Some of the irritating photographs that plague novice golfers is the dreaded slice.
The shot seems to be ugly within the air, goes a fraction of the space of a straight shot (or draw), and might make it laborious to shoot decrease scores. It may possibly get actually outdated stepping onto the tee field and being terrified if there may be water or OB proper. Dreading of what would possibly occur with one more banana slice.
So how do most golfers attempt to repair their slice?
Goal left.
Then what occurs?
A good greater slice!
Which is much more irritating and why a number of gamers retire their driver and resort to 3W.
Don’t get me fallacious, in the event you’re hitting a slight fade then it is best to intention to the left of your goal and play the gentle, left to proper lower. However in case you are slicing the ball, aiming farther left is just making your miss even worse.
There are tons of the way to repair golf slice and enhance your golf swing. On this weblog publish, I’ll cowl what causes a slice golf shot, methods to alter your swing path, and easy drills that will help you hit it straighter.
Let’s get into it…
What’s a Sliced Golf Shot?
First off, in case your swing produces a golf slice, simply know that you simply aren’t alone. Whereas I don’t have any laborious proof of a golf business research, there is no such thing as a query the slice is the #1 miss for 99% of novice gamers!
For a right-handed golfer, a slice goes left to proper for one cause — due to an open membership face.
The shot loses distance because it curves left to proper, as an alternative of straight, and creates aspect spin.
What Causes a Slice within the Golf Swing?
Like something in golf, there may be not often one single factor inflicting a particular shot. However the one cause you slice the ball is that the membership face is open at impression. The secret’s to establish why your membership face is open (or huge open) at impression.
This may occur for quite a lot of causes that result in every kind of poor swing habits. Listed here are the commonest causes.
#1: Swing Path (The Most Widespread Trigger)
The primary cause the membership is open at impression is that you simply come into the ball with an excessive swing movement. Since you might be coming excessive it’s going to normally begin left and slice again to the proper.
How far proper the ball curves will depend on how open the membership face is at impression. In the event you hit a lower with irons, this miss is magnified with a driver because it’s a for much longer membership and has much less loft. Since most drivers are 8-11 levels of loft, it produces a a lot greater left to proper shot than the next lofted iron.
Total, this path will result in a steep downswing and result in some errant golf photographs. Fortunately, there are tons of coaching aids, drills, and different methods that we’ll cowl to handle this problem head on.
#2: Unhealthy Alignment
Alignment is without doubt one of the foundations of enjoying good golf. The way you tackle the ball units up the remainder of your golf swing, makes it simpler to have the right swing path, and never have an open clubface at impression.
However as I briefly talked about at first, some golfers make the slice worse by aiming farther left, particularly with a driver. The logic is sensible “If I’m hitting a slice, simply intention farther left.”
Whereas this looks as if answer, it really makes you extra prone to hit a fair greater slice. I’m positive you’ve seen considered one of your buddies do this and find yourself pull slicing it much more, resulting in much more frustration.
Don’t fear, in the event you’re one of many many slicers who need to discover a completely different answer, we’ll make it easier to repair your slice with correct alignment.
#3: Weak Grip
One more reason for a slice is a grip that isn’t robust sufficient. There are three forms of grips in golf; weak, impartial, or robust.
A weak grip tends to advertise a slight left to proper shot, whereas a robust grip promotes a draw. Ideally, you need to have a impartial grip so you’ve a straighter ball flight and have the flexibility to work the golf ball each methods.
For some cause, most golfers have a weak left hand (assuming you’re a right-handed golfer), which has a direct impact on membership path. A weak grip tends to result in taking the membership too far inside, which ends up in a steep, excessive transfer on the downswing.
I had this problem for a very long time in my very own golf swing and it additionally led to an improper weight switch too. Since I got here too far excessive, it typically left an excessive amount of weight on the bottom, and would result in hitting up on the golf ball. This meant a ton of skinny photographs, which isn’t the tip of the world with a driver (for the reason that ball is teed up) however huge misses with the irons.
It’s unbelievable what occurred as soon as I strengthened my grip. It mounted my path and weight points and led to longer distance with higher contact. Extra on fixing your grip down beneath.
#4: Lively Higher Physique
Within the golf swing sequence, you must transfer your decrease physique, not your higher physique first. As weight shifts to your lead foot, then you’ll be able to start to twist the torso down towards the golf ball. Sadly, many slicers begin the downswing with their higher physique, particularly on a driver swing, and result in huge misses.
As the good Ben Hogan mentioned, “The downswing is initiated by turning the hips to the left. The shoulders, arms, and palms — in that order — then launch their energy.”
In the event you’re slicing the ball likelihood is you might be nearly all the time beginning the swing together with your shoulders or arms, not your decrease physique. When you’ve an excessively energetic higher physique it’s going to trigger you to rotate and pull the ball with an open membership face. This creates the annoying pull slice that plagues nearly all of novice golfers.
Your overly energetic higher physique might be due to an incorrect airplane in your backswing, fast transition or lack of flexibility.
10 Methods to Repair Your Slice and Play Higher Golf
Listed here are ten options to assist decrease your slice and possibly even flip you right into a participant who attracts the golf ball.
1. Verify Your Gear
Earlier than entering into the mechanics and adjusting your ball place or swing airplane, let’s speak about enjoying the proper golf golf equipment.
Golf is already laborious sufficient, don’t make it more durable with gear that doesn’t match your swing. Your gear can have an enormous impact on the flight of your golf ball and switching just a few issues would possibly repair a slice.
Consider Your Shaft
The very first thing to guage is your shaft flex. In case your shaft has an excessive amount of flex it makes it rather more troublesome to sq. the face at impression and use the proper shaft and make it easier to repair your slice.
Here’s a basic information for shaft choice to your driver primarily based on the carry distance and swing pace.
- X Flex (Additional Stiff) – Best for swings of 110mph or larger and a driver carry distance round 270 yards. These are normally reserved for scratch golfers and professionals (who may additionally use TX or Tour X-Stiff).
- S Flex (Stiff Flex) – Excellent for swings of 95 to 110mph and driver carry distance between 240 to 270 yards. That is normally nice for gamers who shoot within the 80s or 90s and make an aggressive transfer on the golf ball.
- R Flex (Common) – That is nice for swing speeds of 85 to 95 mph which ought to carry a driver from 200 to 240 yards. Sometimes, golfers who shoot 90-100+ on a given spherical.
- A or M Flex (Beginner or Senior) – For swing speeds of 75 to 85 mph and a driving distance between 180 to 200 yards.
- L Flex (Girls) – For swing speeds of 75 mph and beneath with common driver distance lower than 180.
You may check your swing pace through the use of a private launch monitor or verify with a golf retailer close to to check your swing. After getting your swing pace, make certain your shafts, particularly your driver shaft, don’t have an excessive amount of flex.
Regulate Your Golf Membership
After getting the proper shaft, Additionally, most drivers in the present day have adjustable membership face settings. In case your driver does include a instrument, ensure you have it set to impartial or draw biased setting. The very last thing you need is your membership face selling a fade at setup.
In our information to the most effective drivers for a slicer, we advocate the proper driver to convey that slice again into the golf green.
2. Strengthen Your Left Hand
Generally a brand new grip is required, particularly in the event you endure from an enormous slice. Don’t let poor grip fundamentals restrict your potential and damage your sport on the golf course.
As you already know, it’s actually laborious to play good golf when your ball is transferring 20+ yards left to proper off the tee. Whereas a brand new grip would possibly really feel unusual (particularly in the event you’ve been gripping that approach for some time), a stronger grip is required.
It’ll take time to alter your grip because it’s simple to get snug going again to your outdated swing habits. However over time, you completely can strengthen your grip.
Not solely will a stronger grip make it easier to right your swing path and clubface points, it’s going to additionally add extra energy. Generally by huge quantities with each membership in your bag.
Click on right here to study the whole lot you must change your grip.
Purchase a Grip Coach
If you wish to really feel the right left and right-hand grip, the SKLZ golf tempo and grip coach is a superb funding in your sport (and low-cost too). You should use it to really feel grip with each palms and work in your tempo too. Even a couple of minutes at dwelling every day swinging this membership will make it easier to start to repair that weak slice.
Right here’s a grip coach that we advocate. (Please observe, this solely works for a right-handed participant).
Higher Grip Stress to Cease Slicing
Lastly, don’t overlook to verify your grip stress as nicely. Whereas most gamers need to “grip it and rip it” with the driving force, that is 100% the fallacious mentality.
In actuality, your driver needs to be your lightest grip stress aside from a bunker shot! A “dying grip” will solely create extra rigidity in your arms. This causes you to attempt to information the ball as an alternative of swing free and out towards the goal.
3. Regulate Your Setup
To give up slicing the ball you would possibly must work in your swing path. In the event you’re coming excessive you must discover ways to shallow the golf membership.
Once more, most slices are brought on by an excessive movement on the downswing. This happens from a steep downswing with out sufficient lag.
Listed here are some issues to contemplate in your setup (apart from grip, which we lined) to assist your swing path.
Alignment
Whereas some golfers intention too far left, others intention proper which really promotes a slice. In the event you’re aimed proper on the goal and also you don’t understand it, then your thoughts is aware of you must pull it again and are available excessive to right your poor intention.
So in the event you’re aimed approach proper, you’ll come excessive with a steep swing path. As a substitute, attempt to intention left together with your ft and hold your shoulders sq. to the goal. This is called an open stance and might help you clear your left aspect extra, which ends up in straighter and extra highly effective golf photographs.
Ball Place
With a driver, you need the golf ball off your entrance foot (proper foot for left-handed golfers). If it’s additional again in your stance, it’s simpler to get steep, not have a correct weight shift, and lead the golf slice all of us hate.
The ball must be extra off your entrance heel so that you hit up on the shot and enhance launch angle. Not solely will a extra ahead place make it easier to discover ways to cease slicing driver it’s going to add additional distance too.
Keep in mind, a lot of golf occurs earlier than you ever swing the membership. Grasp your setup to repair driver slice and play higher golf total.
4.Swing Like a Baseball Bat
In case you have any previous baseball expertise, it’d turn out to be useful that will help you remedy that nasty slice. Anytime I discover myself going by means of a stoop and slicing the ball, I like doing this drill and helps create an outside- in path.
Listed here are the steps to get began.
Step 1: Seize a 7-iron and follow a baseball swing the place you wrap the membership behind after which round your physique as in the event you have been hitting a baseball. Hold the membership stage and really feel the palms rotate round and switch over which can make it easier to hit extra attracts.
Step 2: After just a few swings start to roll your palms over even sooner. This may promote the sensation of squaring and even barely closing your palms at impression. A sq. clubface will create a straight shot and barely closed will assist produce a draw.
Do that 10-15 occasions on the vary earlier than hitting your driver on the vary.
This drill additionally works if you must repair a slice on the golf course. In the event you’ve had just a few errant drives, on the tee field when different gamers are hitting photographs, do that drill just a few occasions. It ought to make it easier to get again to sq. and enhance your golf swing mid-round.
5. Use the PlaneMate Coach
In the event you slice the ball, likelihood is you’re like many golfers and doubtless invested in a number of completely different coaching aids. Some are nice and can make it easier to repair an open clubface whereas others aren’t price it and a complete waste of cash.
One coaching support that we will’t speak about sufficient is the PlaneMate swing coach. If I needed to choose one coaching support to repair a slice, it might be this one. It is a distinctive coaching support that allows you to really feel a greater takeaway, which lets you shallow the golf membership.
Whereas it’d really feel unusual, it’s going to drive you to really feel a greater left shoulder place and get your proper elbow within the correct spot. Plus, what’s nice about this coaching support is that you need to use it with golf golf equipment and practice your physique for a greater swing.
Or, you’ll be able to hit photographs with it and you’ll hit it with any membership within the bag. It really works nice for chip photographs and you need to use the completely different bands to hit full swing drivers too. An amazing funding in your sport.
Click on right here to learn our full assessment on the PlaneMate swing coach by Tour Striker.
6.Strive the Muscle Confusion Drill
In the event you’ve been slicing the ball for some time, generally you must “confuse” your physique and thoughts to really feel the right modifications. Whereas the baseball drill is nice, the muscle confusion drill is one other highly effective strategy to discover ways to hit the ball with energy and begin swinging extra persistently.
Step 1: With a 6 or a 7 iron, hold your ft collectively and make as a lot of a backswing as you’ll be able to. The membership needs to be decrease than regular as your ft are collectively making a slender swing path.
Step 2: With out transferring any a part of your physique let gravity drop your arms. Your proper elbow ought to hit your aspect and permit the membership head to fly out. This could make the butt finish of the membership ought to come up near your face.
It is a follow drill that you don’t do with a golf ball! If you’re doing this incorrectly the cub will wrap round your physique producing the pull slice.
7. Cease Aiming Left
As I discussed, once you intention left solely makes the slice miss much more to the proper. Don’t compensate by pondering you must intention left much more in the wrong way of your slice. This may compound the difficulty!
As a substitute of aiming farther to the left, attempt to tee off the proper aspect of the field. This may give your self extra fairway and room to work the ball off the left aspect of the golf green or tough. Adjusting your intention is a short-term repair however received’t assist the larger points inflicting your slice.
8. Sq. The Membership Face Earlier
Your membership face at impression determines in the event you slice, draw or hit the ball straight. The upper swing pace and longer shaft of a driver make squaring up this membership the toughest. Once more, in case you are hitting a monster slice your membership face MUST be open at impression. You want to work on squaring up the face sooner in your downswing.
Use this drill from Tiger’s ex-swing coach, Hank Haney.
Hank Haney Slice Drill
Step 1: With a driver, hover your driver roughly a foot off the bottom. This may naturally stage your swing and assist promote the within to outdoors swing path. It’ll additionally make it easier to really feel the clubface turning over at impression.
Step 2: In your follow swings you need to really feel your self squaring the clubface roughly 2 or 3 ft behind the golf ball earlier than impression. It’ll really feel like your left hand is squaring up and turning the clubface.
Observe this drill with 5-10 follow swings the subsequent time you’re on the driving vary. Ideally, it will assist promote the swing path to the proper and squaring the face at impression. This drill will make it easier to create a slight draw if completed accurately.
9. Get the Proper Eyeline
One other coaching support that may assist your ball flight is the Eyeline Golf Velocity Lure. It’s a comparatively inexpensive coaching support that may make it easier to find out how the trail of your swing impacts your shot form.
The system itself is fairly easy; it’s a board with 4 foam coaching rods through which you place to hit various kinds of photographs. In case your aim is to repair your slice, you’d modify them, so the rods level extra towards you. Then, as you swing the membership, in the event you make contact with the rods you’re going to get rapid suggestions that you simply got here excessive.
Having a visible reminder is good as a result of it’s going to practice you to come back extra from the within path in your downswing, which can straighten out your membership face. Plus, you need to use it to coach your self to hit straight photographs or in the event you draw the ball, make it easier to hit lower photographs too.
What I like about it’s that you simply get prompt suggestions and with sufficient repetition, can retrain your path. Plus you’ll be able to hit golf balls with it and simply carry it in your bag because it’s so transportable or use it at dwelling.
You may seize an Eyeline pace entice right here if you wish to give this a shot.
10. Use Golf Membership Spray
As famous on this YouTube video from Rick Shiels Golf, you must know the place you strike the golf ball. Utilizing spray (we like Strike Spray) you’ll be able to rapidly determine the place the membership is making contact with the golf ball.
All you must do is spray the membership with it and it’ll go away a white mist on the face. Then, hit 3-5 golf balls and see the place the mist has disappeared.
In the event you use the spray and establish a sample towards the heel, make certain your tackle place is ready up in the course of the membership.
I do know it sounds easy however generally you is perhaps unconsciously arrange towards the heel which ends up in a slice (or an even bigger slice). Nevertheless it’s normally different issues like grip and swing path, however generally it is so simple as adjusting the driving force to the golf ball in the course of the face.
Closing Ideas on Easy methods to Repair a Slice
Keep in mind, when the clubface is open, it’s going to result in golf photographs going proper aka a golf slice.
Even in the event you’ve struggled to repair this problem earlier than, simply know that eliminating the slice is feasible and simpler than you would possibly suppose. You don’t must accept a slice without end!
However to get the proper path and sq. the face at impression, it’d take a while and follow to really feel the brand new feeling. If this miss has plagued your sport for a while, perceive that it is perhaps in a single day however it’s completely fixable in the long term.
- Change your left and right-hand grip.
- Use the coaching aids talked about and coaching grip.
- Make sure the ball is extra within the entrance of your stance with the driving force.
- Double-check your alignment and ensure your proper shoulder is aligned together with your left shoulder.
And use the drills supplied to groove your path on the driving vary.
When you study to swing on the proper path and sq. the clubface at impression you’ll hit the ball farther, larger, and straighter than ever. Be sure to follow these recommendations on the vary as an alternative of attempting to implement mid-round.
In the event you discover the slice appears to be getting worse because the rounds proceed, don’t be afraid to change to a 3 or 5 wooden off the tee both. Because the driver is the toughest membership to sq. up on account of size/loft (it additionally curves probably the most), clubbing down might help you retain the ball in play extra typically.
