Instruction
Stay On Path
Swing and miss: A soft headcover just to the outside of the ball can help your swing path.
Swing-path issues are common in the game: Many players come over the top and cut across the ball from the outside in; others come too much from the inside.
The problem with path faults is that they're not always easy to see on your own. It's also hard to feel exactly what's happening when the downswing is moving at its fastest.
When you're working on improving your path, it's good to give yourself a guide. A soft driver headcover placed an inch or two outside the ball gives you a visual reference at setup, and the presence of an obstacle -- even a soft one -- will subconsciously push you to alter your path to avoid it. If you're trying to fix an outside-in swing, move the headcover back a little and miss it on the downswing. To fix an inside-out swing, move it forward and miss it after impact.
__, a Golf Digest Teaching Professional, runs the Hank Haney International Junior Golf Academy in Hilton Head.