Slicing!

Slicing is the most common shot that golfers hit in the air. It’s likely 75% of all club golfers slice. Many “slice” and are not even aware of it. For example, if you are hitting the ball shorter distances than you are capable of (for your swing speed) it’s very likely you are slicing the ball, even though it may not be flying off to the right.

A slice is caused by one thing and one thing only: The clubface is OPEN in relation to the swing path - not the target - the swing DIRECTION. Good news: There are several ways to correct this. Bad news: Nothing will correct it until you learn to HOOK the ball. That is correct; in order to correct a slice you must learn to hook. On the road to better golf there is no room for a slice. The path to correction goes as follows:

Learn to hook.

Learn to draw.

Hit the ball straight (or continue with a draw).

Here is why that is the order of correction: GOLF IS A REACTION GAME…EVERY TIME YOU SLICE, YOU WILL SWING AWAY FROM THE SLICE, creating a greater discrepancy between the face and the path and consequently a worse slice - it’s a vicious cycle! So we MUST eliminate the slice, regardless of how severe the changes may seem. Some of those changes are:

Strengthen Grip (Extremely if needed).

Learn to use your HANDS; learn a proper release of the club head. Feel the right hand come over the left, finishing with the left hand under the right (palm of left hand facing up; palm of right hand facing down). 

Now, when you do these two things your golf ball is quite likely going to fly to the LEFT - THAT’S GOOD! Remember you’re trying to create a NEW habit. The reason LEFT is good is that soon you will develop an impulse to swing more out to the right, which of course is what you’re trying to do.

Here’s the lesson, NO DRILL in the world is going to get you out of “over the top” if the ball keeps spinning off to the right. The very first thing I’d do in a lesson is go to whatever extreme was necessary to hook the ball. I have a lot of my students put their feet together and feel like they are hitting balls with their arms, hands and wrists ONLY. Anything that will get the golf to behave differently - and create in your reflexes more of a swing to the right. Once that is achieved, you are on your way to better golf. 

Remember, new ball flight is the only swing trained you will need!