You can't build a solid game on Flukes.

A "Perfect" straight shot, even for the top players, just happens. It is not predictable and because it is not predictable, the smart golfer does not entertain the idea of attempting it.

The late Great Ben Hogan was once quoted as saying “If you see me hit a straight shot, I have just mis-hit it." Because Hogan is remembered by most as a superlative ball striker with fantastic control, his quote may seem a little strange. What a lot do not know however is that in his early career, he suffered with a terrible hook that plagued him under pressure. What baffled me years ago upon first hearing this is that his remedy for the hook was to quite simply learn how to slice.

A lot of the difficulty arises in the game when a player expects the "Cure" for the wayward shot to leave a "Perfect" straight shot in its place.

As I stated above, a "Perfect" straight shot, even with the top players, just happens. It is not predictable and because it is not predictable, the smart golfer does not entertain the idea of attempting it. Hogan, like many others knew this so instead, he set about making himself a truly complete player by learning the whole gamut of shots from one extreme (hook) to the other (slice) knowing that if he could become familiar with these experiences, then he could find the balance between these two extremes. The dead straight shot sits slap bang between the two territories on an extremely fine line which we only find on odd occasions.

A hook and a slice are at opposite extremes and both can be equally disastrous but if you become familiar with the mechanics that produce these shots, then with a bit of application and experiment, you can refine them into very effective "Draws" and "Fades". If you are a "Hooker" (pardon the term) or a "Slicer", you would be wise if instead of trying to wipe your memory clean and eradicate the shot, use the experience and find out exactly what the club-face actually does through impact to cause it. Most players know that a slice is caused by the club swinging across the target line to the left with the club-face open which results in a clockwise spin being imparted on the aerodynamic ball. A hook is caused by the exact opposite, with the club face closing as the swing is to the right of target. Forget for the time being what you have to do, just think of what the club-face needs to do. If you get a strong enough impression in your mind of the club-face at work, the body action that is needed can and with practice become an instinctive response to that club-face action.