Help with a big slice

[FenderStrat62]

Hey, guys. I'm having a trouble with a really big slice. It mostly applies to my driver, but is inconsistently a problem with my other clubs, too.

At the beginning of the summer, I got my Nike Dymo Squared driver. These clubs are supposed to be so straight that you can't shape the ball. For a while, this was true for me. I was crushing the ball (for my standards) either very straight or with just a hint of a draw. I had never hit my driver better or played better golf for about a month.

Then for the last two weeks or so, it all left. I developed a BIG slice in my drives. I wasn't really sure what was going on, until today. I hit another big slice with my driver, but I hit a slightly dirty ball with a clean clubface. I noticed that the dirt mark the ball made was nearly dead center in the sweet spot of the club. So that would seem to imply that I'm opening my clubface on my down swing, right?

Do you guys have any tips or anything in my swing to watch for that would cause me to randomly start opening my clubface?

Thanks,

Kyle

[Zeph]

Does the ball start to the left, straight ahead or right?

[FenderStrat62]

Does the ball start to the left, straight ahead or right?

I want to say it starts pretty straight ahead then takes a big right turn. It doesn't take long to get going to the right, though.

[billysandy]

Try to flatten your swing - ie bring it back and thru on a flatter plane. And try to keep your shoulders straight at impact. Without a video, you will find very similar replies on this thread!

[Zeph]

Then you are hitting over the top, swinging out-to-in and putting a lot of sidespin on the ball. If you have the chance, a video would help.

[FenderStrat62]

Thanks for the replies. I'd like to video my swing, but I'm not really sure I have a convenient way to. I'll look into it.

[FenderStrat62]

So, until I can video my swing, are there any common ways to fix an out-to-in swing? Anything I can key on and think about?

[ohiolefty]

Flattening is bad advice. If you've got major path issues, going flat just opens up a huge can of worms in my opinion and experience...as it destroyed my game for 4-6 months.


As far as curing a slice the simple way...look at your grip. Make sure it's not too weak. Also look at your alignment. Really focus on grip and setup and make sure that's right first.

You also might want to do short shots with a medium to low lofted club (like 120 yard 6 irons or whatever it is for you) to work on your path, tempo and contact to make sure you're coming from the inside with a square(er) clubface.

[max power]

Then you are hitting over the top, swinging out-to-in and putting a lot of sidespin on the ball. If you have the chance, a video would help.

90% chance this is correct-even without seeing your swing.

[Taggsy]

Tee up your ball as normal. Then place a ball marker / another tee on the ground about a foot left of the ball, and 6 inches away from the target line (away from you).
Now when you swing for the ball, make sure the club passes through the ball, and also the marker on the ground.
It will feel odd at first, but that's the path you need for an in-to-out swing.

Give that a try and let us know how you get on.

[FenderStrat62]

Tee up your ball as normal. Then place a ball marker / another tee on the ground about a foot left of the ball, and 6 inches away from the target line (away from you).

I appreciate this advice. I might go to the range today, so I'd like to get a little clarification.

When you are referencing directions to the ball, do you mean looking at the ball from behind or looking at the ball from my stance? So when you say "a foot left of the ball," do you mean between the ball and the green, which would be left from my perspective of approaching the ball? And by 6 inches away from the target line, you mean on the other side of the ball, right? So, to say it another way, if I was standing behind the ball, I'd have a marker a foot in front of the ball, and 6 inches to the right? Sorry for the dumb question, just making sure I understand you.

[Zeph]

The point is to not swing over the top.



The upper arrow is your swing path, moving from outside to inside, cutting across the ball. The lower arrow is exaggerated, you really don't want to swing that far out, but trying to swing like that can help getting the feeling of it. What you feel is usually not what happens. There are lots of ways to work on this. Putting obstacles you try to hit or avoid can help, but it doesn't get to the root of your problems, which is in the backswing and/or downswing.

Which is why I recommend you try getting your swing on video. Use this article as a guide to the setup: http://thesandtrap.com/playing_tips/filming_your_swing

Working on drills where you hit through tees, avoid them or something like that will probably give some immediate results, but I doubt they would be very consistant.

[FenderStrat62]

The point is to not swing over the top.

Thanks for the post. The picture gives me a lot better understanding of what's going on. I also bookmarked the filming your swing link.

I appreciate the help.

[newtogolf]

Most of my slice issues are caused by grip, overswinging or bailing out (lifting shoulders up) at ball impact.

[iacas]

Most of my slice issues are caused by grip, overswinging or bailing out (lifting shoulders up) at ball impact.

No, can't say I agree at all.

Most slices are caused by the hands not getting the necessary depth and the weight not getting far enough forward.

[FenderStrat62]

I didn't make it to the range today. I might tomorrow. But I hit some foam practice balls with some irons and wedges out in the yard. The grass is thick, so I could tell from the path my club left through the grass, that I do indeed have an "over the top" swing, as was talked about earlier in the thread.

Now to fix it.

[JetFan1983]

Now to fix it.

That's the spirit

I'm right there with ya.

[Zeph]

Now to fix it.

Here is a comparison of a before and after swing. The first one over the top, the second one not. First is a slice swing, second is a draw swing. Might help visualize it.

http://www.youtubedoubler.com/?video...ame=DJ+E-Train