THE 4KEY REASONS YOU CAN’T STOP SLICING

A slice can stem from a combination of flaws – but you can bet your bottom dollar that at least one of the following is to blame. Let’s fix them all!

A WEAK GRIP

When we reference a ‘weak’ grip, we’re not talking about grip pressure. We’re talking about the position of the hands, and the top hand in particular. In a good grip, you should be able to see two to three knuckles on the top hand. If there are more than three knuckles, the grip is ‘strong’. Fewer than two and the grip is ‘weak’. A weak grip often causes the clubface to be too open at the top of the backswing, which in turn leads to it being open (aiming) right at impact.

AN INCOMPLETE SHOULDER TURN

Watch any of the world’s top golfers and you’ll see that they all rotate their upper body and shoulders through 90 degrees. A full coil is not only a major source of power, it’s essential for accuracy. Without a full turn, you’ll struggle to shift your weight correctly onto the right side going back and then back to the left in the downswing. To hit the ball powerfully, you’ve got to get off your front foot in the backswing.

BAD AIM &ALIGNMENT

If you don’t aim the gun correctly, the bullet will never hit the target. The same holds true in golf. Many amateurs set up aiming too far right of the target. When that happens, their natural body alignment and swing will cause them to hit the ball in that direction. To avoid that happening, they’re forced to swing across the ball-target line in the downswing to get the club back on track. That leads to weak, left-toright ball spin.

A POOR RELEASE

To create that desirable right-to-left draw spin, you have to actively release the club, rotating your forearms and hingeing your wrists through impact and into your follow-through. Without this action the club will remain ‘open’ through the hitting area, causing shots to leak to the right. Think of the motion as how you’d look to hit a forehand winner down the line when playing tennis.