Golf tips

🎯 Cause & effect (John Jacobs)

Jacobs' Practical Golf rests on one idea: the only purpose of the swing is to deliver the clubhead. Read the ball flight, work backwards to the cause, then fix that — not the cosmetics of your swing.

• The ball tells you everything

  Practical Golf

  Start direction is mostly clubface at impact; curve is the path relative to that face. A shot that starts left and curves further left is a closed face with an out-to-in path — no video needed to diagnose it.

• Slice = open face + out-to-in

  Practical Golf

  Almost every slice comes from an open clubface, which then makes you swing across the ball to keep it in play. Fix the grip and face first (see two knuckles below); the path usually follows on its own.

• Grip is the steering wheel

  Practical Golf

  Hold the club in the fingers, see about two knuckles of the left hand at address, with both thumb-and-forefinger Vs pointing between your chin and right shoulder. Weak grip → slice, strong grip → hook.

• Aim before you blame

  Most 'swing faults' are aim faults. Pick a spot 30cm in front of the ball on your target line and set the clubface to that, then build your stance parallel to it.

• Swing through, not at

  Practical Golf

  Jacobs' favourite image: the ball is simply in the way of a swing that's travelling to a finish. Hitting *at* the ball throws the clubhead out of sequence and adds no speed.