Intentional slices

[Big Lex]

In recovery shots, the one shot I sometimes need but don't have is the intentional slice.

If I need to hit a low punch, straight or drawn, I can do it. If I need to hit a rope hook trajectory, I can do that. But if I need to slice it, I can't. I do all the things I think should produce a slice, meaning I try to have the face open relative to the path.

If I do succeed making the ball curve right, it's always right to right, I can never get it to start left and curve way right.

Thoughts?

[Papa Steve 55]

I try and line my feet up the way I want to the ball to start, so left, and the club face where I want the ball to end up, so open to the right....

 

I think....

[mvmac]

You want to hit a low slice?

Aim the body way left, ball front/middle, aim the face where you want it to start. On the downswing allow the head to move forward and stay "flexed over" through the shot.

[dave s]

Both good 'slice' recipes above.  Same as OP, the best I could do was straight since R to L is my normal ball flight.  Never could hit a fade, let alone an out and out slice when needed.  Read nearly the same recipe in a golf digest awhile back.  Steve and mcmac told the same story as golf digest.

It works, too.

dave

[pumaAttack]

Just try and hit a pull hook with pressure.  You'll slice it for sure. :P

[Pretzel]

3 hours ago, Big Lex said:

If I do succeed making the ball curve right, it's always right to right, I can never get it to start left and curve way right.

Aim further left. You say it's curving the way you want it to, but starting further right than desired.

A very open stance (aimed a good bit left of where you want the ball to start), along with an open clubface and a path that cuts over the top intentionally is a perfect recipe to slice the ball. It will start to the right of the line of your stance and just curve like a banana afterwords. 

It sounds odd, but I would recommend practicing it on the range if you're having trouble. Hit 5-10 shots where you goal is to get it to start on a reasonable line, then curve as far right as possible. I still do that from time to time just to make sure I can still hit the slice when I need to, and it's kind of fun to see how far you can curve the ball on occasion. 

[dchoye]

I been addressing the ball off my left heel for a slice with an iron and closer to my left great toe for a slice with a hybrid/wood.

Also more importantly, I change my setup a bit. I usually take my left hand grip with the club behind my left hip, this makes me hold the club more along the meaty part of my heel pad of my left hand for my normal draws

When I want to intentionally slice I hold the club more in front of my body and squeeze the left thumb. I also feel slicing rhythm sequencing is very different than my normal right to left ball flight. I tend make the swing much shorter, than my normal swing   The slice swing feels like a blunted half swing to me.

Edited March 25, 2016 by dchoye

[Buckeyebowman]

10 hours ago, mvmac said:

You want to hit a low slice?

Aim the body way left, ball front/middle, aim the face where you want it to start. On the downswing allow the head to move forward and stay "flexed over" through the shot.

I agree with this! Don't aim your clubface at the target! That is what gets you the "right to right" ball flight. The clubface has to be square, actually just slightly open, to the intended initial flight line. And keep your lower body moving!

[Mike Boatright]

It's a bit of a skill that needs to be acquired on the range. First work on hitting intentional slices a softer distance say 140 yards with a 4 iron or hybrid then build upon that speed. A pro shot is one that cuts into a tight pin but a out of trouble slice is one that requires you to cut across the ball a lot. Aim your shoulders way open to the left,stand farther away from the ball and get vertical with hit! You need a steep chopping wood swing that is a slice. Alternatively you can just watch hacks on the range and copy there swing  

[boogielicious]

I find hooks a lot easier to do than hard slices. My hard slice attempts tend to be just pushes.

[billchao]

10 minutes ago, boogielicious said:

I find hooks a lot easier to do than hard slices. My hard slice attempts tend to be just pushes.

Same here. I can hit a hard cut but it's a push fade with an open face and launches high. Not the best for getting out of the woods or anything like that.

[Ernest Jones]

I find hooks easier to conjure up as well. I assume it's because everything I have ever worked on has been to change my path to a draw path so I just overdo all that with a very square to closed face. Intentional slices means exaggerated things I never practice, so any chance of predictability is pretty freakin' slim. 

I just try to stay out of trouble to begin with and if I do end up in jail, no hero shots, just get it out of trouble. 

[dchoye]

Just an update on my post  from yesterday  I also change to a full fingered grip and find that for the wedges if I turn my left hand so it's very weak and turn my right so it's really strong and position the ball behind my left heel I can get my ball flight so it looks like a controlled fade even though it feels like slice setup. 

Edited March 26, 2016 by dchoye

[Rainmaker]

I don't know if it's right or not . .but to hit a BIG banana-ball hook or slice, I alter my swing.  To hit a big slice, I'd line up way left, open the club face, weaken my grip a tad and then take it back a bit inside and up and then swing across the ball.  To hit a huge hook, just the opposite, take it back outside and swing from way inside. I've never actually done that, except on the range . . .well, the big slice I did for the first 2 years of playing golf, lol.