cure your slice - Gareth Johnston - Home.

{ C O V E R F E A T U R E}bye byesliceIt’s weak, nasty and robs us of better scores. Sendyour slice packing for good, by Gareth Johnstonwords joel tadman PICtures HOWARD BOYLAN{ game}SLICE CUREFIND YOURFAULT... ANDFIX IT!

Which slicer are you?A slice occurs when the clubfaceis open to the path of the club –the direction the clubhead istravelling as it strikes the ball.Ball flights will vary but theywill always move excessively fromleft-to-right and finish right oftarget (for a right-hander). It’sextremely important tounderstand that there are manycomponents in the set-up and/orthe swing that can cause a slice.You may have just one or acombination of two, three or evenmore! The causes in the flowchartbelow that are attributed to yourparticular ball flight only TENDto create this shape. There areother fundamental faultsassociated with the addressposition: grip, clubface alignment,head position (all covered in thisfeature) that can cause the slice,either on their own or incombination with others.Remember also to check youralignment as a possible slicecause. Golfers often aim left andswing the club across the linewithout realising it to bring theball back to the target, whichdoesn’t get to the true cause ofthis weak flight. Going throughthe process below will help youget to the root of your slice – thefirst step to fixing it.Cause 1The gripA slice can often be traced back to a poor holdThe frustrating thing aboutthe slice, or many other faultsfor that matter, is that youcould get almost everythingright – swing plane, clubpath, shoulder turn – but ifthe grip is wrong, the releaseof the club is hindered andyou’re hitting wayward shotswith what feels like theperfect golf swing.Positioning both hands onthe club correctly reduces themargin for error when westrike the ball. Don’t let yourgrip let you down again.ball flight checkfaultstraight then cutsA ball flight that starts straightbut then curves to the rightcan more commonly be putdown to an open clubface andlimited forearm rotation. Theshoulders and path of the clubare generally not at fault.left-to-right curveA ball flight that starts leftof target and then curvesexcessively right of target canmore commonly be put downto the shoulders being open,creating an out-to-in path, orpoor hip turn through impact.clubface faultforearm faultshoulder faulthip fault◗ long left thumbThis hinders the ability of the wrists tohinge in the backswing and throughswinglimiting the rotation of the forearms.fault two◗ right arm underneathThe face is open due to the right wristsitting more underneath the handlerather than rotating the face. Turn topage 34 to deal with this problem.◗ holding the face openThe face stays open through impactwhen the forearms don’t rotate. For thecorrect positioning and rotation of thearms, turn to page 39.◗ shoulder forwardWhen the right shoulder moves out inthe downswing, the clubhead usuallygoes with it. Delaying the right shoulderstarting down fixes this. See page 30.◗ poor hip turnLimited hip turn through impact limitsyour ability to square the face, oftenleaving the face open resulting in aslice. To cure this fault, turn to page 36.◗ strong right, weak leftA common grip among slicers, clubfacerotation is limited with this combination ofa strong right hand and weak left hand.try thisdrilltry thisdrilltry thisdrilltry thisdrillfix◗ The right hand tennis drill promotesface rotation. Read more on page 35.◗ The left-over-right drill (p39) limits hipaction but encourages wrist action.◗ The one-hand resistance drill is aneffective slice fix. Read more on page 32.◗ This drill with two stickers on your leftleg (page 36) will improve hip action.◗ align the creasesA neutral grip gets the creases formed bythe thumb and forefinger on both handspointing to the right shoulder.weak left handThis promotes the clubface toremain open by inhibiting theability of the wrists to rotatethrough impact and release theclub correctly. The left thumbshould run vertically just rightof the centre of the handle.28 issue 280 ❘ Todaysgolfer.co.uk Todaysgolfer.co.uk ❘ issue 277 33

Cause 2The correct position and movement of the right shoulder is key to stopping the sliceIncorrect shoulder alignment ataddress or movement during theswing is probably the number onecause of the slice among clubgolfers. The shoulders are soShouldersinfluential because they controlthe path of the club. So at thepoint of impact your clubface maybe square, but if your path is fromout-to-in, the result is a glancingblow. And the more out-to-in yourpath with a square clubface is, themore your ball will curve to theright in the air. Many amateurgolfers will throw all they’ve got atthe ball to try and gain maximumdistance. But technique usuallysuffers as a result. Make sure yourshoulder action isn’t to blame foryour slice with these tips.shoulder movedrop the right, don't spin the leftshoulder dropAs you start down from thetop of the swing, the rightshoulder should feel like itdrops down slightly to helpbring the club down on thecorrect path and plane tofind the ‘slot’.set-up faultset-up fixhigh and rightyAddressing the ball with theright shoulder much higherthan the left naturallyencourages a steeper angle ofattack as well as an out-to-inswing path, both of whichpromote a slice.shoulder spinDon’t allow the left shoulderto rotate left too early. Thisopening of the shoulderscauses the clubhead to workacross the ball-target line leftof the target promotingexcessive sidespin.tilt awayWhen addressing the ball witha driver the right shouldershould sit lower than the left.This encourages the correct,upward blow and a moreneutral swing path, helping toreduce the causes of the slice.club path drillhow to create an in-to-out attackopen and outWhen the right shoulder ishigher the shoulders open upin relation to the target. Thisencourages the right shoulderand club to be thrown forwardsas the club starts down,creating that out-to-in path.1 2neutral takeawayFeel that you take the clubaway along the cane that pointsdown the target line. Slicersoften take the club outside theline and then swing down thatsame line or take it away insideand then over-compensate.inside attackFeel that the club comes intothe ball along the top of thesecond cane positioned insidethe target line. This insideapproach helps generateright-to-left spin on the ball fora draw rather than a slice.delayed moveWhen the movement of theright shoulder is delayed, itappears lower and the clubnaturally travels more on theinside in the downswing. Thisclub path will help turn slicespin into draw spin.30 issue 280 ❘ Todaysgolfer.co.uk Todaysgolfer.co.uk ❘ issue 280 31

shoulder turnface away from the targetCause 3Head positionstay facing backAs you start your downswing,feel that your back stayspointing at the target for amoment as the arms swingdown. This delays the openingof the shoulders, improvingthe swing path into impact.1top drillsKeep your head behind the ball with the driver to square the clubface consistentlyThe position of your head inrelation to the ball varies as theclub gets shorter in your handbut with the driver, your headshould always be behind the ballhead aheadThis impact position increasesthe difficulty of releasing theclub as the swing centre isexcessively in front of the ball.This means the ball is strucktoo early in the swing arc andthe clubface will be open.from the address right throughthe swing. Your head is anextension of your centre point.With a driver, the centre pointshould be behind the ball as wewant to strike the ball with anascending blow. We do this byensuring the bottom of our swingarc, which is always directlybelow our centre point, occursbehind the ball. If our weightshifts excessively into our left sideat impact, our head can oftenfollow suit. The result? Youguessed it, a horrid slice!back to targetWhen you reach the top of theswing with 90° of shoulderturn, feel that your back facesthe target. Poor shoulderalignment and tilt at addresslimits the amount of turn youcan create.2◗ resistance drillAs a practice drill, place the back ofthe left hand outside the right elbow.Make some downswings withouthitting a ball. This keeps the shouldersquiet in the downswing by providingresistance to the right shoulder,creating a delay in the opening of theshoulders for a more neutral path.12top drillshead stays behindHaving the head slightlybehind the ball at impacthelps release the club byallowing the arms, hands andclubface to catch up in thecorrect sequence prior to thepoint of impact.left knee supportsFeel your left knee remainsin a strong and stabilisingposition at the top; if itcollapses in towards the rightknee it can pitch your weightforward – leading to a reversepivot and an out-to-in attack.◗ delivery drillPlace a cane in the butt of the club and acoin about a foot in front of the left shoe.Try to point the cane at the coin halfwaydown. This gives the player a visual cueto deliver the club to the ball from theinside. You'll immediately get the feelingof an in-to-out path and delivering theclubhead to the ball from behind.32 issue 280 ❘ Todaysgolfer.co.uk Todaysgolfer.co.uk issue 280 33

Cause 4 Clubface alignmentclubface checkopen at the top often means open at impact!A face that’s open to the swingpath will cause a slice. keep it square with these tipsThe angle of the clubface is oneof the key ingredients indetermining the ball flight ofyour shots. The more neutral youcan get your clubface throughoutthe swing, the lower the risk ofyou hitting a slice. To hit a shotwith no curvature at all, theclubface must be perpendicularto the swing path at the point ofimpact. If the clubface is eitheropen or closed to the path of theclub then sidespin will occur.Setting up with a clubface that isopen or closed at address hindersyour ability to square the clubfaceat impact as you'll have tomanipulate the clubface, whichsaps power and often results inuncontrollable sidespin.1tennis drillpoor strikesWhen the clubhead comesinto the ball on a steep angleof attack or when the face isclosed at address, this forcesthe player to open the face atimpact, leading to weak,poorly-timed slice shots.low approachA square clubface at impactwith a vertical shaft will strikethe ball on an upward path.With a cane behind the ball onthe target line, the goal is forthe driver head to get as closeto the cane as possible.log onto tHE TGWEBSITEfor moreTIPS ONTHE swingavoid 'cupped'Check your position at the topof the swing. A cupped leftwrist with the clubfacevertical means the face isopen. This increases thepotential for sidespin to beapplied to the ball.forearm matchWhen the club is in a neutralposition at the top of the swing,the left wrist should almost beflat and the angle of theclubface should match that ofthe left forearm. This increasesthe chance of a square hit.◗ flat wrist drillJust like in a tennis backhand topspinshot, the left wrist should be flat cominginto impact with an exaggerated feelingof the clubface closing. This drill providesa positive clubface improvement.2hand checktennis drillturn slice spin into draw spinopen clubfaceclosed clubfaceneutral clubface1 2◗ slap the targetNotice how in the finish position, theback of the left wrist points down thetarget line. The same is true in the golfswing; the position reveals rotation ofthe left forearm through impact.crazy drill3◗ late releaseWhen the right hand moves more underneath thehandle at impact, notice how this encourages theclubface to open. Your swing path may be good, butwith an open clubface the ball will slice!◗ early releaseWhen the club is released too early or the right wristclimbs on top of the handle, the clubface closesmeaning the body has to compensate through impact,resulting in inconsistency.◗ correct releaseA good clubface position at impact is where theclubface has started to rotate from open to closedpre-impact but is square at the point of striking the ball.With a good club path, the shot will fly straight!◗ use a tennis actionA good feeling to incorporate in your golf swing is that of aforehand topspin shot in tennis. During this action, theracket moves from low to high and the racket face rotatesdramatically from open to closed to create topspin.◗ right hand on topNotice how the right hand and forearm sits on top of theracket grip after the ball is struck and the arm is fullyextended towards the target. The theory applies to thedriver too, helping square the face.◗ drill for the braveOpen the clubface by a few degrees ataddress and try to hit it straight byreleasing the clubhead, creatingforearm and clubface rotation. This willimprove timing and clubhead speed.34 issue 280 ❘ Todaysgolfer.co.uk Todaysgolfer.co.uk issue 280 35

Cause 5 Hip actionturn your slice into a draw with the correct hip rotation through impactHip rotation is an essential bodyrelease method that creates thecorrect sequence of movements inthe downswing, which ultimatelycontrol the path of the club andthe squaring of the clubface,assuming the basic set-upfundamentals like grip,alignment and face aim areapplied. If the hips clear correctlythen the clubface should followsuit and approach the ball on aneutral path. Problems occurwhen the hips either fail to clearor clear too quickly, too early.Both of these instances in the golfswing increase the chances ofhitting a slice dramatically. Getyour hip action spot-on with thisadvice below.Cause 6Weight transfercure your slice and add more power in the processWeight transfer in the golfswing allows the player to coverthe ball correctly optimizing thelaunch conditions. Like in anysport involving power, weighttransfer generates momentumand distance. If the weight hangsback and doesn’t shift as youstrike the ball the body has tomake last-minute adjustments tothe clubhead in an attempt tostart the ball down the targetline. Unfortunately, this resultsin a weak, glancing blow for 95per cent of club golfers.TRAINING AIDS tocure your sliceSort your slice another wayusing these training aids thatoffer a temporary fix to yourwayward problems.forearm rotationbegin with a bumpPosition a cane outside the lefthip in your address position.Feel that the first move of thedownswing is a bump of thehip towards the cane. Thisencourages the weight totransfer to the left side.sticker drillThe weight needs to sink intothe left hip and outside of theleft foot through impact. Placea sticker on the back of theleft knee and hip. From thisangle, the stickers should bevisible at impact, not set-up.no showWhen there is insufficientweight transfer into theoutside of the left foot intoimpact, the stickers aren’tvisible from down the line.Poor hip action results inissues with club path.◗ Impact BallDevelops feel with no mechanicalthoughts. It helps you feel the correctrotation of the forearms through impactwhilst keeping the elbows compact.£31.95, www.perfectmygolf.co.ukswing pathstraight leghip faulthip fixslice path causeNotice how when the left hiphangs back behind the ball,the weight stays back on theright side. This affects thepath of the club coming intoimpact; the club will be morelikely to come from out-to-in.coin drill◗ Slice EliminatorThe adjustable guide pads encouragea correct in-to-in golf swing path forstraight shots, and give immediatefeedback on an out-to-in swing path.£29.95, www.perfectmygolf.co.ukswing path◗ hip to target drillPlace a sticker on your right pocket. Feel that thismoves towards the target into impact. When the left legstraightens correctly, the sticker should be visible fromthis angle. Use a mirror or window to help.◗ weight stays back faultWe will deal with weight shift next, but if the weight failsto get forward – here, the back foot is still flat on thefloor – the correct hip rotation is much harder toachieve. Weight must move forward for the hips to turn.◗ form a straight lineFeel that the left shoulder, hip, knee and ankle form aline at impact. This promotes weight transfer into theleft side and good hip rotation through impact,improving body sequence and promoting face rotation.◗ WEIGHT TRANSFER DRILLAs a drill, place a coin under the left bigtoe. Feel that as you strike the ball youshow the coin by lifting the big toe. Thisindicates the weight has been shiftedcorrectly into the outside of the left foot.◗ T2Hole Slice stopperPlace the ball 2-3 inches away fromthe bristles and make a swing trying tofollow the arc in the bristles on yourtakeaway and downswing.£24.99, www.perfectmygolf.co.uk36 issue 280 ❘ Todaysgolfer.co.uk Todaysgolfer.co.uk issue 280 37

Cause 7 Forearm rotationrotation drillstatic hips encourage forearm rotationrelease the club correctly with rotation of the forearms and clubfaceContrary to popular belief, it’s theforearms that control the clubface,not the wrists. Hold a club in onehand, holding the wrist with yourother hand. Now rotate theclubface. You’ll discover it’simpossible for the wrists to moveindependently of the forearms in arotary movement. The wrists areable to hinge up and down. Infact, that’s all the wrists do in agood golf swing. Forearm rotation,then, is a crucial action whensquaring the clubface at impactconsistently. It’s this rotation of theforearms and therefore the clubfacefrom open to closed throughimpact that creates draw spin.Limited rotation increases thepotential for sidespin.1rotation drillA good practice drill topromote forearm rotation is tohit some short pitch shots withthe left leg crossed over theright leg. You'll feel it's easierto turn in the backswing, butharder through the ball.1rotation drillstatic hipsThis drill forces the arms tooverwork because the hipsare unable to turn through theshot, giving a feeling of thecorrect arm action. When thefeeling is grooved, standnormally and add hip turn.◗ position the stickerSet up this rotation drill by placing awhite sticker on top of the rightforearm about six inches up from thewrist. Then make a swing and hold asawn-off followthrough.2arm checkclub extensionFeeling that you extend theclub low and long down thetarget line after impact willhelp the right hand rotate overthe left and turn the clubfacefrom open to closed forstraighter shots.2◗ sticker on topIf you haven't under-released theforearms and allowed the naturalmechanics of the arms and clubfaceto take effect, the sticker should bevisible as you look down your arm.no release3power cutWhen golfers try and hold theface open, notice the increasein separation between theelbows. The left elbow breaksdown and club moves fromout-to-in, often resulting in alow-power slice.log on TGWEBSITEfor TIPS ONcuring theslice◗ holding it openIf you can’t see the sticker, theforearms haven’t rotated and you haveheld the face open through impact.This increased likelihood of an openclubface will cause the slice.38 issue 280 ❘ Todaysgolfer.co.uk Todaysgolfer.co.uk issue 280 39

Cause 8 Gear to cure the sliceHow the latest equipment can help you cure that card-wrecking shotIf you suffer from the dreadedslice off the tee but don’t have thespare hours to dedicate to lessonsand practising on the range thenthere is still help available to you.The advancement in golfequipment has seen theintroduction of clubs to minimisethe effect of all manner of ballflight issues and chief amongthem is the slice.Club manufacturers have spentmillions of pounds and manhours developing clubs designedto combat the slice and they’vebecome so good at doing it, thatthey allow golfers to play withtheir current swing but withmuch better results.However, first it’s time for areality check. You’re not going tofind a club out there that willturn your wild slice into a powerdraw. What these clubs will do ismanipulate the face angle atimpact to overcome swingdeficiencies such as an out-to-inswing path and minimise theeffect of these. Therefore, a 40-yard slice can become a 15-20yard slice and that is much moremanageable to play with.anti-slice designExtra heel weight is a commonanti-slice design trick. Mostadjustable clubs offer thisoption while others, like Ping’sK15 have it preset. The K15has an extreme external weightpad in the rear heel of the sole.weightpositioningclose the faceThe second way drivers aretackling the slice is withadjustable clubheads. Driverssuch as the Nike Machspeedfeature adjustable hosels thatallow the face to be opened orclosed on demand.powerful accuracyHeel weighting repositionsthe centre of gravity and thishelps the golfer to square orclose the clubface at impact.The low weight also helpslaunch the ball on a highertrajectory with more power.ADJUSTABLEclubheadsstraighter shotsSomeone suffering with aslice will traditionally want toclose the face angle so it issquarer at impact in relationto the path of the club,resulting in a straighterball flight.40 issue 280 ❘ Todaysgolfer.co.uk