SLICED DRIVES

Chances are you need no introduction to the slice – but your chances of curing it will rise exponentially when you have a clear understanding of where it comes from. In simple terms, we slice the ball when the clubface is dramatically open to the swing path at impact. To get on top of this deadly sin, then, we need to address both face and path ...

#1 IMPROVE FACE-TO-PATH RELATIONSHIP

To cure a slice, we must... Square up that open face. Straighten out a path that typically works leftward (right-handers) to compensate for the open face.

Stronger grip and squarer face

Adjust your gloved-hand grip until you can see two-to-three knuckles on the back of the hand. For the chronic slicer, the hand will probably feel turned more on top of the handle. Bring your trail hand in more from under the handle to match the orientation of the gloved hand.

Turn for the better

A stronger grip – lead hand more on top of the handle, trail hand more underneath – encourages clubface rotation. This is really going to help the slicer square the face up. Make several swings without a ball, focusing solely on the clubface. Work on getting the clubface vertical as the shaft swings through horizontal.

Tie it into the path

The second element here is swing path. A stronger, squarer face is great, but if it’s delivered on a leftward path the right-hander is going to hit plenty of pulls and pull hooks. A neutral or even slightly rightward path complements the stronger face.

Frame in-to-out

Train this path by delivering the club between two headcovers – one behind the ball and outside the target line, the second in front and inside the line. Make that old out-to-in path and you’ll hit a lot of headcover and not much ball; swing cleanly between the two to train in-toout with a closing face – the perfect face-to-path relationship for a draw.

#2 MAINTAIN THAT STRONGER FACE

Slices happen when we present an open or weak clubface to the ball. Even with a sound grip, we can still sew the seeds for this at the start of the swing. Improve this move to find your groove ...

Resist the roll

Your golf swing needs to blend armswing and core rotation right from the start. Commonly though, the hands and arms do all the work while the body remains passive. This typically creates a takeaway where the club is rolled away, the face fanning wide open and the glove badge facing the sky. It’s a move that’s tough to recover from, and usually results in weak slices.

Split decision

To train a more effective first move, grip the club with your gloved hand in its usual position and your trail hand right down at the bottom of the grip.

Stronger start

Make a series of backswings with this split-hand grip. Keep the pace slow and controlled. Feel how, with the hands apart, your trail arm instinctively moves into a position more on top of the lead arm. Your glove badge and the clubface remain looking more down towards the ground in a much squarer and stronger position.

Hands in, clubhead out

One other sensation to look out for is the clubhead remaining ‘outside’ your hands throughout this first move. This feeling of hands-in, clubhead-out sets up a much better path for the swing. Contrast that with the hands-out, clubhead-in rolling move, which only sets up an out-to-in loop with an open face – the perfect ingredients for a slice.