WHY YOU SHOULD START WITH THE FACE

In the vast majority of cases, all attempts to cure a slice should begin with the clubface. Judging by the general preoccupation I see with swing path and cutting across the ball, this might come as a surprise to some of you. In fact, that famous out-to-in path is typically an attempt to compensate for an open clubface at impact. If you’re serious about getting on top of your slice, it’s important you appreciate the dominant influence of the clubface… and here is a simple drill that will help you.

PUTTER FACE DRILL

Set two canes or shafts on the ground, either side of a ball teed low. Take your putter and address the ball as for a long-game shot.

CONSTANT PATH

Now make a very short swing with the putter, no more than a couple of feet back and through. Focus on swinging the club straight up the target line – up the chute – but play around with the aim of the face through impact.

OPEN AND SHUT FACE

On one strike, deliver the face as open as possible; on the next close it. Then try one square. But in each case keep the path the club takes neutral. You will quickly see that you can strike the ball in all directions without changing the path.

FACE IS KING

Even five minutes spent striking balls like this with a putter is enough to teach you one important lesson – the clubface is king! To get the ball under control, we need to harness the clubface. That done, we can focus on that compensatory swing path… and that’s what we’ll do over the next few pages.