Every drive I hit slices badly to the right. I have a good feel around the green in chipping and putting, but i cant score low because of my trouble getting to the green. I dont care about hitting the ball to far, i just would like to be able to hit it strait down the fairway. I would appreciate it if anyone would help me figure out how to stop me slice. Thanx
T his question has a bunch of answers to it. My only thoughts are:
* Setup - make sure your setup's OK with a qualified pro.
* Swingplane - you're likely coming over the top -make sure your downswing almost feels BEHIND your body. Lag, Lag, Lag, and make sure your downswing stays on plane. Work with a good instructor.
* Don't rotate your hips too fast - rotating your hips too fast will cause the clubface to fan open and slice horribly. Imagine your left hip and knee 'pointing' towards the target.
I like to pick out a "imaginary" target maybe a foot/two in front of your tee'd up ball. This could be a blade of grass or some marking on the grass..whatever. This imaginary target will obviously point to the overally bigger target down the fw. Once you have this imaginary target just focus on hitting the ball to it. For me, I've been doing this and it has done wonders. Once i address my imaginary target I don't even look down the fw..which also helps with not lifting up and all that other bad stuff associated with trying to look at your ball after impact.
Slicing tends to be caused by 'swinging from the top' or muscling the ball with the arms/hands. Keep the right hand relaxed through your swing and stay down until the ball has gone. Feel as if you are keeping your head behind the ball and swinging through without any tension in the hands. Keep your target in your mind's eye through the swing. Hope this helps.
The major causes of a slice in a person that has a proper, balanced setup is trying to hit the ball too hard rather than simply swinging the golf club. Generally if the rest of your clubs go just fine but the tee shots with the driver are the only ones that slice, a players is swinging too hard. When we swing hard, we grip the club tighter and tend to swing "over-the-top" resulting in the outside-to-in slice producing swing path which is further accentuated by the tight grip impeding the club release.
Make sure you have a square set-up (maybe even slightly closed), the ball is in the right position front-to-back, and swing easy. No need to kill the driver as the club is designed to do the work.
The major causes of a slice in a person that has a proper, balanced setup is trying to hit the ball too hard rather than simply swinging the golf club. Generally if the rest of your clubs go just fine but the tee shots with the driver are the only ones that slice, a players is swinging too hard. When we swing hard, we grip the club tighter and tend to swing "over-the-top" resulting in the outside-to-in slice producing swing path which is further accentuated by the tight grip impeding the club release.
Make sure you have a square set-up (maybe even slightly closed), the ball is in the right position front-to-back, and swing easy. No need to kill the driver as the club is designed to do the work.
Good advice, I see this all the time. A golfer that can hit every club in the bag well, fairway woods included, but can't hit their driver. I explain to them that the they are trying too hard to hit the driver because sub-consciously they think they have too. I love the look on their faces when they slow down and pure it down the middle. Throttle back on the horsepower!
I had the same problem (but also with irons). What I do is strengthen my grip. I turn my left hand so that I can almost see the whole logo on my glove. My index knuckle is about where my fingertips from my right hand are. Experimenting with this and your normal grip should give you a nice balance. Just be careful you don't over rotate your hand, because then you'll pull to the left.
Hummel, you have learned your first "band-aid." If you have a proper grip (2-Knuckles on top hand, thumb in lifeline of lower hand) and you go to a "professional" who changes your grip to solve a hook or a slice without reinforcing the fundamentals, seek help elsewhere. The first thing I do when someone comes to me for the first time with a directional problem is check their equipment (proper grip size, quick check of lie angle after a few balls) then we look at their setup (grip, setup, posture). Then I check their take-away and position at the top. Usually the problem is identified well before the downswing ever starts...
I use an interlocking grip (dunno if that matters). As for the equipment, it's all stuff that the club lent to me. That's probably one of the main things. But basically, the pro said that my problem was that my club face was too open, and the "band-aid" would bring the face around faster one my downswing.
He is right, the band-aid will bring it around for awhile but as your swing gets better and better, you will have to change your grip again down the line because you will then be hooking it. Everyone here knows how tough grip changes are to make. As for the interlocking grip, that is quite fine (just ask Nicklaus) but the issue is the positioning of that grip on the golf club. I've seen apprentice instructors just wanting to give the student the "immediate" fix take the lower hand and roll it under the club somewhat (strengthened grip) to solve a slice...yes the ball flight will improve temporarily but the problem hasn't been fixed.
What do you suggest? I really don't know what I'm supposed to do, having just started, but this seems to be working. Keep in mind though that it may just be that the clubs aren't fitted right for me.
I think JCgolfpro is correct. Learn the fundamentals of the golf swing before accepting any tips. Then a tip may be useful if it fits into your whole knowledge of what you are supposed to do. The golf swing is a rotation around a centre away from and towards the target basically with a dynamic shift of balance to the inside of the right foot in the back swing and a subtle shift of balance to the inside of the left foot at the beginning of the downswing. The body/centre basically must feel as if it is staying where it is during the swing. Many problems are caused because of lateral movement over the ball. If the rotation is done correctly then the arms/hands are essentially passive maintaining a light firm grip on the club with constant pressure. They will unleash correctly if your initial grip is correct and your rotation is around the centre.
Not sure if any of this helps but try to find out what it is the swing is about. Getting some professional instruction may be a start but if this is too expensive, there are some useful books or golf sites that offer useful guidelines.
The biggest thing with my swing when I start hitting to the right is on my take away I tend to dip my left shoulder down and getting my weight all on my left side (right handed) getting my body out in front of the ball, and after you do that there is no way you can swing any way but from the top which produces a pull/slice depending on the club face.
The biggest thing with my swing when I start hitting to the right is on my take away I tend to dip my left shoulder down and getting my weight all on my left side (right handed) getting my body out in front of the ball, and after you do that there is no way you can swing any way but from the top which produces a pull/slice depending on the club face.
sounds like a reverse pivot, corect? If that is the case then make sure your stance is not too wide. A stance too wide, while some think it will give more support for a balanced swing, will cause the reverse pivot. Try this in front of a mirror, stand with your arms crossing and on your right hand on left shoulder and left hand on right shoulder. Now with feet shoulder width, or a little narrower, turn your shoulders like in a backswing. Look at yourself and you should see a straight line from your shoulder ALL THE WAY down to your foot. Now stand with feet REALLY wide, a foot wider for exageration and do the same thing. You will notice a reverse pivot. A wide stance is a good thing, a too wide stance is a very bad thing
In response to a couple of other messages on this topic. I believe if your swing is fundamentally sound you should be able to go all out once in a while and not come over the top. If you come over the top going all out then you probably come over the top on most of your other swings too, it is just not as bad. When I want a little more power I just think of turning the shoulders farther on the backswing or speeding my hands up. Because I have grooved a pretty decent swing if I speed up my arms/hands, they just drop into the slot faster
August 2nd, 2004, 01:05 PM
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