Curing a slice by making it worse

Most slicers respond to the dispiriting sight of the ball cutting away by closing the clubface. While it seems logical, closing the face only increases the slice. Here’s why… and what you should do instead to cure it properly.

Closed loop

Seeing their shots curve away to the right, the right-hander typically reacts by aiming the face further left – as illustrated by the magnetic aim device on the face. It might feel reassuring as you look down, but it actively encourages a slice-inducing delivery of the club.

Open the face

To beat this vicious circle, aim the clubface right of the target at set-up (if you are a right-hander, left if you are left-handed). Yes, this is a leap of faith for any golfer afraid of the ball slicing, but golf technique is often a game of opposites, and this is a classic example.

Anti-rotation impact

The golf ball slices because the face is held open to the club’s path through impact. Close the face down and you only increase the need to hold the face open through the ball. That closed face actually promotes the non-rotation of the clubhead that causes a slice.

Face rotates

From that open set-up aim, you force yourself to rotate your forearms through impact to square the blade. This is the root of the technique that applies drawspin to the ball. Try it on the range first… and when you’ve built confidence with it, use it on the course when the ball starts slicing.