Pop-ups & Slice

I'm fairly new to golf and currently trying to work on my full swing. I have a problem with hitting really high shots, once in a while, as well as slicing the ball.

I think the main problem is that my right hand is not turning over at impact. On my down swing am I supposed to push out and try to reach with my right arm in order to get it to turn over? I think my right palm is slightly facing upwards.

I usually won't have this problem when trying to hit very light half swing shots, but they don't go very far.

Using a cheap cavity back 9i and a full swing it only goes about 90 yards avg. Using a half swing would get me about 70-80 yards.

Hi eneloop. Welcome to the forums.

Lets start with your driver since it'll usually exaberate all your problems. What's your ball flight? What direction does it start out and where does it finish? So if you slice, do you hit a pull/slice, straight/slice, or push/slice?

When you say pop up and slice I immediately think you're coming over top on your down swing.

First thing's first... How do you grip the club? That is to ask, is it a weak, neutral, or strong grip - and in addition - is it a baseball, interlock, or overlap grip?

Welcome to the Forums!!

While I am not the most experienced person on this board I can tell you this...practice and trial and error is going to help you the most. Get all the help you can, trash what you cant use and keep practicing with what you can. For instance, talking about the trial and error, I just bought a new TM Burner Driver (upgraded from a TM Brurner Bubble II) and with the new driver came a slice and a pop-up. Well I never sliced before. So, just today I figured out that because the new driver was longer than the old, I was standing to close to the ball. So all I did today was step one foot length back and my slice and pop-up disappeared. I was amazed....something so simple as me standing to close and as "kfowler" mentioned, I was coming over the top of the ball. So keep on plugging and keep us informed Tim

I had the exact same problem when I started out. What I did first was stregnthened my grip (which means the gap between your thumb and idex finger on your right hand should be pointing straight down the shaft) and also didn't grip it as hard. Ideally, you should grip it about as hard as you would an egg; strong enough to hold it without breaking. And make sure you don't grip harder on the downswing, which was a huge problem with me. The pop ups are more complicated...

Thanks for the replies.

I've been told to practice hitting 6,7,8,9 irons until I can make consistent contact with the ball. Once in a while I'll take out the driver and it usually starts out low and straight then makes a 90 degree right turn. During my practice swings I sometimes notice the over the top swing. Should I try flattening out my swing?

I have a neutral club grip using an interlocking grip. On my back swing and about halfway down my down swing I use a neutral grip. Once I'm about to make contact with the ball my grip naturally tightens.

I've been whipping my hands on the down swing to generate more club head speed. Is this correct technique?

My back swing is just casual and I don't try swinging till my hands are a little above my hips on the down swing.

Let me make a suggestion of some reading material that will answer every question that you have. Not that I dont want to but I think Ben Hogan is a little more qualified. The book is

Five Lessons: The Modern Fundementals of Golf by Ben Hogan This is a must read by ALL golfers.

So I just got back from the driving range.

I tried loosening my left hand grip on the down swing to let my right hand dominate and I was able to hit the ball straight. My driver on the other hand still has that straight/slice ball flight, but not as bad as before (maybe 30 yards to the right of my target).

I've been trying to work on a single plane golf swing (after reading stuff online/watching videos of ben hogan) every day practicing my swing in the living room, but haven't been able to generate much power yet. Also, my left shoulder blade muscle is killing me.

I'll definitely order a copy of that book, thanks!

A straight/slice tells me you're on plan but your club face is open. Try moving your left hand further right to strengthen your grip. There's a gem in one of the golf magazines this month. Stand straight up and let your arms fall naturally to the side. Where are your palms facing? Back, side forward. Whatever your position is how you should grip the club. This may help with getting your hands to turn over. Also watch that left arm chicken wing.

Also, on Hogan's book. Keep in mind that he had a lot of anti-hook elements in his swing. It's a great book but you need to know that.

kfowler is right about the grip position.

I always thought in order to have the "correct" swing everything had to meet the list of "by-laws"....i.e grip, swing, stance etc. But after adjusting my grip out of the "normal" nuetral positions into a lot stonger position (about 1 o'clock) I found I never sliced. But like I mentioned in a earlier post with the purchace of the longer driver, I had to change another "bi-law" and change my stance and change my grip to a John Daly, 2 o'clock position grip position. Now I cant hit a crooked shot. But I do have one more tool in my bag now...if I want ot hit a fade all I have to do is change my grip position and I will fade it everytime. Sometimes you find the rose amoungst all the thorns.

Right, he was a advocate of a "nuetral" grip and he had a flatter swing. Like I said yesterday, for those of us that wasn't born with the God given talents of a Ben Hogan, we have to take what works and forget the rest.

Standing straight up with my arms falling naturally both palms are facing each other. My left thumb is directly in line with the grip logo while my right thumb is almost directly in line (pointing slightly to the left).

I'll try a stronger grip with my driver the next time I'm out on the range.

I just noticed yesterday that my hips weren't clearing. My finishing swing looks like I just hit down the line (my belt buckle facing the target with my left elbow pointing to 11'o clock). If I try rotating my hips faster I finish with a swing going through the shot (my belt buckle to target with my left elbow pointing to 9'o clock). The thing is I thought I've always been rotating my hips as fast as I could.

Would uncleared hips cause a slice?

Generally when your half swing goes almost as far as your full swing, it means you are coming over the top which causes the left arm to break down prior to impact to allow the club to travel across the line, out to in. When the arm breaks down the left wrist cups backward and the club is then up lofted so your 9 iron is now a sand wedge loft. The shorter swing allows for less over the top and the left wrist is flatter at impact thus the greater respective distance. Most instructors will say its an early release, but really it is the outside move which collapses the left arm which pops up the ball in a scooping motion.

I still think Bobby Jones's drill of hitting balls with your feet together is one of the best to feel the body turn back and through and keep the club swinging inside to inside so that the cluhead is being swung by the body, (not the arms), allowing it to release and close through impact. An arms swing is not connected to the body turn and thus is generally open at impact which means slice.

Your hips need to turn to make room for your arms to clear the body. This is called "clearing". The faster you make your hips turn at impact, the later the club will be "released" by your hands and wrist and thus the greater chance of fading or slicing. The slower your hips turn, the faster your hands and wrists will "release", increasing your chance of drawing or hooking the ball.

As it seems from your description you seem to be in the early learning stages of this nice game...

At this point i wouldnt even bother trying different kinds of shots - your main goal has to be to get the fundamentals right and making better solid ball contact (90 y with 9i is far from solid imo). Dont try to manipuliate your swing plane or go with active hands.

Did you ever had a pro lesson who got you started with the fundamentals like grip/posture/stance and the different phases of the swing?

Esp. in the beginning you should work with somebody on site about the fundamentels- it will save you touble afterwards.

You have hit on something that most people do not realize. The lower body transfers weight back to the lead foot but does not turn much until after impact. Ben Hogan felt like he turned his hips as fast as he could and players for years have been fighting an over active lower body which is beyond the ball at impact so the club is open and nothing is left to hit with through the ball. If you look at Hogan's swing his hips were square or slightly open at impact but he is still behind the ball. He could not have been in such a position had he turned hips as "hard as he could" to start the downswing. The clubhead has too far to travel and cannot catch up if the hips turn too much too soon in the downswing.