| The Impact
Let's start by making sure you're clear on the type of impact that causes
the slice. When the ball is slicing to the right, that means it's curving in
a left-right motion across the sky. For the ball to do this, it must be
spinning in a clockwise direction.
Imagine that the ball is on a peg, and that all it can do is spin one way
or another. To spin the ball clockwise, the club has to swing more to the
left with the clubface pointing slightly to the right.
In a golf shot, this is exactly what happens to make the ball curve
across the sky as a slice. This can often be confirmed by looking at the
divot. On the course, the divot produced by a slice swing is often pointing
well left with the ball ending up well right of the divot's direction. This
is a classic slice.
Our discussion of the grip, stance, and swing will revolve around the
different elements that can cause this type of impact.
The Grip
The grip has little to do with the direction of the swing, but everything
to do with where the clubface looks at impact (e.g., open, closed, square).
Grips can be very individualized. A grip that produces a perfectly
straight shot for one player can cause a huge hook or a slice for another.
That being said, you can make certain generalizations about the grip
regarding slicing.
If your hands are turned too far to the left on the club, it's much more
likely to return with the face looking to the right at impact.
Here's the guideline: In your stance, with the clubface square to the
target, you should be able to look down and see at least two knuckles on
your left hand. If you see three or even four, that's fine. Your grip is not
contributing to your slice. Another guideline is to look at the "V's" formed
between the knuckle and thumb on both hands. These should point up to
somewhere near your right shoulder.
The Stance
It certainly seems logical that if a golfer is missing often to the
right, then before too long he or she would aim more to the left to
compensate. With slicers this is, in fact, the case. But aiming to the left
will cause the swing's circle to be too far to the left, exacerbating the
slicing motion.
Doublecheck that your aim is not too far to the left, especially with
your shoulders. You can lay a club on the ground, parallel to your target
line, to check your aim. Or you can have a friend check your alignment. Just
make sure that your feet, knees, hips and shoulders are parallel to that
club on the ground and to your target line.
Checking your stance and grip can often eradicate any slice without
changing the hitting motion at all. Let the ball's flight be your guide. If
it's curving less to the right, then you're on the right track. If it's
flying straight or curving left, then your slice is cured.
The Backswing
There are numerous backswing issues that can affect your impact. For
slicing, the two basic flaws are a backswing that is going too much up, or a
clockwise twisting of the shaft, or both.
If your backswing is too much up and not enough around, then the club is
going to approach the ball on an angle that is too steep. In other words,
too sharply toward the ground. A properly squaring clubface would then
create an impact that is hitting the ground too hard. In an effort to hit
the ground a bit lighter, the golfer with this problem often opens the face
on the way through, causing a slice.
To fix this issue, take a look at your backswing at the top. Make sure
the shaft is over your shoulder at the top, not over your head.
To achieve this position, you may have to feel your left arm cross your
chest just a bit, creating a flatter or more rounded backswing. You may feel
a bigger turn this way too. Good! Engaging those bigger muscles will only
help you generate more power.
The next important element of the backswing will be the clubface
position. One of the biggest mistakes slicers make is to turn the club
clockwise to begin the backswing (i.e., immediately opening the clubface on
the takeaway). This movement feels like the club is going around properly,
creating a good turn. Unfortunately, this opening of the club simply creates
an open face at impact. True, the clubface should "open" on the backswing,
relative to the target line. However, this natural opening is done with the
turning of the shoulders and torso, not because of a twist in the hands.
When you are making your backstroke, just hold on to the club. No effort
to twist or hinge the wrists should be made. When you get to the top, you
can check for the proper position by looking at your left wrist. You should
be able to lay a ruler underneath the face of your wristwatch and have it
touch both your arm and the back of your hand. In other words, the back of
your left wrist should be straight.
The Downswing
You know, with a good grip and stance as well as a good backswing
position, I'd be surprised if your slice is still here. If these first few
areas check out, you're 90-percent of the way to eliminating that slice.
To begin the downswing, make sure you start down without any lift or push
forward with your arms. Your weight should shift to the front foot and your
body should turn toward the target. While this is happening, you should feel
a slight drop of your left arm down your torso. This will give you the
feeling that you're approaching the ball by way of your right pocket. This
movement will virtually guarantee that the club is coming from the right
direction.
If the ball still has a tail to the right, you can add this sensation:
Try to get the feeling that the club is closing a bit too soon. Feel as
though the clubface is closed by the time it gets to your right leg. This
should be done through softness in the wrists, with a feeling of letting the
club swing. It should not be done by forcing the club to turn over with your
hands. Some practice should give you the feeling.
Final Words
I have some very good news about working on this, or any other problem,
for that matter. You have the best teacher in the world with you at all
times, namely the golf ball. The way the ball flies will give you objective
feedback about your swing.
You'll want to remember that you are improving if your 30-yard slice is
now a 15-yard slice. No matter how strange a new move feels, always listen
to what the ball tells you. You may be sure that the club head is turning
over soon enough, but if the ball is still tailing to the right in flight,
then you'll have to feel the club close sooner still. Not until you curve
the ball to the left have you closed the clubface too soon! The feel can
trick you, but the ball won't.
About the Author
Roger Gunn was an all-conference golfer in college at UCLA. He's played in
the U.S. Amateur and the U.S. Open, on the European Tour and Nike Tour. He
turned to teaching in the early 1990s. He was named Southern California's
PGA Teacher of the Year in 2001 and 2006, and has taught touring pros
including Tom Lehman and Steve Pate. See his website,
golflevels.com, for more info. |
