Help my slice!

Bradderzzzzzzz · May 5, 2009

i have just started playing golf seriously. my irons and putting are very good and also my wedges, however my driving is inconsistent. i sometimes hit it long and straight where others i'll slice it! i always get good distance but can't stop slice.

**alf174** · May 5, 2009

You're not alone, Its the hardest club in you bag to hit and seems to magnify every little mistake. Best thing to do is find an instructor so that he/she can critique you swing fundamentals.

**kregan** · May 5, 2009

Just slow it down and tell yourself to hit a nice 150 yard drive and see how that works for you.

I also cut 3/4" off my driver and that helped me a lot.

mikerogers · May 5, 2009

make sure you have the right shaft on your driver for you, because having a shaft that isnt stiff enough will result in the club head being behind your hands at impact, therefore resulting in a push or slice.

**Sandplay** · May 5, 2009

I was exactly the same when i started since then i have slowed my swing down and have the slice has pretty much gone. Also experiment with using stronger and weaker grips until you can get consistency.

**flopdarock** · May 5, 2009

take your driver...
a tee...
go to your back yard or someplace secluded that you can swing the driver freely without being bothered...
address the tee as if there is a ball on top...
take slow motion swings and really take notes on positioning...
set up positioning...
grip positioning...
driver face positioning at impact...
then gradually swing faster and faster taking it to the range and redo the whole deal until you get the feel of hitting it straight...

**TheWarHound** · May 5, 2009

Shaft stiffness messed me up in the beginning, but after changing to a regular flex, the slice is gone . . . except for an occasional "whatthehellwasthat" moment . . .

**Dub** · May 6, 2009

Don't sweat it.

Most all of us began with a slice. It is an aggravating shot....I shared your pain!!!!

The good news is that you can get rid of it....shuck it like a bad cold or stomach virus.....and in about the same time.

Go see a doctor / pro. Listen to their perscription. Take the meds they give you and work on it for a range session or two and then go back to see them.

It can be fixed in just a couple of lessons....maybe even the first.

I would not advise cutting length off your clubs or changing out shafts or anything else......go see a pro and spend the $40 on the lesson. Pay attention and work on what he / she says. You'll beat it in no time flat.

**Pinseeker81** · May 6, 2009

What ultimately fixed my huge slice was keeping the right elbow to my side on the downswing and making sure to start the swing with my hip turn instead of the arms. A bad shot now is just a larger fade than I wanted instead of a huge slice. I can even draw on command now a lot of the time. That is a thing to behold when 90º right was your norm for so long!

**ks8829** · May 6, 2009

take your PW and practice hitting shots with the shaft parallal with the ground on the back swing and the forward swing.

The shaft should be on line with the target and the toe point straight up on the backswing and straight up on the follow through. This drill helps you feel the club turning over after impact. if you are not releasing the club the toe will not be straight up and the ball with react off line.

This is an easy drill to see the impact zone and you can try hitting this shot with your 8, 6, 5, irons and even your hybrids and fairway woods and then test it with your driver. First with the backswing at hip level and slowly working the club further back at different increments until you are at full swing.

Most time your grip is incorrect or your grip pressure is too much on your right hand not allowing the club to turn over at and after impact.

**madcityscott** · May 15, 2009

The shaft should be on line with the target and the toe point straight up on the backswing and straight up on the follow through. This drill helps you feel the club turning over after impact. if you are not releasing the club the toe will not be straight up and the ball with react off line.

I totally agree with these two points. I struggled like crazy with my slice and two things that straightened me out were releasing the club and lightening my grip pressure. (A good hip turn is essential too--try to get your belt buckle and club head back to the ball at the same time.)

Now if only I could stop ballooning my drives...

**deafheaven** · May 15, 2009

Practice hitting draw shots on the driving range. To do so you'll have to use an exaggerated inside out swing. Also, if you don't already have an offset driver, you might consider getting one. It will help a lot (although ultimately it is the mechanics you want to fix).

browntown · May 15, 2009

I had the same problem at the beginning of last year. Occasional straight shot, mostly slices with a good amount of distance. This is how I fixed it.

First off, watch a bunch of videos of pros hitting shots. This will put the idea in your head on what your swing should look like.

These are the points I focused on. First off, I made sure my clubhead was outside on my backswing, meaning if you are looking down the line, the clubhead is outside my hands.

Second, make sure I am keeping my left arm straight as well as making a full shoulder turn.

Third, initiate your downswing with your hips, not your arms. Exaggerate this move because you can't really over do it.

At the range I would take tees and make a path from inside to outside. Then I would practice hitting balls through this path. If I hit one of the tees, I knew I was coming over the top. With enough practice you will be duck-hooking shots no problem!

Lastly, don't get mad. We're not pros. We don't have the right to get mad.

**cougar978** · May 15, 2009

While the above advice may work in theory, it gives the player far too much to think about. I am going to 'borrow' a line from Harvey Penick's Little Red Book concerning fixing the slice - note that there isn't a whole lot to think in terms of swing mechanics, just alignment and mental imagery:

'A sure cure for the slicer is to pretend you are on the baseball field at home plate. Take your stance to aim your body slightly to the right of second base, but aim your clubface straight at the base. Then hit the ball over the shortstop. Use a 7-iron first, and then a 3-wood'

When I was 13-14, I had one of the worst slices in the world, to the point that I was petrified of going out of bounds or into a hazard on any hole with trouble right. I remember reading this clip in Golf Digest when they did a story about Penick in 1992, and I took that to the range with me - anytime I hit a slice, I go back to that mental image, and it's cured for the most part. The only issue with that is, it makes you hit long and left, but that can be easily overcome with alignment adjustments.

**HytrewQasdfg** · May 15, 2009

There are several different flight patterns that people call a "slice". The cures for each is different. Before you start taking advice to fix it, deterime what kind of slice you really have.

(These are all for right handed golfers, leftys need to reverse the directions.)

Slice - ball starts to the left (big or small), then curves big to the right.
Fade - ball starts slightly to the left, then curves slightly to the right (opposite of a draw, not a bad shot to have.)
Straight Fade - ball starts straight, then curves slightly to the right.
Straight Slice - ball starts straight, the curbes big to the right.
Push - ball starts to the right and flies in a straight line.
Push Fade - ball starts to the right, and curves slightly to the right.
Push Slice - ball starts to the right, then curves big to the right.

Your inital ball flight is determined by your swing path. If your initial ball flight is to the left, you have an outside/in swing (what some call over the top.) If you initial ball flight is to the right, you have an inside/out swing.

Your secondary ball flight is determined by your clubface angle. If the clubface is open at impact, the ball curves to the right. If the clubface is closed at impact, the ball curves to the left.

**wachesawgolfer** · May 15, 2009

I think a slice is simply an arms swing which is out to in and decelerating causing the face to open and quits at the ball. Practice swinging anything a rake or a short club, especially a putter and let it slide down your body and then turn through so the implement stays back and you can swing it through your impact zone not just to it. Then you can take a 9 iron and practice swinging through balls with the club back behind your hands not out in front. I know, it is very hard to keep a driver back and the moment you add arms to the downswing, because of the perceived need to add power and speed, the club gets ahead of the hands, opens, and dies at the ball = slice.

Sign In

Help my slice!

Recommended Posts

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

Create an account

Sign in

Topics Being Discussed Right Now on The Sand Trap

TST Partners

Posts

Important Information