Constant hits on hosel side of clubface?

[OhioBuckeye]

So I've beening slicing pretty bad lately. Today I cleaned my face after every hit in order to see the ball mark. Almost 96% of the time the ball mark would exist on the hosel side in a good bit from center.

This is cutting about 75 yards of distance and also slicing.

Any thoughts on what I can do to insure I hit the center. I have a feeling it can be one of 2 things if not both. Swing place and open face.

I tried everything just to hit one in the center and I hit maybe 1 out of 50 there. Pretty bad.

Thoughts and suggestions?

[senorchipotle]

more than likely you're playing the ball to close to your feet and coming over the top with an outside in swing. try playing the ball farther away from your feet so you're coming from the inside, and you'll stop slicing. you should also take your clubs out and swing each one back and forth, standing at address, brushing the ground back and forth. on your forward swings, you will notice that your swing bottoms out at a certain point. this will be different for each club, and it shows you where you should place your ball.

[woodzie264]

In agreement with the first response, try to hit the ball with the toe of the club; while this is an over-simplied approach, it works for me during a bout of the shanks/slices.

[Ed_Bighead]

I would recommend standing farther from the ball as well. When I switched from a ten-finger to an overlapping grip, I found that I was hitting inconsistently from standing to close to the ball. Once I got used to backing up a bit, I was hitting better, and the ball was making contact with the clubface in the correct spot.

[OhioBuckeye]

ok it seems when I address and in relaxed arms that I'm standing the right distance. But when I hit my arms are more fully extended. Is this normal for everyone else?

I'm concerned because it seems like I have to have the club almost inches away from the ball at address. meaning like 2 inches torwards me from the ball? Something doesn't seem right with that.

[Ed_Bighead]

It makes sense, the force from swinging the club will "stretch out" your arms; maybe try having your arms a little more extended and your left arm straight when you setup? That way, the club head will be in the same place when you swing through. I'm probably not someone to be taking advice from, but when I setup my left arm is completly straight and a tad extended; then, when I swing, I try to keep most of my body in the same position so I know the club is going to end up where it started.

[Montezumasdaddy]

I had just the opposite problem, I would hit everything on the toe. I was making good swings they just didn't feel "solid" and always came up short. Now at address I have the hosel lined up with the center of the ball and that gets me hitting the sweet spot. Took a while getting used to and I'm not sure why I have to do that but for right now it's working. I'll try to work on the cause next time I get to the range.

[senorchipotle]

ok it seems when I address and in relaxed arms that I'm standing the right distance. But when I hit my arms are more fully extended. Is this normal for everyone else?

I'm going to second Ed on this one. with all my clubs, i make sure my left arm is completely extended in the position i want to end up as i strike the ball. keeping your left arm straight at address ensures, all low handicappers i know of do this.

[OhioBuckeye]

Ok I believe you are all correct. I took some practice setups and swings in the house and I see that yes I need to have my arms compeltely outstretched at address. I'll try this. Almost going to move the ball tad forward in my stance so it sits of my right toe instead of my right inside heel. I guess it just felt strange have that amount of space between the end of the club and my stomach.

[OhioBuckeye]

ok Staying with front heel. Yea after posting I read a number of articles and everything said front left heel. So I'll stick with that but go with the arms straight/fully extended at address.

Thanks

[shankapotamus]

NO!!!!!! do not put it at your front toe! your driver should be at your front heel,

Ehh, I believe ball position is kinda personal. But to each his own.