Out of the screws

Origin of: Out of the screws

Out of the screws

Out of the screws' or sometimes 'on the screws' applies to any sport where a bat or club hits the ball dead centre on the so-called ‘sweet spot’ of the bat or club. As such, the phrase ‘out of the screws’ is frequently used by commentators during TV broadcasts of baseball, cricket and golf to describe a particularly powerful clean strike where the ball is hit ‘right out of the screws’ or ‘right on the screws’. The expression derives originally from golf when woods were actually made from wood. Some manufacturers than applied a thin metal face to woods, later replaced by various synthetic materials, which were held in place by screws at either end. Hence, to strike the ball out of the screws meant to hit the ball in between the screws, right out of the dead centre of the clubface. The expression ‘hit the ball right out of the screws’ dates from the latter half of the 20th century.