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Driving tips for the high handicapper who slices.


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Now, I know how something can work for one day and the next it all goes tits up, however I have now played two rounds and am hitting arrow straight drives. Driving has been the most inconsistent part of the game, as it is for many, so I am going to list what I now do to get the ball going straight. I feel confident that if any high handicapper follows these tips, they will be hitting straight drives MOST of the time.

1) A slow back swing   

2) Don't try and hit the ball to hard

3) Hold the club at the base of the grip, unless you are very tall, then make sure you grip the club lower than you ever have done before.

4) Close the face of the club by about half an inch

5) Place the right foot half a foots length behind the left foot (right handed people)

6) Ensure your grip is correct

I have watched many videos in frustration, because my slicing has been a big problem, and managed to acquire a combination of tips that are now working. So many pros make the science over complicated, and some make it to easy. The above 5 tips will work, I promise.

In my bag (Motocaddy Light)

Taylormade Burner driver, Taylormade 4 wood, 3 x Ping Karsten Hybrids, 6-SW Ping Karsten irons with reg flex graphite shafts. Odyssey putter, 20 Bridgestone e6 balls, 2 water balls for the 5th hole, loads of tees, 2 golf gloves, a couple of hand warmers, cleaning towel, 5 ball markers, 2 pitch mark repairers, some aspirin, 3 hats, set of waterproofs, an umbrella, a pair of gaiters, 2 pairs of glasses. Christ, it's amazing I can pick the bloody thing up !!

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I would not use #1, #3, #4 or #5.  A lot slicers try to compensate by closing the club face which only exaserbates the problem as they usually also swing across the target line from the outside. To create a draw, one should aim club face a little to the right, and swing path further to the right (create differential). The stance line could help some, but it is possible to draw from open, closed, or straight stance. "Low and Slow" is also not recommended as is the old "keep your head down". Choking down "slightly" is good though or simply use your 3W or hybrid in lieu of the driver. 

Edited by Hacker James

"James"

:titleist: 913 D3 with Aldila RIP Phenom 60 4,2 Regular Shaft,  :touredge: Exotics XCG-7 Beta 3W with Matrix Red Tie Shaft:touredge: Exotics EX8 19 deg Hybrid w UST Mamiya Recoil F3 Shaft:touredge: Exotics EX9 28 deg Hybrid w UST Mamiya Recoil F3  shaft, / Bobby Jones Black 22 deg Hybrid:touredge: Exotics EXi 6 -PW  w UST Mamiya Recoil F2 Shaft, SW (56),GW (52),LW (60):touredge:  TGS),/ ODDYSEE Metal-X #7 customized putter (400G, cut down Mid Belly)

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My anti slice practice is of a visual type. What I have done is focused on making my hands bring the club head from the inside to out. Yes,  the club head is moving pretty fast, but I still see the "blurr" of what the club head is doing, and what it's path is into the ball. 

In My Bag:
A whole bunch of Tour Edge golf stuff...... :beer:

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I would not use #1, #3, or #5.  A lot slicers try to compensate by closing the club face which only exasperates the problem as they usually also swing across the target line from the outside. To create a draw, one should aim club face a little to the right, and swing path further to the right (create differential). The stance line could help some, but it is possible to draw from open, closed, or straight stance. "Low and Slow" is also not recommended as is the old "keep your head down". Choking down "slightly" is good though or simply use your 3W or hybrid in lieu of the driver. 

#6 ?   

"James"

:titleist: 913 D3 with Aldila RIP Phenom 60 4,2 Regular Shaft,  :touredge: Exotics XCG-7 Beta 3W with Matrix Red Tie Shaft:touredge: Exotics EX8 19 deg Hybrid w UST Mamiya Recoil F3 Shaft:touredge: Exotics EX9 28 deg Hybrid w UST Mamiya Recoil F3  shaft, / Bobby Jones Black 22 deg Hybrid:touredge: Exotics EXi 6 -PW  w UST Mamiya Recoil F2 Shaft, SW (56),GW (52),LW (60):touredge:  TGS),/ ODDYSEE Metal-X #7 customized putter (400G, cut down Mid Belly)

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59 minutes ago, Hacker James said:

I would not use #1, #3, #4 or #5.  A lot slicers try to compensate by closing the club face which only exaserbates the problem as they usually also swing across the target line from the outside. To create a draw, one should aim club face a little to the right, and swing path further to the right (create differential). The stance line could help some, but it is possible to draw from open, closed, or straight stance. "Low and Slow" is also not recommended as is the old "keep your head down". Choking down "slightly" is good though or simply use your 3W or hybrid in lieu of the driver. 

We all know that the outside to in swing causes the slice, but correcting it is so much easier said than done.The tips which I have given, but in turn acquired from far better golfers than myself, are intended to cure a very common problem amongst inexperienced golfers. The internet/youtube is full of professional golfers giving advice on the subject, but most of it is so damn technical, the average beginner wouldn't have a clue what to do.

In my bag (Motocaddy Light)

Taylormade Burner driver, Taylormade 4 wood, 3 x Ping Karsten Hybrids, 6-SW Ping Karsten irons with reg flex graphite shafts. Odyssey putter, 20 Bridgestone e6 balls, 2 water balls for the 5th hole, loads of tees, 2 golf gloves, a couple of hand warmers, cleaning towel, 5 ball markers, 2 pitch mark repairers, some aspirin, 3 hats, set of waterproofs, an umbrella, a pair of gaiters, 2 pairs of glasses. Christ, it's amazing I can pick the bloody thing up !!

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I would suggest looking over the following thread:

For the grip:

 

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Craig
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5 Wood: :tmade: Burner  
Hybrid: :cobra: Baffler DWS 20°
Irons: :ping: G400 
Wedge: :ping: Glide 2.0 54° ES grind 
Putter: :heavyputter:  midweight CX2
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My only suggestion is to take the driver straight back, not taking it inside, on the backswing.  At first it may feel that it is going away from you, but if you take it straight back it should help to promote and inside out downswing and hopefully produce a draw.

John

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Glad you're piecing together things that work for you, @paininthenuts, but I've been around here long enough to have read stuff from instructors that:

  1. what works for one person may not work for another.
  2. tips are generally not a good way to build a swing. 

I know the site prides itself on having solid instructional advice, so when high-handicappers like you and me post advice, it might be best to put out some caveats like "hey this worked for me, but I'm not an expert. Anyone else?"  Just a thought- meant as a friendly hint, not a scolding.

I mention this because I know you're always an entertaining poster here, and I've seen quite a few folks go down in flames over disputes where a person was giving specific golf advice when they were simply not qualified or were putting out complete misinformation (perhaps unintentionally). I just don't wanna see history repeated like that.

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20 hours ago, paininthenuts said:

4) Close the face of the club by about half an inch

5) Place the right foot half a foots length behind the left foot (right handed people)

What if you have a downward (negative) angle of attack with the driver?

Kevin

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5 hours ago, RandallT said:

Glad you're piecing together things that work for you, @paininthenuts, but I've been around here long enough to have read stuff from instructors that:

  1. what works for one person may not work for another.
  2. tips are generally not a good way to build a swing. 

I know the site prides itself on having solid instructional advice, so when high-handicappers like you and me post advice, it might be best to put out some caveats like "hey this worked for me, but I'm not an expert. Anyone else?"  Just a thought- meant as a friendly hint, not a scolding.

I mention this because I know you're always an entertaining poster here, and I've seen quite a few folks go down in flames over disputes where a person was giving specific golf advice when they were simply not qualified or were putting out complete misinformation (perhaps unintentionally). I just don't wanna see history repeated like that.

All your comments are valid, but I should point out that all the tips I have been given have come via very good golfers. I am also a great believer that the best instruction doesn't have to come from the best golfers, much like any sport, and to some degree life in general. There are great school teachers who don't have children, if you get my point. The best golf tip I have ever received,and it knocked two shots off of my handicap over night, came from a 9 handicapper, not a pro. We sometimes fall into the trap of thinking a pro is a messiah, and somebody with less personal ability  doesn't have the knowledge to give instruction. I play against some very inexperienced golfers who would benefit from my tips, but I don't give them the help they need, because of the aforementioned concept. 

In my bag (Motocaddy Light)

Taylormade Burner driver, Taylormade 4 wood, 3 x Ping Karsten Hybrids, 6-SW Ping Karsten irons with reg flex graphite shafts. Odyssey putter, 20 Bridgestone e6 balls, 2 water balls for the 5th hole, loads of tees, 2 golf gloves, a couple of hand warmers, cleaning towel, 5 ball markers, 2 pitch mark repairers, some aspirin, 3 hats, set of waterproofs, an umbrella, a pair of gaiters, 2 pairs of glasses. Christ, it's amazing I can pick the bloody thing up !!

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No offense @paininthenuts but I think this is horrible advice except #6. If you keep looking for magic compensations, you will not improve. You can't promise anything to someone else, because you don't know what their issue is. Would a doctor tell someone what their problem is without seeing them first? No because there would be an excellent they would misdiagnose their problem and make it worse. I know you mean well, but TST is built on a foundation of solid advice that works over the long term and is not about quick fixes.

I played with a guy yesterday who demonstrated most of the characteristics you mention. He had a very closed clubface, slow backswing, open stance (with his feet, but his shoulders were inline to open). I didn't inspect his grip, but I'm guessing it was pretty weak. He still hit a weak push-slice that averaged about 160 or so. The bottom line is that he had a serious over-the-top swing with a pronounce cast. His compensations finally worked on #9 and he hit a drive about 200 with a little draw into the left rough. He played his next shot to the 150 (par 5) and still had to lay up in front of the pond that guards the front of the green. 

20 hours ago, Missouri Swede said:

I would suggest looking over the following thread:

For the grip:

 

This is more like it. 

- Shane

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12 hours ago, RandallT said:

Glad you're piecing together things that work for you, @paininthenuts, but I've been around here long enough to have read stuff from instructors that:

  1. what works for one person may not work for another.
  2. tips are generally not a good way to build a swing. 

I know the site prides itself on having solid instructional advice, so when high-handicappers like you and me post advice, it might be best to put out some caveats like "hey this worked for me, but I'm not an expert. Anyone else?"  Just a thought- meant as a friendly hint, not a scolding.

I mention this because I know you're always an entertaining poster here, and I've seen quite a few folks go down in flames over disputes where a person was giving specific golf advice when they were simply not qualified or were putting out complete misinformation (perhaps unintentionally). I just don't wanna see history repeated like that.

I would add that modern day instruction is backed up by scientific fact and tools such as launch monitors and such giving validity to the instruction. One problem with that is, trackman for example, might indicate you need to make a small correction  to something like a degree or two. While this is true, executing is something altogether different given the minute amount of time in the golf swing. "Some" modern day instructors get very, very, defensive if questioned, often stating that old school instruction was wrong. The old school stuff might not be borne out by modern equipment, but none-the-less worked more than likely as a "feel" thing (real or imagined). It worked because it caused that person at the time to focus on the particular technique rather than the outcome. Gary Player for example is regarded (by some) as one of the best sand players of all time, yet some of his ideas would be scoffed today. His "strike the match" suggestion flies in the face of some of what is touted by modern day gurus. Another example would be Jack Nicklaus and his famous flying right elbow. His explanation was that it was easier to more or less "shoot from the top in a straight line". Others try it and it causes havoc, not because it does not work,but because there are a myriad of other problems in that person's swing. When I first started golfing some forty years ago, I was self taught, and had that flying elbow swing also. It worked pretty good for me at the time as I did not know any better. Since then my swing has evolved into something altogether different. One reason I sometimes quib "I wish I did not know now, what I did not know then". Nowadays should I come across some little thing that works, I "try" to keep it to myself as some sort of "secret discovery" for fear that it will be ridiculed by others.  Heck, Lee Trevino one time made the suggestion that for the amateur golfer, one of the best ways to get out of the sand was to hit the ball with a severe duck hook!   Tips are fine, but as stated, with caveats. YMMV.

"James"

:titleist: 913 D3 with Aldila RIP Phenom 60 4,2 Regular Shaft,  :touredge: Exotics XCG-7 Beta 3W with Matrix Red Tie Shaft:touredge: Exotics EX8 19 deg Hybrid w UST Mamiya Recoil F3 Shaft:touredge: Exotics EX9 28 deg Hybrid w UST Mamiya Recoil F3  shaft, / Bobby Jones Black 22 deg Hybrid:touredge: Exotics EXi 6 -PW  w UST Mamiya Recoil F2 Shaft, SW (56),GW (52),LW (60):touredge:  TGS),/ ODDYSEE Metal-X #7 customized putter (400G, cut down Mid Belly)

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10 hours ago, Hacker James said:

The old school stuff might not be borne out by modern equipment, but none-the-less worked more than likely as a "feel" thing (real or imagined).

It's misguided to believe that a good modern-day instructor doesn't use feels. That's all I use. I might use a feel to achieve a certain mechanical change (no mechanical change = no change at all) like "a few degrees change to this measurement" or something, but… it's all feels, because that's all human beings know.

Also, please use paragraphs.

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36 minutes ago, iacas said:

It's misguided to believe that a good modern-day instructor doesn't use feels. That's all I use. I might use a feel to achieve a certain mechanical change (no mechanical change = no change at all) like "a few degrees change to this measurement" or something, but… it's all feels, because that's all human beings know.

Also, please use paragraphs.

Exactly. One of the differences between a good instructor and a shit one is that the shit instructor keeps trying to get the student to feel what the instructor feels whereas a good instructor finds out (through trial, error, and experience) what the student needs to feel to create the proper motion or change. 

Yours in earnest, Jason.
Call me Ernest, or EJ or Ernie.

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3, 4 and 5 are just work arounds that might result in a fix but unless you understand the problem it will probably stop working in the long run.

Four things that really helped me with a slice are...

1) Understanding why a ball slices or hooks - and learning about swing plane 

2) Learning how to grip a golf club and what happens to the club face with a strong V a weak grip 

3) Slowing down my swing

4) setup and posture, knowing why a slightly lower right shoulder encourages the ball to launch higher and why ball position matters and what happens if you change the width of your stance etc in the same vane what happens when you grip down on the club or move your right foot back? Why does it help you? (the answer is that choking down on the club reduces the length of the club which makes it easier to keep on plane and moving the right foot back is doing the same thing as you are obviously not clearing your legs and then swinging out to in, which indicates a setup issue - maybe distance from ball but hard to say without seeing the swing)

With the above I was able to then visualise hitting a target out to the right of the ball - a very over emphasised in to out swing, which combined with a strong grip resulted in some very nice strong draws, using a slightly more neutral grip (somewhere in the middle for me) and using the same swing resulted in straighter drives. I am now noticing how much the choice of ball matters and things like wind direction and even the shapes of fairways and having to shape the shot to counter for slopes and hills, which is a nicer problem to have. I think the key is in understanding what is happening, like really understanding it, so even if you mess it up during a round and slice or hook a few you will not lose your confidence as its not voodoo. Now if only I could swing my irons, putt and use a wedge :) 

 

Edited by BristolGolf

In my bag: 
Irons: TaylorMade M2,  Woods: TaylorMade M2 5 Wood , Driver: TaylorMade Aero Burner mini driver  Hybrid: Some crappy Wilson 4H Putter: Some crappy Wilson HDX putter. 

You will notice that my set is heavy on the super game improvement kit, I am still awaiting the super game improvement that was promised. 

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This is my epiphany of the week.  Thanks to my instructor for pointing this out. 

I believe this will fix the kind of slice the OP was talking about. 

I was coming over the top due to lack of shoulder turn in my back swing.  I was starting my back swing with my arms instead of turning my shoulders.  My shoulders did eventually turn, but by the time they started, my arms were all disconnected, which led to a lift at the top of the back swing, and an over the top downswing, causing a weak slice. 

The fix was to start my back swing by turning my shoulders.  I enforce this by keeping both arms extended when I start my back swing, which forces my shoulders to turn.  I then allow my right arm to fold downward, while maintaining the angle between my left arm and my shoulders.  When I can't turn my shoulders any further, I stop moving my hands.   At that point I have a compact back swing with a good shoulder turn and everything is still connected. 

I tried this on the range a couple of days ago, and I could tell my over the top outside in swing was alleviated because my divots were straight for a change. 

So, in regards to the topic, I think this is a good way to cure a slice.  And it seems like such a simple fix. 

Also, the instructors who post here can tell me if I'm wrong, but I believe my method involves proper fundamentals and isn't just a bunch of offsetting errors like the OP was describing. 

Here's video on the subject:  

Bernhard Langer on how proper shoulder turn can fix a slice

 

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