A blocked golf shot is a shot that flies straight but misses the target straight right. It is caused when you swing your golf club with an in to out swing path.

Swing path simply means the direction that your golf club’s head is travelling in during impact. If you place an alignment pole on the ground from the golf ball to the intended target, the inside of the target line is the side that you are standing on when you address the golf ball ready to play your shot. The outside of the target line is the far side of the alignment pole. To hit a blocked golf shot, you have swung the club head away from the ball and on your downswing back towards the ball, the club head is travelling too much on the inside, or your side, of the target line. From the inside, it moves towards the ball and following impact it then moves across the target line to the far side, or the outside of the line, producing an in to out swing path.

A blocked golf shot, or a shot straight to the right of the target results from this swing path combined with a club face that is aiming in the same direction of the swing path.

In order to hit a golf shot that flies straight but directly at the intended target, you need to swing the golf club head straight along the target line, rather than across it and keep the club face aiming down the target line and at the intended target as you do this.

If you are struggling with hitting blocked golf shots that fly straight but to the right of the intended target, try the following drill the next time you are at the range or practice ground. Take your club and place it on the ground directly in line with the target. Now take your driver head cover and place it on the inside of the target line, or on the side of the golf club that you would stand to play your golf shot. Place it about one foot to the right of where the golf ball would be placed and about three inches inside the target line, or on your side of the line. You should now be able to take your backswing without hitting the head cover.

As you swing back down towards the ball, work on returning the club head back to the ball from around the head cover, rather than letting the club head hit the head cover. Take a few slow swings initially without a golf ball involved to get used to feeling and gradually increase the speed that you are swinging the club head at as you become more confident and comfortable with the movement. Once you are swinging the club without hitting the head cover, put the ball back in and begin hitting shots but work on swinging around the head cover rather than into it.

Now you have a swing path where your club head is moving directly along the target line so if you keep the club face aiming at the target as you swing this way, you will be hitting straight golf shots that fly directly at your intended target.