Playing with blocks can be fun, with toddlers. Blocking shots can be fun, in the NBA. If we golfers block a shot, well, sorry to say, that’s a problem that’s not a slam dunk to solve. Find out about the meaning and the solution.
If you block a shot in a basketball arena, you’ve had a good day. If you block a shot on the golf course, you might need some lessons. That’s because your blocked shot is going to land well right of your intended target — unless you’re a lefty, in which case the news is no better: Your blocked shot will land well left of target.
Unlike in basketball, this is not happening because Hakeem Olajuwon has swooped in and swatted away your golf ball. In fact, unlike in basketball, it is really not all that simple to assess what causes a shot to be blocked.
Generally, the problem is that the club face stays open when the ball is struck, causing it to start right and stay right. So various schools of thought would suggest a golfer to adjust her stance, her swing plane, her address. One cause might be turning too quickly so as to connect with the ball late in the swing; another, not turning the wrists early enough through the swing.
Fixing a block is no slam dunk. So see your local golf guru for help.
This article first appeared in the May 2011 edition of GottaGoGolf Magazine.
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