Teaching my son - NO SLICING!

[Chairman7w]

Hi guys - I'm gonna be teaching my son to golf (he's 14) and I'm wondering if there's a particular method for NOT learning the slice.

It seems EVERY beginner (especially me when I learned) slices the snot out of the ball. Is there a way to teach someone from the start, so they DON'T slice it? It'd be a lot easier, I think, than trying to fix it after the fact.

Yes, I know "Tell him not to come across outside to inside..." Easier said than done. What methods or drills do you recommend?

Thanks in advance,

Ed

[allin]

I think almost everyone starts out trying to create power with their arms and shoulders, focusing on proper sequence with power coming from stable legs and torso rotation so that arms and shoulders stay relaxed.

[Sherpat]

This is in no way a commentary on your qualities as a dad, player, or instructor, but -

DON'T DO IT!

If I've learned anything in my years of frustrating participation in a number of sports, it's:

1. Being good at something doesn't mean you can teach it to someone else. It's tough to verbally articulate your muscle memory to another person.

2. The psychological dynamic between people who are close to each other seriously f*cks up all attempts to be objective, no matter how hard you try.

I think you'd be doing the kid (and yourself ultimately) a big favor by signing him up for a few lessons from a pro you trust. Aside from the just having a lot more experience teaching newbies the basics and correcting common blunders before they become ingrained, the pro won't be afraid of causing a strained relationship and your son won't be filtering everything through a "Dad Lens". After a couple of weeks you could probably take over with less chance of doing amazingly thorough damage.

Just .02 from a guy who doesn't have any kids but likes to pontificate anyway

Hey, but if you still wanna go for the Big Bond, try this:

http://www.golf.com/golf/instruction...28423,,00.html

Good luck!

[Chairman7w]

This is no way a commentary on your qualities as a dad, player, or instructor, but -

Actually, that sounds like great advice. You hit the nail on the head about the "Dad Lense"... :) Thank you!

[Sherpat]

Wow, I got one right?!

Lol...you're welcome.

And seriously: good luck. Joining my dad after I'd had a good grounding in the basics - courtesy of people who knew WTF they were doing in regards to teaching, rather than just performing - provided me with some of the most memorable moments of my youth. I hope your son can say the same thing soon

[shredfit]

My brother never ever had a slice when he started... He had a duck hook.

[Golfme]

tell him to make rotate his torso as much as possible back, and then rotating the other way on the way down.

[JonnyGolf]

At the range recently, there was a Dad telling his son he has to "get under the ball". This is why we should leave golf instruction to professionals.

If you still want to coach him, teach him about the golf swing, rather than what to do. Teach him what flat is and what steep is. Try to increase his awareness of his swing, and what an over the top swing feels like and how it is different from being on plane.

I've coached my son and also used a PGA pro. He's taking input from both to build HIS swing.

[tm22721]

Hi guys - I'm gonna be teaching my son to golf (he's 14) and I'm wondering if there's a particular method for NOT learning the slice.

Wow what a loaded question...

Anyway here goes: 1) use a stronger grip, this will help prevent an open clubhead at impact 2) when you take the club back make sure that it is a one piece takeaway, ie do not rotate your left hand over your right hand because this will open the clubhead 3) make sure the left wrist is not cupped at the top otherwise the club head will be open 4) overemphasize initial turning of the hips (before the shoulders), this drops the club into a lower plane preventing 'over the top' and 'outside to in' club path 5) a late clubhead release could cause a slice, prevent this by turning hands over through impact 6) consciously slow down the tempo until you have cured the slice, at the top fight the brain's instinct to attack the ball via the shortest swing path (which is over the top)

[lamebums]

Make sure you teach him how to turn properly. From what I've seen, a beginner's slice (outside-in) is damn near impossible if you make a hip turn unless you pull with your left side.

I've taught a buddy of mine how to play (sort of). He hits the ball all over the place, usually a duck-hook. So one in five he actually plays his duck-hook, he his it straight into the woods on the right.