Fixing my slice for the LAST time!

[binga7]

Im not sure what kind of illusion i was under but today i realised my swing stinks. I only played 5 holes and lost 4 balls. All of them from wicked slices with the driver into the goom!

I am analysing every part of my swing and feel that the slice could be coming from anywhere.

Mostly its a straight slice (ball starts straight and spins way right, 40-50 meters off target)

Occasionally ill push slice because im trying so hard to swing out.

Is it possible for an over the top to cause a push slice?

I also notice im hitting the inside of the driver moreso than the center.

One other thing i recently changed was having my left foot open more than usual to help me turn into the follow through. It feels as though this may be causing me to pull across, however i am not pull slicing.

Where should i start in relation to rebuilding my swing? Video, lesson, drills???
I have hit rock bottom and am sick of the sliced driver!

[Zeph]

You are swinging out-in with a square clubface when it starts straight and curves right. When you push-slice it, the difference is an open clubface, you probably still got the out-in swingpath.

I'd recommend getting your swing on a video, or getting lessons. I don't believe in random drills, since they are afterall random and may not work for you.

[binga7]

Im going to go out tomorrow, not change anything and video it. Hopefully this will paint a clear picture.

ATM i struggle to stay with a consistent swing. I really only play golf 6 months a year, and it seems when i come back i get another bad habit in my swing. Yet somehow my short game improves which keeps my handicap in check.

Funnily enough i feel i hit the ball more consistent when i first took up golf 2 years ago, just didnt have the short game back then. IIRC i just used to take the backswing way inside to play a draw, and could do it 9 out of 10 swings. Then one day one of the local guys told me i was swinging too flat, so i started to swing more upright and not go so inside on the takeaway.

ARGHH this game shits me sometimes, but im always left wanting more....

[Danattherock]

Not going inside on the take away is good advice. I was doing that until this year. Now I focus on going straight back the first 2' or so. Puts me in a different position to say the least. I can't articulate all the benefits, but they were there. Does that alone make you slice "40-50 meters"? Perhaps not.

I would advise against opening your lead foot at it could encourage a slice.

Lessons? Sure, always money well spent.

Overswinging? Stop it!! Ha ha... We all do (or have done) it. Try 3/4 swings with some of the minor changes mentioned above. Sounds like you got nothing to lose. No offense. The difficulty of the game is what keeps us coming back.

Also, read Bobby Clampett's book, "The Impact Zone". It changed the way I look at the golf swing. Namely realizing the bottom of the swing should be 4" in front of the ball and learning that high handicappers hit 2-4" behind the ball. Eye opening view of the golf swing. I never knew just how far the hands are ahead of the clubhead at impact till I read that book. I had been doing it wrong for 20 years.

Tour Striker Pro is a great training aid to enforce a forward leaning shaft at impact. Got mine on the way now. Just figured I would throw that out in case you had not heard of it. Insanely popular training club from what I can see. Looking forward to finding out what all the hype is about next week.


-Dan

[Zeph]

Not going inside on the take away is good advice. I was doing that until this year. Now I focus on going straight back the first 2' or so.

Could not disagree more. Here is the problem with random drills and fixes. Some might work once or twice, but to find the problem and solution, you probably need more help.

We have no idea what causes your slice. For all we know you could be taking the club away too far out already. I would say that moving the club straight back from the start is a bad advice whatever you struggle with. Perhaps it might feel that way, but the clubs should start on the arc right away. Still, that can be part of a style and it might work. Guesswork, guesswork, guesswork. Get a video up.

[Danattherock]

Seems taking the club straight back from the address position is a fundamental of the game. When I found out about that it helped me in a big way. I would encourage anyone to research this further or see what their teaching pro might suggest. From what I learned earlier this year, many of my faults were caused by taking the club around my body too quickly from the address position. When I started taking the club straight back, many dissapeared.


-Dan

[Zeph]

Seems taking the club straight back from the address position is a fundamental of the game.

It is not. Everything it does is promote a loopy swing since you move the club off the plane right away. This leads to compensations.

Of course whipping the club too far inside is not good, but going straight back is not good either. The club should trace the plane all the way from the start of the backswing. We swing on an inclined plane, the clubhead only trace the target line at address and somewhere around impact. That's not to say you can't swing like that, but in my opinion it leads to more compensations, which makes the swing more complicated and harder to perfect.

[Danattherock]

All I can tell you is what it did for me. It helped. The instructor said I was getting stuck in the backswing because I was taking the club behind me too soon in the take away. He told me to take the club straight back for a foot or two. I now hit the ball much straighter than before.


-Dan

[binga7]

Thanks for the input guys. I got a video to put up in my swing thread.