losing them off my tee too, as soon as they went up, I couldnt see them at all.

eBay: Golf Ball Finder (Makes finding your lost balls easy) (item 250119845849 end time Jun-04-07 06:26:27 PDT)

Do these actually work for long distance or only near?


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## Enter Sandman (Apr 30, 2007)

I am starting but have had several lessons and my slice and hook has started to be less and less.

What i found when i started before lessons was i was chopping and not swinging, also my grip was wrong.

Get the basics right and try turning your left hand (if right handed )until you can see 3 knuckes instead of two as this worked for me and cured my slice to the right.


My biggest problem is finding poeple to play with now !


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## DrewUAT (Apr 18, 2007)

I think the grip might be a big problem, I was sitting in my room going over it slowly and with my grip the way it was my club head was uneven so I need to really watch that.

And I don't really have anyone to go with either lol. Im moving to Arizona in August and ill be completely alone then lol, come play a round


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## stevel1017 (Apr 30, 2007)

I agree with the above, beginners need to start with the grip. It is your only contact with the club, and while not glamorous, is critical.
There are fundementals that should be adheared to. Call it the GASP principle
G = Grip 
A = Address
S = Stance
P = Posture
get these right, and you are well on your way


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## golf fanatic 57 (Apr 4, 2007)

One of my biggest problems was not keeping that back elbow tucked in the downswing. I worked on that and now my swing is much straighter. You may want to check this out. If your not doing this, then your swing plane will not be correct causing a major slice.


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## mkoreiwo (Jan 8, 2007)

Welcome to the ost frustrating game out there! But seriously, golf can be aa blast. I still spray em left and right, but there will be one hole, or one shot.... And they got ya comin' back. There are many good texts out there on the golf swing, some good, some not so good. The "classic" 5 Lessons by Ben Hogan is a good start, as is Golf for Dummies.... I got 'em both, along with a slew of others.

But honestly, a series of lessons will really help, and you'll at least have been shown some proper fundamentals. Talk a while with whomever you are considering taking lessons from, so that you can see if the two of you communicate well - a must if you are going to learn. And if you have friends who've taken lessons, ask them for recommendations....

I hated golf ll my life, not I'm addicted to it....I hope you stick with it!


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## Foster4 (May 2, 2007)

as you play more you'll get better plus ...getting use to seeing the ball will get better also ...right now your not use to how a ball can react ...i would say that my hearing actually is very acute when i play golf ..after i drive the ball say it hits a tree some 260 yards away and then slams to the ground ..its funny how you can hear lil things like that once you learn to pay attention to them .


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## 300Yards (Jan 23, 2007)

Yep, my personal favorite sound on the course, is the "Thump" sound the ball makes when it hits the green..aww, it's beautiful..


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## Fourputt (Nov 18, 2006)

DrewUAT said:


> I think the grip might be a big problem, I was sitting in my room going over it slowly and with my grip the way it was my club head was uneven so I need to really watch that.
> 
> And I don't really have anyone to go with either lol. Im moving to Arizona in August and ill be completely alone then lol, come play a round


If you are really serious, the easiest advice I can offer to a beginner is to leave the driver in the bag.... or better yet, leave it in the garage to remove all temptation. Until you get your swing under some degree of control, all you accomplish with the driver is to hit the ball deeper into trouble. Play shorter tees (if possible), and use a 3W, 5W, or a hybrid for your tee shots and you will find that the game is more fun. There's nothing wrong with continuing to work with your driver on the range, but until you can swing it with at least a bit of consistency, it's not a good club to use to help build confidence on the course. 

The golf swing is all about fundamentals and confidence. It is very hard to build confidence when you are hitting your ball all over the county off the tee. Getting the ball in play is far more important than length at this stage of your game. One of the most highly respected golf teachers of all time, Harvey Penick, always started a new player on the green putting and chipping, then gradually worked back toward the tee over a period of time. The last club he taught them how to use was the driver. He was the teacher for Ben Crenshaw and Tom Kite from the time they were boys, and they turned out as ok golfers.  

The best advice I can offer... take some lessons. :thumbsup:


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## nic113 (May 28, 2007)

those golf ball finders are interesting, anyone know if they are useful?


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## Ponda (May 29, 2007)

I've used a couple of the golf ball finders that my friends have had. They're not worth the money IMO. Save your money, mark your ball with something in the same line, like a tree or something.


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## Foster4 (May 2, 2007)

lol 300yards i got you beat my favorite sound is Bink right off the cart path lol ..although it ruins the ball : (


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## 300Yards (Jan 23, 2007)

lol! How about the Bink Bink Chish sound? of course the Bink Bink is the ball bouncing on the cart path, and then the Chish is the ball going into a bush..damn that crack in the path! lol.


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## Foster4 (May 2, 2007)

roflmao..true i hate that sound ..


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