Double Cross in Golf: The 1 Fault You Need to Overcome
The sport golf is a bit of a paradox if you see carefully. This can be best explained by one of the most common faults of professional golfers, “double cross in golf.” Do you want to know why? It is so because the better you become in the game, the harder it will get for you.
So what is this fault exactly? In simple terms, a double cross in golf can be described as a situation where the golfers hit a ball aiming to hit a draw or fade, But they end up hitting entirely in the “opposite direction.”
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Reasons behind a Double Cross in Golf
There is a particular reason why a double cross in golf happens. Let us dive into the topic and explain the subject in detail.
Alignment of the Club Face and the Swing path
The significant thing to avoid the double cross in golf is to keep the alignment of the clubface and the swing path right. It is a fact that the golf ball always starts relative to the direction that the face is pointing at impact.
Let us give you a simple example to explain this. If the clubface is right, the ball will start right and vice versa when the clubface is left. After that, the ball curves away from the path. As a result of the clubface being right of the swing path, you get a push right when hitting a draw. Then they all start on the right and fade or slice to the right.
This can be explained better when you start to understand the laws the ball follows during a flight.
The laws behind the flight of the ball
Understanding the ball’s flight allows a golfer to understand the swing better. If one can realize the ball’s laws during a flight, they can make the necessary corrections for a double cross in golf.
There are two things that one can learn from the ball’s flight.
- The ball takes the swing path. Whether it is left face, right faced, or club faced.
- And the second thing is the location where the clubface made the impact.
So the above two things give you an insight into two different lines that the golfers need to consider. They are the target line and the start line.
Let us suppose that the clubface is at “three degrees” right to the target line, and the swing path is “five degrees” right. In this situation, you will find that the ball starts at the right of the target line and then “draws back” towards the target. This is a situation in golf that is known as push draw.
In another situation, let us consider the clubface is four degrees to the left, and the swing path is only 2 degrees to the left. In this situation, the ball starts left and then curves left. This also has a particular name in golf known as the pull draw.
Hence, from these examples, we are trying to explain that if you understand the flight of the ball and the laws it follows, you can overcome the double cross in golf.
How can you fix the Double Cross in Golf?
To fix the double cross in golf and hit a push draw, you need to maintain a few things. The clubface should always be between one to three degrees and open to the target line. The path around should be two to four degrees right to the target line.
This needs to be strictly maintained because if the angle of inclination of the clubface becomes five degrees open, then the ball is going to start right and fade right when the target line is two to four degrees right of it.
Again, the clubface needs to be between 1 to 3 degrees close to the target line to hit a fade. It requires a path around, ranging between 2 to 4 degrees in the left of the target line. This creates a shot that starts to the left and then curves back towards the target. Again, the clubface mustn’t get too far left. Otherwise, this will end in the ball starting left and then curving towards the left.
The fundamentals in the golf swing
Three things are often described as the fundamentals in the golf swing by the experts.
- The first thing is the pristine ability of the golfers to control the bottom of the golf swing. This requires practice and dedication in the game to get this right. The most professional ones will be able to hit the ground in the intended spot every time without a miss.
- The capability to control the curve of the ball do not develop overnight. The best ones in the sport are able to do it. The professional golfers have control over it, and they are able to make the ball start to the right or left as per their aim, and then have the ball curve towards the intended target without having the ball curving past the target.
- Having enough power is essential. In this way the golfers are able to play the golf course. This way, the golfers can hit the ball far and play the course in regulation.
FAQs on Double Cross in Golf
How to stop double cross in golf?
Concentrate on not releasing the wrists too early in the shot to avoid striking the double cross. Early wrist rotation causes the clubface to collapse and the ball to hook upon contact. A closed clubface during the shot can also be avoided by moving the ball further back in the stance.
In golf, what does “across the line” mean?
When the club moves up the line and touches the peak at the top of the swing, it points off to the right side. When you get into the across-the-line position, what you’re doing is pushing your club through your target line.
On a Final Note
If you want to improve the golf swing and prevent the double cross in golf, you can take advice from a swing instructor. They help enhance the swings of a golfer and improve the precision of hitting the intended target. Understanding the strategy behind it followed by realizing the laws of the ball during flight helps to prevent the most common mistake of the double cross in golf.