There are so many intricacies involved when we play golf, it can be very easy to make mistakes throughout your golf swing.
Average golfers and experienced players alike often suffer from the same problems in their game.
Thankfully, many of the common golf mistakes most golfers dwell on are easily fixable with the right information and a good amount of patience - and practice.
So if your struggling with aspects of your golf game, here are a few common golf mistakes you can easily fix.
1 - Topping the ball
A common golf mistake you see with so many beginner golfers, topping the ball instantly causes bad shots, halting your game dead in its tracks.
Why? Because it can be caused by several factors in your golf swing.
For example, if you accidentally straighten your posture in the middle of your golf swing (another common golf mistake) your golf club head will likely have lifted by at least a few centimetres, causing you to top the ball.
Topping the ball is when golfers strike the ball on the top, rather than catching the ball cleanly. This causes the ball to be forced into the ground, instead of it taking off along the desired path.
Topping the ball also occurs if you fail to shift your weight during your golf swing properly.
If you shift your weight to your back foot during your golf swing but fail to shift it back to your front foot as you follow through the ball, you’re a lot more likely to catch the ball on top rather than taking a divot.
To stop topping the ball, you should focus on:
- Maintaining posture throughout your golf swing
- Shifting your weight effectively
- Keeping your head down, until you’ve made contact with the golf ball
It can take some time to fix, but plenty of practice swings will set you straight.
2 - Taking your eye off the golf ball
Eager to see where the shot will go, many golfers lift their heads too soon and take their eye off the ball before they’ve even struck it.
It’s particularly common in new golfers who are afraid of losing their ball in flight so try to pre-empt the impact and lift their head so they can try and track the shot.
This is an easy mistake which can lead to multiple problems in your golf swing.
Lifting your head too soon and straightening your back before you’ve made contact can make you hook the ball, slice the ball and a whole host of other impact issues.
In other words, it makes your golf swing completely unpredictable.
Many golfers and golf teachers try to help their friends and students avoid this problem.
Some even include the use of homemade apparatus, forcing the player to keep their head down for most of the golf swing - a little extreme.
But a great tip a lot of people find helpful is to choose a specific dimple on the golf ball and focus on that. Rather than focusing on the ball in general.
The increase in focus is usually enough to encourage struggling players to keep their eye on the ball until they’ve hit it.
3 - Slicing the golf ball
Another common golf mistake you always see in amateur golfers, slicing is one of the leading causes of lost golf balls.
We’ve all been there - teeing off right beside a line of trees or a body of water, praying the golf ball flies straight.
We swing, we slice, and it’s a bad shot. Never to be seen again. Then we throw our golf clubs into the river in a fit of rage. Sound familiar?
It’s important to remember the slice is caused by another very common golf mistake - an open club face.
And why do so many golfers tend to have an open club face? Usually, a poor grip is to blame.
So if you’re slicing the ball regularly, it could be worth having a friend or your club professional take a look at where you might be going wrong.
Whether it’s a weak grip or just a case of poor hand positioning, they’ll steer you in the right direction.
After that, it’s a simple case of practice, practice, practice, making sure you don’t fall back into bad habits.
4 - Aiming square at the pin
Despite the fact the ultimate goal of golf is to drop the ball in the hole - where the pin sits - aiming square at the pin isn’t always the best option. For multiple reasons.
Let’s say, for example, you’re around 50 yards from the pin, but it’s situated on the far left of the green.
Should you aim for the pin? Probably not, because you’ve got a huge amount of space to aim for on the right.
Land it right of the pin and you put yourself in a great position for the perfect putt.
But mishit a shot aimed at the pin by only a little and you run the risk of missing the green entirely.
Or, even worse, landing in a trap.
There are other times when aiming square at the pin isn’t the best policy, too.
If you’re prone to overhitting your shot, it could be worth aiming a few yards short of the green to compensate for the problem.
You never know, this new approach might be the key to lowering your score and saving a few golf balls in the process.
5 - Poor posture
It’s just as important to maintain good posture in golf as it is in life.
Because your posture is a deciding factor whether you make good contact, or ruin your golf swing.
It's also essential in maintaining good athletic motion, helping you swing faster.
What’s even more important is keeping that posture as you swing and shifting your weight appropriately.
There’s plenty that goes into good golf posture, but here are some basics:
- Bend forward at the hips
- Keep your chest and head over the balls of your feet
- Keep your knees bent
Again, you can speak to a friend or your club pro if you want a second opinion. But posture issues like these are easy to iron out once you’ve identified the problem.
Let Clarkes Golf help fix your golf mistakes
Looking for someone to help you fix the common golf mistakes you’re dealing with? At Clarkes Golf we have a modern driving range in Rainford, where you can perfect your golf swing.
Along with club professionals who will give you all the tools and motivation you need to lower your score.
We also have a huge range of top-of-the-line clubs, trolleys, balls and other essential golf gear. Everything the dedicated golfer needs.
