Open stance fixed my slice?

[lordhamster]

I'm a relatively new golfer. I'm working on season 2.5 right now. Up till this season I didn't ever use my driver because whenever I tried it just sliced it. Bannana ball city.

Anyway, today I'm at the range (I've been practicing my driver). I'm trying everything from overgripping to closing the club face a bit to closing my stance. Nothing seems to work reliably.

Then just on a whim I opened my stance. Right foot 2 inches ahead of my left foot (I'm a righty). All of a sudden every ball I hit thereafter flew starlight as an arrow or had a slight draw to it! I didn't have much distance (200 yards max) but I was happy to see the ball flight straighten out.

BTW I also bought the inside approach training tool. I've tried it and It seems I'm not having any trouble hitting the pad on the inside approach tool no matter what I do with my slice.

Interestingly, my irons I don't slice at all, I just hit fat or thin or have other minor issues... its really the driver that just gives me fits. Anyone have any idea why this might be that an open stance can seemingly temporarily fix a slice?

[jambalaya]

Sounds like ball position. When you open up your stance your are effectively moving the ball further up (close to the target) in your stance. Placing the ball too far back in the stance is a very common fault for the driver. Take your address and lay a club on the ground up against your the inside of your front heel perpindicular to the target line and extended out in front of you where you would tee up a ball. Make sure it is square. Put a ball up against the club on the target side of the club out in front of you about where you would tee it up. That is where the ball needs to be in relationship to your set up with a driver. It could be a ball or so back but no more. This will allow you to better contact the ball on the upswing and get the clubhead square.

[lordhamster]

Sounds like ball position. When you open up your stance your are effectively moving the ball further up (close to the target) in your stance. Placing the ball too far back in the stance is a very common fault for the driver. Take your address and lay a club on the ground up against your the inside of your front heel perpindicular to the target line and extended out in front of you where you would tee up a ball. Make sure it is square. Put a ball up against the club on the target side of the club out in front of you about where you would tee it up. That is where the ball needs to be in relationship to your set up with a driver. It could be a ball or so back but no more. This will allow you to better contact the ball on the upswing and get the clubhead square.

Thanks for the tip man! I'm going to the range tonight to do some more experimenting w/ the driver. I'll definitely try the ball position. I generally line up the ball with my left (forward) foot, but I may be too far back with it.. i never really pay too much attention to it.

[Avid Golfer]

Anyway, today I'm at the range (I've been practicing my driver).

Its possible you had faulty lower body action during the swing, and that the open lower body alignment lead to your lower body being more braced and stable during the swing.

[itzzzberny]

are you irons graphite? steel?
driver graphite? steel?

i would think that if you had steel irons and driver with graphite both swings would be have to be paced differently. correct me if i'm wrong...

[lordhamster]

are you irons graphite? steel?

My Irons have graphite regular flex.

Driver has Graphite Stiff I may try out my wife's driver see if it has any effect. She has the ladies version of my Cleveland HiBore, so I'd assume it would be more of a regular flex shaft like my irons.

[jambalaya]

Its possible you had faulty lower body action during the swing, and that the open lower body alignment lead to your lower body being more braced and stable during the swing.

What I said about ball position for the driver is correct but something else I said was wrong. Opening the stance actually effectively moves the ball back in the stance. I think what Avid golfer said is pretty sound too.

[lordhamster]

Well guys, i went back tonight and for the life of me I could not hit a slice. I had a normal stance, neutral grip and left heel ball position. The balls all went about 200 yards carry and little or no slice. All would have been on the fairway or in the rough, no trees this time. :)

I don't know whats going on, but I'm hoping maybe I'm growing out of my slice.
Its so frustrating to now know what is causing a problem, and almost as frustrating not to know what is fixing the problem.

[Garthmo]

LOL, you think that it is gone for good? LOL. Just keep practicing and learning but dont be surprised when you go out to play and it magically appears!! The hardest part is being consistant. My slice was gone too but now unless I am really carfull with my swing speed and timing it will show up. Good luck

Oh and remember that the range is a totally different game than out on the course...

[iacas]

Sounds like ball position.

I doubt it, or at least don't think that's necessarily the first thing I'd think of. But anyway, we aren't watching him hit balls so who knows.

Its possible you had faulty lower body action during the swing, and that the open lower body alignment lead to your lower body being more braced and stable during the swing.

That's more my speed. I play from an open stance. If I get too closed, my hips don't have the room to turn through. I get a bit slidey or I'm just forced to use my arms, which come over the top if my hips don't turn.

An open stance really lets my hips rotate through. Perhaps that's what benefitted the OP.

[jr001280]

I agree that opening your stance must allow you to clear your hips properly. normally when you open your stance it CAUSES you to fade or slice, becuase now your clubface is open to the target line (your feet). This method is actually a way tiger hits a fade. with an open stance you will be able to turn through the ball better rather then sliding, which is what im guessing your doing. also placing the ball back in your stance would only increase a fade/slice as well. think about it logically. the farther back in your stance the ball is the less time the clubhead has to square up to the ball. Thus the clubface will be open at impact.

[iacas]

also placing the ball back in your stance would only increase a fade/slice as well. think about it logically. the farther back in your stance the ball is the less time the clubhead has to square up to the ball. Thus the clubface will be open at impact.

Not necessarily. If you can square the clubface back in your stance, you're more likely to hit a draw because the clubface is coming more from the inside at that point in the swing.

[Uthinkso]

I'm gonna really dedicate myself to the driver this month, actually long clubs in general. I have steel shaft irons, and my driver is a graphite stiff shaft. My 3W is the floater that has a graphite regular flex shaft.

I don't really pay much attention to my stance with the driver. I just stand open to it and swing the big stick. So its no wonder that I slice it like a banana. The softer I swing though the straighter and more managable the ball is.

[jambalaya]

Not necessarily. If you can square the clubface back in your stance, you're more likely to hit a draw because the clubface is coming more from the inside at that point in the swing.

I can understand the idea that opening the stance could allow one to more freely turn the hips but cannot see how an open stance promotes more of an inside out swing. If I were to open my stance 90 degrees the club is totally coming from the outside, close the stance 90 degrees and I am totally coming from the inside.