Rookie Reid says Europe can surprise US in Solheim Cup

Melissa Reid believes Europe's Solheim Cup team can spring a surprise by beating their American counterparts in this weekend's transatlantic battle.

Europe have not won the biennial contest since 2003 and will be underdogs when the event starts at Killeen Castle in Ireland on Friday.
However English rookie Reid, 24, believes form favours the home team.
"There's a good buzz on the European team and hopefully we can snatch it from them," added Derby golfer Reid.
"On paper we are probably coming in as slight underdogs but I think all 12 players are playing really, really well."
Over the last four years, Europe's only major winners have been team members Anna Nordqvist and Catriona Matthew - a statistic Reid believes can partly be attributed to the lack of opportunities on the LPGA Tour.
"It's not as easy for us to go out there and play on the LPGA as it is for the guys," added Reid.
"So we don't get to play against the same sort of competition as they do. Maybe that's the difference."
Reid could not be coming into the contest in better form having won the Open de Espana Femenino last week, her second Ladies European Tour title of the season.
She qualified for the European team for the first time at the head of the rankings and also finished third over the same course at the Irish Open last month.
While Reid prepares for her first Solheim Cup experience, Laura Davies will be making her 12th appearance and is the only golfer to play in every one of the contests.
The 47-year-old said:"The ultimate every two years is to qualify for the team and not worry about getting a captain's pick.
"I guess I've done it 12 times now, which is very satisfying."
Davies believes the outcome of Friday and Saturday's foursomes and fourballs will be crucial if Europe are to have a chance of victory, and she has called on the home supporters to make themselves heard.
"I think we need a lead going into the singles. If we don't have a lead, we'll be in a little bit of a trouble.
"The home advantage is not the golf course, it's the fans, it's the galleries, it's the cheering you get."
Source from: news.bbc.co.uk

Slice No More

Hitting a big, weak slice is never any fun. Not only do they rarely travel very far, but they're impossible to control. For many amateurs, when they attempt to cure their slice, the slice often gets worse because they haven't the proper know-how to manage a slice and start hitting straighter tee balls. In this article, I want to put an end to complicated, tedious anti-slice advice and help you get rid of that pesky banana ball once and for all. Read on, follow these easy tips, and slice no more!

Aim Straight!
One of the most common mistakes I see from amateurs who struggle with slicing is improper aim and alignment. The first and most important key to getting rid of a slice is to stop opening your stance (as you can see in the photo on the opposite page). Doing this will force a swing path that cuts across the ball from outside to inside the target line, adding more slice spin. The solution? Square your shoulders so they're parallel to the target. As for your feet, they should be square, or even slightly closed (also opposite page) to encourage an inside-to-outside the target line path.

Why does aiming left cause you to slice? In most cases, it's because many slicers think they're aiming to the left, when in actuality they aren't. When you set up and then open your stance, you're actually moving the ball back in your stance. Also, when you do this, and you don't close the clubface as well, you're in position to hit an even bigger slice! 

Get A Good Grip
When it comes to your grip, again, things may seem a bit counterintuitive. To help avoid slicing, the more you turn your hands to the right, the more inclined you'll be to start hitting your shots straight, or even a little to the left. This is what's sometimes referred to as a "strong grip." But I think that's a bit of a misnomer. I prefer to call it an "active grip," since many think a strong grip means gripping the club firmly, with a lot of pressure. However, the firmer you grip it, the less your wrists will roll and close the face through impact, so don't do that! Position your hands as you see here, and maintain a firm, but supple, grip pressure. Don't tense up; instead, let the position of your hands do its job and get the hands more active during the swing. I'll bet you see fewer slices right away.

Tilt Your Shoulders!
A great way to combat a slice is to swing the club on a path that swings from inside the target line to outside the target line. In other words, swing from in to out.

To do this, make an adjustment in your setup by tilting your shoulders away from the target. See how my right shoulder, and even my right hip is slightly lower than my left at address? This tilt will encourage my body to take the club back and to the inside. If I set up with my shoulders level to the ground, I'll be more inclined to swing along or away from the target line, thus forcing me to swing from the outside in, causing me to swipe across the ball and impart a lot of slice spin.

Finally, once you get the tilt at address ready to go, hold it all the way through impact! 
Source from: golftipsmag.com