Gordon Jackson's Golf Tip of the Day- July 22, 2010

WHY SLICES AND PULLS ARE SIBLINGS, WHY PUSHES AND HOOKS ALSO ARE SIBLINGS AND WHY SLICES AND HOOKS ARE FIRST COUSINS

The clubface cycles through various ball flight alignments in response to different body movements such as widening or narrowing the stance after the hands are gripped on the club.

At the very instant the hands are gripped on a club handle with either a conventional overlap, interlock or baseball style of grip the clubface rotates to a slice ball flight alignment and to an out-to-in swing path. This alignment is in the middle of the ball flight spectrum. At this point, the clubface is aligned openly on an out-to-in swing path, creating a slice ball flight alignment..

If you were then to narrow your stance slightly the swing path of the clubface would remain on and out-to-in path but would rotate to a closed alignment and create a pull ball flight alignment. The fact the alignment of the clubface changed but the swing path did not makes the relationship between a slice and a pull that of siblings, figuratively speaking.

However, were you to assume a conventional grip and then widen your stance slightly, the your clubface would rotate to a closed alignment and the path of your clubface would rotate to an in-to-out path, creating a hook ball flight alignment. Since both the alignment and path of the clubface changed as a result of widening your stance slightly, the relationship between a slice and a hook is that of first cousins, figuratively speaking.

When the stance is widened more after the clubface rotates to a hook ball flight alignment the alignment of the clubface will rotate from a closed position to an open position but the path of the clubface will remain on an in-to-out path, creating a push ball flight alignment. Since only the alignment of the clubface changed instead of both the alignment and path of the clubface in response to widening the stance more from a hook, the relationship between a hook and a push is that of siblings, figuratively speaking.