I Closed My Stance and It Straightened My Shot

[billchao]

I've been struggling with a slice lately. It's a straight fade that fades too much. Knowing this, I decided on the course (through my limited understanding of golf) that the main culprit is my swing path.

To fix this, I closed my stance slightly. Basically, I would line up as I would normally do, then just drop my right foot back a couple of inches, keeping my clubface orientation the same, and swing. I figured that if I was swinging out-to-in with my feet neutral, closing my stance would rotate my arc enough to be more in-square-in.

The result was straighter shots. I would describe them as straight with a slight (a few yards) fade. I even hit a few draws, which I haven't done in a while. The other thing I noticed was that this allowed me to straighten my right knee more easily (I'm pretty flexible, so my right knee stays fairly flexed at the top of my backswing).

I'm not saying this is a miracle cure, because I still mishit plenty of shots, but the ones I flushed were great, and the ones I hit marginally well were significantly better than earlier in the round.

I'm basically hitting pulls, right? I just want to know if this is something that I should work on and incorporate into my swing, or is this just a Band-Aid and I should really be focusing on fixing my swing path?

[Jakester23]

Im by know means an expert at any of this stuff but I kinda had/have this same problem.  For me what feels closed is actually square or very slightly close.  Ive always played a fade so Ive naturally been open at address which felt square.  Once I started messing with shaping shots (basically working on a draw)  Ive found that square feels closed to me.  When I want to draw the ball or even hit it straight I have to feel like my target is basically on my left shoulder.  This might be a feel thing for me and Im probably wrong but the more open I am the more fade/slice I get.

[Strandly]

I've been struggling with a slice lately. It's a straight fade that fades too much. Knowing this, I decided on the course (through my limited understanding of golf) that the main culprit is my swing path.

To fix this, I closed my stance slightly. Basically, I would line up as I would normally do, then just drop my right foot back a couple of inches, keeping my clubface orientation the same, and swing. I figured that if I was swinging out-to-in with my feet neutral, closing my stance would rotate my arc enough to be more in-square-in.

The result was straighter shots. I would describe them as straight with a slight (a few yards) fade. I even hit a few draws, which I haven't done in a while. The other thing I noticed was that this allowed me to straighten my right knee more easily (I'm pretty flexible, so my right knee stays fairly flexed at the top of my backswing).

I'm not saying this is a miracle cure, because I still mishit plenty of shots, but the ones I flushed were great, and the ones I hit marginally well were significantly better than earlier in the round.

I'm basically hitting pulls, right? I just want to know if this is something that I should work on and incorporate into my swing, or is this just a Band-Aid and I should really be focusing on fixing my swing path?

I did the exact same thing earlier this summer to fix a small slice that I couldn't seem to get rid of and I asked if it was a quality fix or a Band-Aid on another site.  I never did get a response but now that I have a bit more experience I'm certain it's a Band-Aid and not something you'll want to do all the time.

[mvmac]

I'm basically hitting pulls, right? I just want to know if this is something that I should work on and incorporate into my swing, or is this just a Band-Aid and I should really be focusing on fixing my swing path?

Maybe a slight pull if the ball is starting left of where you want it to start.  If the swing direction is already well left, aiming to the right can help the swing path be less left or across the ball.  Wouldn't call it a band aid.  I would just make sure not to aim right and swing towards the target.

[billchao]

Im by know means an expert at any of this stuff but I kinda had/have this same problem.  For me what feels closed is actually square or very slightly close.  Ive always played a fade so Ive naturally been open at address which felt square.  Once I started messing with shaping shots (basically working on a draw)  Ive found that square feels closed to me.  When I want to draw the ball or even hit it straight I have to feel like my target is basically on my left shoulder.  This might be a feel thing for me and Im probably wrong but the more open I am the more fade/slice I get.

When I used to play a draw, I would aim for my ball to finish where my left shoulder was pointing. I didn't pay attention much to my swing back then, so I can't say for certain how I lined up. Sometimes I would bring my wife with me to the range and she would tell me I wasn't lined up correctly (when I felt I was), so I'm apparently not the best judge of that.

I did the exact same thing earlier this summer to fix a small slice that I couldn't seem to get rid of and I asked if it was a quality fix or a Band-Aid on another site.  I never did get a response but now that I have a bit more experience I'm certain it's a Band-Aid and not something you'll want to do all the time.

Yea, I'm not really sure of the answer to this one, so I asked, too. I know some pros play with a closed stance, some open, etc. I don't want to use a Band-Aid fix, but at the same time, I want to play good golf, not make my swing pretty, you know?

Maybe a slight pull if the ball is starting left of where you want it to start.  If the swing direction is already well left, aiming to the right can help the swing path be less left or across the ball.  Wouldn't call it a band aid.  I would just make sure not to aim right and swing towards the target.

The ball is starting exactly where I intend it. With the closed stance, it just isn't fading as far away from the original line. I'd even say it's landing in the area that I intend it to. I guess I just swing left.

I leave my aim exactly where it was and just drop my foot back so I don't accidently aim right.

[Jakester23]

I have to pay more attention to my shoulder line then my feet. If I only think about where mt feet are I'm open. If you think your pulling all your shots maybe its more of a tempo issue than a set up. When I start hitting pulls I lose my lag at the top of my swing and I get quick on the down swing.

[billchao]

I have to pay more attention to my shoulder line then my feet. If I only think about where mt feet are I'm open. If you think your pulling all your shots maybe its more of a tempo issue than a set up. When I start hitting pulls I lose my lag at the top of my swing and I get quick on the down swing.

I'm sorry, either you misunderstood what I was saying, or I didn't articulate it well. My problem is a slice/over-fade, and closing my feet seemed to correct it.

I only mentioned hitting pulls because I was wondering, with my feet aiming right of the target, and I'm hitting straight at the target, aren't I technically hitting pulls? It was more of an academic question than anything else. I have no problems hitting pulls as my intended shot and not a miss.

[Jakester23]

Im not sure but what I was saying is for me a pull is more on where it goes in conjunction with my shoulder line not my feet. I have to feel like my whole body is closed not just my feet.