savage slices from the tee

[sssam]

I've only recently got back in to golf after having been quite avid in my teen years. I was down to 16 at 16, and basically stopped for the past 20 years. I recently started playing again, joined a local club and have been playing at least 9 holes or going to the range at least 3 days a week. I was given a 19 handicap after I got my 3 cards in, which I was confident would come down quickly. I'm fairly tall, strong, and can hit the ball a long way. Iron play has been on the whole very good, short game is improving. However I'm having huge trouble off the tee, to the extent where I can't make the most of the other parts of my game which are pretty solid.

I have been using a regular flex driver which when I got it right went well, but was erratic. Often big slices, but also the occasional duck hook and generally hitting them very low. Due to having a pretty quick swing, I thought perhaps I could do with a stiffer shafted driver - my irons have stiff shafts and I hit them well - straight and strong generally with a slight fade. My thinking was that if I'm swinging too fast for it, the clubface stays open, I cut across the ball and there's the big slice. So on to ebay I go and buy an x-stiff shafted driver. Now maybe this was a step too far but I thought it was a step in the right direction. Played with it the first time today and I was driving worse than ever. No duck hooks, but savage uncontrollable slices. Did everything I could to try to hit a draw (or even hook), right elbow in, strengthen grip, nothing worked. One banana after another. So maybe my theory about the shaft stiffness was wrong, or maybe there's something else with the club which gives me this horrible hook. Or maybe there's something in the way I'm swinging my driver (fairway woods are even fine) which is creating the slice...

Anyhow, any advice, tips or pointers greatly appreciated - I'm at a bit of a loss at the moment. I've got a lesson with the club pro on friday which I hope might shed some light but now I'm just frustrated and looking for an instant online fix - any pointers greatly appreciated!

[ejimsmith]

lower your swing plane?   something to consider trying is lowering the plane to an extreme, like a baseball swing, and see if you start to hook.  then start raising your plane till you find the correct plane for hitting it straight.

as others would say though, its hard to help without a video of your swing since there could be boatloads of reasons why you're slicing.  for me though, i find that if i slice, its because my plane was too high.

[sssam]

It's a thought - and possibly a good one. As I'm pretty tall (6'3") I tend to have a fairly steep plane anyhow. I will try to get some video done at the range. Any thoughts on the likelihood of shaft stiffness being a factor?

[robinoso]

This is just from my own experience so take it with a grain of salt.

I had two main issues:

Not taking a full backswing (not shifting weight and all arms) and not finishing my swing.

After some time working those, I now hit many more fairways with a baby draw.

Now I know if I slice, it's mostly from an overswing of confidence from good drives earlier thinking I can kick it up a notch...

[RyderJ]

It would be hard to determine whether or not shaft stiffness is a factor in your slice without seeing video or at least knowing your swing speed. Chances are, since you played in high school, you probably need a stiff shaft, but I highly doubt you need an x-stiff. Having said this, my  thoughts are that while you were trying to hit your driver straight with a regular flex shaft you probably picked up a few bad habits in your mechanics and haven't worked them out of your swing yet.

Whenever I'm hitting my driver, or any club for that matter, poorly I force myself to not make a rotation that takes my left shoulder past the ball. It slows down my tempo quite well and also forces me to make a smaller swing on the ball. I also try to focus on pointing my belly button towards my desired target in the follow through. These things work for me, so you might try them...but, once again...it's really hard to determine what's going on with your swing without seeing it.

[NuclearMike]

Too stiff of a shaft will cause the clubface to be open at impact, causing a slice, so the X-Stiff shaft can certainly have impact on ball flight.

[luu5]

Originally Posted by sssam

Anyhow, any advice, tips or pointers greatly appreciated - I'm at a bit of a loss at the moment. I've got a lesson with the club pro on friday which I hope might shed some light but now I'm just frustrated and looking for an instant online fix - any pointers greatly appreciated!

For a quick fix, try moving the ball back, i.e. right if you are righty, few inches. I start slicing immediately if I keep the ball on left foot. Could be something to do with weight shifting, but helps at least for now.

[sssam]

A few things to think about. I will try to get down the range this evening for some experimenting and will aim to get some video. Thanks for all the tips so far, will let you know how I get on.

Cheers,

Sam

[Bananarama]

I have the same problems, I am also 6 foot 3 and can hit the ball longish (irons anyway).  My slices come from excessive head movement towards (which moves the shoulders forward and the club hits the ball very open) the target or by dragging the club head through with the arms rather than rotating the shoulders.

[inthecup]

As you know big slices mean the club face is open. Not a little open but a lot open. My flaws that cause this are getting armsy. Meaning trying to kill it and swinging with my arms not with body rotation. Slow it down and rotate. The face of the club is controlled by the top hand make sure it is facing the target at impact. Go slow with partial swings and start trying to hook it. Then pull the hook back a little at a time.

[saevel25]

My slices come from finishing way to high. I use to hit a pull cut, so i had to do the slight chicken wing and finish with high hands. Now, i am trying to finish so the clubshaft has the same angle in the downswing as the follow through. When i do this, i feel things flow better.

[Tomboys]

http://thesandtrap.com/b/playing_tips/ball_flight_laws

Perhaps the above article will help.  IME, once you understand what causes the ball to fly in a certain manner, then you can work on the components of your swing to achieve your desired shot shape.

[sssam]

Originally Posted by Tomboys

http://thesandtrap.com/b/playing_tips/ball_flight_laws

Perhaps the above article will help.  IME, once you understand what causes the ball to fly in a certain manner, then you can work on the components of your swing to achieve your desired shot shape.

I'd never really thought there might be another way of viewing it - fairly obvious I would have said and what I've always been taught. In any case a nice refresher and perhaps sheds a different light on some of the above?

My drives initially go (in general....) where I aim them, but will take a bend to the right - which would suggest general alignment and club delivery is OK, but the path is outside to in. Didn't manage to get to the range yesterday, but have been taking some practice swings in the garden and I think I'm doing a couple of the things mentioned above - 1. getting my head in front of the ball and cutting across, 2. swinging on too steep a plane. I think there is possibly also a 3., an overly cupped left wrist at top of backswing, which again makes me tend to swing outside in and get too wristy through impact. Well - some things to think about anyhow - we'll see what the pro says :-)

[saevel25]

If they go were you aim them, that is were your body is lined up, then you have an over the top swing. Since the ball starts on your line its square to your target line, but open to your swing path.

So the key for you is not the clubface, but the swing path. Getting that path to come from the inside.

[sssam]

Yep - that was the diagnosis in my lesson today. I am breaking my left arm at the top of the swing then starting down on an outside in line. He said the first 3/4 of my backswing was very good, all on plane and looking good, just need to keep my left arm straight and concentrate on coming back on the same plane. Had 9 holes after the lesson and was getting there, even hit a couple of draws, but I think it's something which is going to take a bit of time to change. He took some video which he said he'll send me so I'll post it up once I have it.

Thanks for the pointers!

Originally Posted by saevel25

If they go were you aim them, that is were your body is lined up, then you have an over the top swing. Since the ball starts on your line its square to your target line, but open to your swing path.

So the key for you is not the clubface, but the swing path. Getting that path to come from the inside.

[TheMachine]

I have always fought a slice and fade.  It hasn't been that bad lately but I've always envied those able to draw the ball.

I got tired of always seeing the ball curl right at the end and cut my distance.  Just lately I've tried doing something a little

different and it's working so well, I want to pass it along.  Maybe it will help somebody else.

I knew that I was probably leaving the clubface open especially with the driver and more than likely swinging on an out to in path.

So, I went to the range and practiced aiming at the inside corner of the ball, not the back of it.  I was thinking 'try to hit that inside

corner AND make sure that I really turned my right hand over the left at impact. By doing that, I must be hitting the ball square on

the backside and in so doing I think my swing plane has become less steep.  And as I said, also concentrate on turning that right

hand hard into the impact.

Today, I just KILLED it.  I swear I hit balls maybe longer than I ever have in my life and I'm 60.  The evidence was birding two par 5's and

finishing only 5 over.  Again, one of the best rounds I've ever shot.  I'm really excited with this breakthrough.  I wish winter wasn't coming so

soon now.

[LoganCarr1]

Try to feel your left arm ( If your right handed. ) come across your chest on the back swing.

Also feel as if your covering the ball with your right hand on the down swing.

This is what I do to hit a Draw

[sssam]

Thanks Machine - and congrats on a great score! I had a lesson yesterday, and conversely to what I had thought, he diagnosed that I am on too shallow a plane on my backswing, and I then come 'over the top' and come outside to in. The tip was to try to go back on a steeper plane (left arm across chest as you suggest Logan) then come back on the same or slightly flatter plane.  The other tip, with much the same effect as your 'hitting the back corner' was to actually try to hit it right. 'Hit it in to the trees right' he said (but with my new backswing plane) sure enough this made me try to attack the ball inside to out and I hit a draw. So now it's 'hit the ball to 1 o'clock' but I like the mental imagery of the back corner, will give that a try. Anyhow, we seem to be getting there!