Bad slice - possible its the driver?

[SoundandFury]

Well, playing the ball back can help you swing more out, just the geometry of the arc.  I would not recommend it because the angle of attack will increase.  So to draw it with the driver, play the ball a ball or two in front of the left shoulder and aim the body a little right at address.

In terms of the face, you're correct, hit draws with a face aimed right of the target.  Most slicers/faders hit the ball with a face LEFT of the target and the path further left of the face.

Makes sense re the geometry of the arc, but it's never worked for me.  Everyone once in a while I'll start losing the the ball right, and it will inevitable be due to either the ball creeping back in my stance or me creeping an inch or two closer to the ball.

I think so much of this stuff is personal that it's hard to rely on tips from any magazine, golf channel show, etc.  I struggled with squaring the club for a long time, which resulted in a lot of trips to the trees on the right.  I became able to work the ball right to left  on command (thereby eliminating my slice) with the swing thought of hitting the ball with the back of left hand.

[nvestn]

I took a client out last night for 9 holes - my first time playing since I felt like I made a breakthrough with my driver. I played my best 9 holes ever (which still isn't much but as a beginner it feels amazing)! The thing I found that allowed me to stop slicing is what I think most people call the "release". Here is how I can best explain what I'm doing : I am consciously accelerating/releasing my hands just prior to impact. I wouldn't say that I am flipping my wrists or anything that drastic, but it does require a conscious effort - so far it has been very consistent. It's almost as if I'm lagging the clubhead behind and at the very last moment I'm allowing it to accelerate and swing through. Does that sound right? Am I doing something that is simply a band-aid for a bad swing or is that how the "release" should feel? With this new "breakthrough" in my golf swing, I find that I am hitting balls off the tee much more consistently and I seem to be getting way fewer mishits. I am not slicing my other clubs (except for maybe a slight fade on my RBZ Stage 2 3 hybrid) and am getting consistent and crisp contact on all my irons without doing this conscious release. I assume I should be doing this with all clubs? I know this is off the original topic, but since the discussion is happening I thought I'd ask! Thanks :)

[SoundandFury]

I took a client out last night for 9 holes - my first time playing since I felt like I made a breakthrough with my driver.

I played my best 9 holes ever (which still isn't much but as a beginner it feels amazing)!

The thing I found that allowed me to stop slicing is what I think most people call the "release". Here is how I can best explain what I'm doing : I am consciously accelerating/releasing my hands just prior to impact. I wouldn't say that I am flipping my wrists or anything that drastic, but it does require a conscious effort - so far it has been very consistent. It's almost as if I'm lagging the clubhead behind and at the very last moment I'm allowing it to accelerate and swing through.

Does that sound right? Am I doing something that is simply a band-aid for a bad swing or is that how the "release" should feel?

With this new "breakthrough" in my golf swing, I find that I am hitting balls off the tee much more consistently and I seem to be getting way fewer mishits.

I am not slicing my other clubs (except for maybe a slight fade on my RBZ Stage 2 3 hybrid) and am getting consistent and crisp contact on all my irons without doing this conscious release. I assume I should be doing this with all clubs?

I know this is off the original topic, but since the discussion is happening I thought I'd ask!

Thanks :)

Yah, I'd say you're on the right track.  That's basically what I was referring to.  I have never and will never buy the idea that there's no "release" of the club head.  Whatever swing thought gets you there is great.  I will say that it gets less "conscious" as it gets grooved.  For me, when I think about it now (it's generally after I block one way right), it's a very bad thing and I hook the shit out it.  One caveat though, all this is assuming you don't have a path issue.  You'll know you do if you miss left/left.  For me, I found the release much more difficult to get than the path.  I still miss one or two straight right, which while it doesn't cost the distance of a slice, it still puts me in an crappy situtation.

[Strandly]

I'm awfully skeptical of the golf store monitoring equipment now.  When I bought my clubs several months ago and before I learned how to (more) properly hit a ball the monitors were spitting out distances that I now realize were completely bogus.  I suppose it could be a quirk of the software or something but I don't think so.  I suspect they pad the readings somewhat to make the clubs look like they're making you a better player than you actually are so you run out and buy them.

Anyway, I wouldn't put much stock in equipment like that as far as evaluating a club, like someone posted on this site months ago.. it's the indian not the arrow.

[nvestn]

Good to know!