As seen on Golf Channel: Understanding WHY you hit a slice is the first step to changing your shot shape
The word slice has the connotation in golf as a “dirty word.” Just the mere mention of it can send a shiver down your spine; a stern reminder of your biggest and most frustrating barrier to truly enjoying the game of golf.
It comes as no surprise, then, that nearly all GOLFTEC students (96 percent) come into GOLFTEC wanting to hit anything BUT a slice. The graph below breaks this down in detail …
Understanding shot shapes
Now that you know you’re not alone in harnessing that ugly slicing habit, the first step to ridding your banana ball is understanding what causes it in the first place.
As the golf ball flight laws illustrate, the main factor in determining shot shape is the relationship of the clubface to swing path. The common pull slice, for example, is caused by an open clubface in relation to a swing path that’s moving left, or “out to in,” when the ball is struck.
To change this shape, therefore, it helps to first know the ultimate goal is reworking the face-to-path relationship and hitting the ball with a closed clubface in relation to the path of the swing.
Influencing the draw
Of course, to truly understand the best starting place in eliminating the slice from your game, you should see a GOLFTEC Coach and get your swing measured.
But a solid tip, in any case – one GOLFTEC VP of Instruction, Nick Clearwater, explains on Golf Channel’s Morning Drive in the video below – is to shift your grip farther to the right (for right-handers), or “stronger,” as you hold the club in your address position.
This thought certainly doesn’t promise to be a cure-all for eliminating a slice, but employing these key checkpoints will help to combat a common issue and encourage the proper face-to-path relationship needed for a draw. Check it out!
VIDEO: Slicing vs. Drawing
If you’re not sure if this tip is for you, find a GOLFTEC near you and talk to a Coach today!
