01/12/2015

Have you been plagued by a slice your whole golfing life? Here are some great tips to help you alleviate that dreaded shot shape.

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Strengthen your grip

The club face controls your ball flight and your grip directly controls the face angle of the golf club. After I diagnose the type of slice the golfer is suffering, one of the first places I will check is there grip. Most golfers have a grip that is too weak or they hold the club too much in the palm of their top hand.

To strengthen your grip take your lead hand or top hand and place the grip in the fingers with the heel pad sitting on top of the club. **Alert** Communication is paramount when teaching. A strong grip does not mean to add tension in your hands and wrists.

Check out the photo below…..

I have 2-3 knuckles of my top hand showing towards the camera. Now, you can bring your bottom hand from underneath the grip. Place the grip in the fingers of your bottom hand. You can also check the “V’s” of your hands pointing to your rear shoulder. Having the correct grip will help you set-up to the ball correctly with your shoulders square or slightly closed to the target line.

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Flatten your lead wrist at the top of your swing

This is a technique I learned from watching Jim Hardy and Hank Haney do quick fixes at the PGA Teaching and Coaching Summit. Too many slicers will have a cupped lead wrist keeping the face open at the top of their swings.

In my 15 years of teaching, I have used this type of golf lesson or quick fix when I see a golfer struggling on the range and about to go out and play. It’s a simple way for you to get the club face square or slightly closed.

The clubface position at the top of your backswing influences impact. You can see by the picture below my club face is pointing to the sky and my lead wrist is flat with my watch pointing to the sky.

The clubface is closed at the top of my swing and if I turn my body back through to the finish the clubface will be closed at impact. You may also feel as if your trail hand palm is facing the sky. All of these actions will help you close or square your clubface at the top so you don’t need to manipulate the face at impact.

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Close your stance

This type of stance will get you into a powerful set-up at address. Closing your feet by dropping your rear foot behind the lead foot a few inches affects your entire set-up. Your hips will close to the target line and your shoulders will also close to the target line. Most slicers do just the opposite and their shoulders are wide open.

By closing your stance you will have an easier time making a good pivot and shoulder turn. This is excellent for golfers who lack in flexibility or have prior injuries. You will be able to make a swing that attacks the ball from inside the target line as well. Try closing your stance next time you hit the range.

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Swing the club out to 1 o’clock

After making a really good pivot or backswing you are going to want to feel your downswing going out towards 1 o’clock or second base for a right handed golfer. The left-handed golfer should feel as if they were swinging out to shortstop.

This will allow you to have an in-to-out swing path which produces more of a drawing curve. The path of your swing dictates the curvature in your ball flight. A golfer who swings with an in-to-out path will also have a tendency to close the clubface through impact. This type of motion will also help the slicer who gets too far in front of the ball through impact to stay slightly behind the ball.

These are all excellent ways to help get you out of slicing and into straighter shots or possibly even the elusive draw.

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Catch the rain drops 

The great golf instructor Paul Bertholy always said “feed what you need” in your golf swing.

Over 15 years of teaching golf in South Florida this movement has cured the dreaded slice for many of my students. This is a very simple and easy way to understand how your lead forearm and hand should feel through impact.

The photo below shows me “catching the raindrops” in my lead hand. Fortunately, we get great weather in the winter months in Boca Raton, FL. It’s not actually raining but if it was my palm would fill with rain water. Most slicers do the complete opposite.

   
Now you have 5 quick ways to fix your slice. You probably only need one of these tips to get you making solid contact, hitting pin splitting irons and canon shot drives!