Use the Back of Your Left Hand to Cure Slice

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Top of the Swing

 

The cause for a slice is the open face during the swing. At the top of your swing, if the leading edge of your club is perpendicular to the ground, your clubface is well open. You are going to compensate during the downswing to close the face from here.

 

To hit a draw or fix your slice, try the following.

At the top, try to feel like the back of your left hand is facing the sky. If you wear a watch, make sure it's facing the sky at the top. This will make it much easier to close the face through impact for a strong draw.

 

You can also focus on your right hand at the top. Try to feel like the palm of your right hand is facing toward the sky at the top.

 

Reference: http://www.golfsamurai.net/slice/use-the-back-of-left-hand-to-cure-slice.htm

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Hitting a Big Hook to Fix Your Slice

Most golfer slice. Players try to fix it by trying to hit it straight. But the straight shot is very difficult to hit. Even tour pros don't usually hit it dead straight. They either have a tiny draw or fade.

 

So for amateurs, the best way to fix the slice is to learn to hit a hook. If you understand the logic a hook, you will have easy time fixing your slice. If you are a slicer, you will have lots of fun hitting a hook. You will be surprised to see how solid you can hit the shots with the clubface closing through impact and how far the ball goes with a hook.

 

Start hitting a hook.

1. Use 7-iron

2. Set your ball in two ball length right of the center.

3. Close your clubface so that the face is pointing 50 yards left of your target.

4. This is important. Close your face first and then grip the club. Don't grip the club first and then close it. You have to rotate your club to the left and then grip it.

5. Hit shots with 60% of your swing speed.

 

When you hit shots, try to turn the clubface toward the ground at impact for a big hook.

 

You can also try the following:

1.  Try to see how many hooks you can hit in a row.

2. Change how much you close the face at address and see how the ball reacts.

 

If you feel like you can hit hooks anytime with this drill, you should try to hit a hook that does not curve as much. To do this, try to aim your clubface 10 yards left of your target and grip the club. Move your ball in the middle of your stance to hit a little draw.

 

Reference: http://www.golfsamurai.net/slice/hit-big-hook-to-fix-slice.htm

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The 4 Drills to Turn Your Slice into a Draw

Here are the drills to help you fix your slice and turn it into a draw.

 

1. Feet Together

Put your feet close together. Your feet do not have to tough each other. But you should put them close together. Use 7 or 8-iron for this drill. Position your ball in the middle. By setting up like this, you can focus on your upper body.

 

The key to this drill is after starting your down swing, try to make sure your right palm is facing toward the ground. This should help you to hit a draw or hook.

 

2. Pull Your Right Foot

Try to set up like above drill. Now, pull your right foot back about 10 inches or so. Place your ball in the center or little right of center. By pulling your right foot back a little, it makes easier to hit it from the inside.

 

3. Split Hands Grip Drill

Another good drill to fix your slice and turn it into a strong draw is to use the split hand grip. Take your grip with your left hand. Then, take your right hand grip and lower it a few inches down the shaft. Take a few practice swings with this grip and focus on turning the clubface over through impact. The split hands grip will help you turn the face over.

 

When taking your left hand grip, make sure that you see 3 knuckles. I want you to rotate your right hand to the right as well to match your left hand grip. After taking a few practice swings, tee the ball  up and hit it with a half swing. If you still slice the ball, turn your right hand more to the right until the ball starts to fly straight or curve a bit to the left (draw).

 

4. Closed Stance + No Weight Shift

 

Here is another good drill to turn your slice into a strong draw.

a. Take your address and pull your right foot back about 5 to 10 inches.

b. Your feet will be closed to the target, but make sure your shoulders are square to the target line. This is important.

c. As you swing your club, keep your weight on your front foot and don't shift your weight throughout the swing.

 

The close stamce will let you swing from the inside, and by not shifting your weight, you will learn to turn your hands over through impact.

 

Reference: http://www.golfsamurai.net/slice/drills-to-turn-slice-into-draw.htm

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One of the Best Drills to Fix Your Slice

Your right arm has an important role in your swing. But most players don't understand how their right arm should move during the swing because they started playing with both hands on the club.

 

From what I have seen, tennis players do well in golf. The reason is because they understand how to swing a club with their right arm.

 

If you are just starting golf, it's a good idea to swing with your arm only. It teaches you lots of things. This drill is also good for average players as well. This is how you can do it. Use 9 iron for this drill.

 

1. Use a narrower stance than normal.

2. Grip the club with your right hand only. Put your left hand on your right upper arm.

3. Take a few practice swings.

 

When you do this focus on the face angle and the weight of your clubhead. You don't have to take a full swing. Try a half swing. After you get used to it, try to hit some balls with your right hand only.

 

When you hit balls, tee it up. Yoy don't have to hit it far, but you should try to hit it in the center of your clubface. Focus on your clubface and try to rotate your face through impact by turning your right hand to the left.

 

Reference: http://www.golfsamurai.net/slice/best-drill-to-fix-slice.htm

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Why You Hit slices with Closed Face at Address

Some players set their clubface closed at address in order to avoid slice. From this position, you should be able to hit a hook.

 

By setting the clubface closed at address, you can avoid the face from opening at impact. But some players still slice with closed clubface at address. They are trying to hit it straight even though they set their clubface closed to start with.

 

To hit it straight,  you need to have your face pointing at the target at impact. If you try this, you will be opening your clubface during the downswing.

 

Remember that the clubface is closed at address. If the clubface points at the target when it strikes the ball, it means that it was rotated open during the downswing. This move will put slice spin on the ball.

 

If you closed the face at address, you should try to return the face to its original position impact.

 

Reference: http://www.golfsamurai.net/slice/hitting-slice-with-closed-face-at-address.htm

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The Ball Position for a Draw

Paul Azinger who won PGA Championship in 1993 was known for hitting a low fade. But he was also hitting a draw if necessary.

 

When he was hitting a draw, he said he put the ball little more right than normal.

 

Why do Most Players Slice?

Most amateurs struggle with a slice. One of the reasons why they hit a slice is a wrong ball position. They tend to put the ball too far forward. But the more you place the ball forward, the easier it gets to hit a slice or pull. If you try to prevent pull or slice without changing your ball position, you will hit a push slice instead.

 

So if you want to fix your slice, try moving the ball back. By moving the ball back, you will soon start to hit the ball that starts right of the target.

 

After seeing the ball starting right of the target, you will unconciously try to rotate the face close to avoid the ball from going right. With a 7 iron, start with the ball in the center of stance. Try to start the ball right of the target and make it come back left.

 

When you move the ball back, make sure that your hands don't move back as well. I want to see your hands more toward the inside of your left thigh.

 

Reference: http://www.golfsamurai.net/slice/ball-position-for-draw.htm

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How to Hit a Draw

There are 2 steps to hitting a draw. First, you need to change your set-up. And then you will change the way you swing a golf club.

 

In general, adjusting your set-up is good enough to hit a draw. But if you are a slicer, you might still have some difficulties in hitting a draw. If that's the case, I'll explain how you should swing the golf club to curve the ball from right-to-left.

 

1. Adjusting Your Set-up

 

There are 4 key points to adjust the set-up.

a. Aim right of the target.

b. Put the ball little more right than normal.

c. Position your right hand toward the inside of your left thigh.

d. Make sure your clubface is facing the target.

 

We are going to hit the ball from right to left. So we should aim right of the target. The more you aim right, the more you will curve the ball left.

 

Next, with a 7-iron, position the ball in the center or a bit left of center. Slicers tend to put the ball too far forward and cut cross the ball. To hit a draw, you need to swing from inside the target line.

 

Placing the ball back will help you do that. Don't forget ro position your hands in front of your left thgih. Your hands tend to return to that position at impact.

 

For an experiment, position your hands in front of a zipper. Now, move your hands forward. I think you will find out that the face opens as you move your hands forward. This will definitely cause a slice. Pay attention to the position of your hands.

 

When gripping the club, turn your clubface so that it's facing the target. After turning the clubface, you can now grip the club.

 

Most players grip the club and then close the face. But if you do this, the face will open on the downswing because of the centrifugal force. Make sure to close the face first and then grip it.

 

At address, you are aiming right of the target, but your clubface should be pointing the target.

 

2. Changing Your Golf Swing

 

If you are a slicer, adjusting your set-up might not be enough because you have all these old habits of hitting a slice. Hitting a draw is like hitting topspin forehand in tennis. Let's take some practice swings using your right hand only. We don't need a golf club for this drill. Try to pretend your right palm is your clubface.

 

Swing to the top. As you swing down, try to face your right palm toward the ground. At impact, it should be facing down toward the ground. Take a few practice swings with  your right hand like that. Now, grip a club and try to swing with the image you got from the drill above. Start with 60% of your swing speed. Hit some balls. You should be able to hit a big draw.

 

Reference: http://www.golfsamurai.net/slice/how-to-hit-a-draw.htm

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The 3 Drills to Fix Your Slice

1. Right Foot Back Drill

Here is the first drill to fix your slice. Nick Falso was using similar drill.

a. Set up to hit your 7 iron. Pull your right foot back about 10 inches. Position your ball in the center of your stance.

b. Take the club along your feet.

c. Swing the club down from inside the target line and along your feet.

d. Coming into impact, feel like your right palm is facing the ground.

e. Keep your finish low.

 

Nick Faldo said it's a good idea to stand on your right toe when hitting shots using this drill.

 

2. Tee the Ball Up

To fix your slice, you need a flatter swing plane. To fix your swing plane, I want you to do the following.

a. Using high tee, tee it up as high as you can.

b. Hit shots with 6-iron.

c. Try to sweep the ball off the tee. Don't scoop the ball.

 

At first, you should try to hit it low. By trying to sweep the ball, you will be able to change your upright swing. Hitting the ball above your feet will help make your swing the plane flatter.

 

3. Aim Right

When you have a chance to go to the driving range next time, I want you to stand on the far left hit balls.

 

Aim at the far right corner of the driving range and try to make the ball come back to the center.

 

Reference: http://www.golfsamurai.net/slice/drills-to-fix-your-slice.htm

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