Fix Your Slice in Thirty Minutes with this anti-Slice Drill
The golf slice is without a doubt the number one curse on the golf course. The golf slice is THE major frustration for the average golfer (and major cause of lost golf balls) and the number one question is "How do I fix my golf slice"?
Every year there are dozens of magazine articles published on how to 'cure' your golf slice. So why does everybody still slice the golf ball?
From an equipment perspective, you can invest in an 'anti-slice' driver (an offset diver). The club face of these 'anti-slice' drivers are closed by as much as 3 degrees and absolutely will help cure the average golfers slice. For the record, changing a driver’s face angle 1 degree changes shot direction by 5 yards. At a carry distance of 200 yards and all other swing factors being equal, changing a driver’s face angle by 1 degree results in a side-to-side change in shot direction of five yards. This is the main reason face angle (on a driver particularly) is such a powerful fitting aid for improving accuracy.
Focusing on the swing itself, a slice is always caused by an open clubface and an 'out-to-in' swing path (see Understanding the Golf Swing). This 'out-to-in' path is caused by a swing malady commonly called 'coming over the top'. It is a swing error that is as common to the average golfer as the common cold and seemly as difficult to cure.
So how do you fix a slice once and for all time?
Well, the good news is that there is no need for expensive golf gadgets; no videos or books to buy to try and cure your golf slice because you can fix your golf slice in under 30 minutes, on your own.
The issue is simply that your golf swing is out of sequence. Your upper body is turning before you let your arms drop into their proper position to allow for the club head to follow the proper swing path.
Here's the cure for 'coming over the top' and driving the ball straight down the fairway.
0-1 minutes:
Grab a club. Move into the backswing position and just turn your shoulders without dropping the club. You will immediately see (even if you don't bring the club down) that the swing path starts well outside the target line and cuts across it to the inside. Not only that, but you will have the distinct feeling that you are chopping at the ball rather than swinging through it. This is yet another hint that you don't have the proper swing dynamics (and reason why you don't get more distance off the tee).
1-10 minutes:
Now, move into the backswing position again. This time, turn your shoulders and slowly drop your arms/club at the same time. The result is the same - an 'out-to-in' swing path created by an out of sequence swing. This 'out-to-in' swing path, as we've seen, creates a pull, or shot that starts to the left. Generally, because you started your upper body first (at full swing speed) your hands (and the club head) tend to be late getting to the ball. The result is that the clubface is open at impact, imparting sidespin to the ball and causing the proverbial banana slice - and another lost ball.
This is exacerbated by the average golfer who tends to take a huge cut at the ball, lunging forward, tremendous energy expended, trying to launch the ball into orbit. What they are actually doing is using their entire upper body mass, literally throwing their shoulders, arms, hands and club head to force the ball as far as they can hit it rather than allowing the club head to do the work that it was intended to do.
Contrast this with, when the occasion arises, you sail the ball straight down the fairway, and it feels effortless? The reason is you are swinging through the ball from a solid base, letting your arms and club head (and physics) accelerate the club rather than using your BIG muscles to try and create swing speed.
Looking at the relative distances your shoulders, arms, and club head travel to get to the ball, you can easily see why swing sequence is critical and why leading with your shoulders creates such a problem. Your shoulders only have to un-wind about 7 inches. Your arms travel about seven feet. The club head travels about seventeen feet! If you start your golf swing with your upper body/shoulders, your arms and cub head will NEVER catch up to them.
The cure?
10-30 minutes:
The first step is to begin the downswing with a slight bump of the left hip toward the target to initiate the weight transfer WITHOUT turning your shoulders. Most average golfers tend to raise their left heel on the backswing so an excellent way to initiate this 'bump' is by planting the left heel back on the ground to start the downswing. The left shoulder should stay 'closed' to the target until you've transferred your weight to the left side. As the left heel hits the ground the arms and hands 'fall' down into place instead of moving out at the start of the downswing. As your weight moves to your left side and your arms have dropped into the 'slot' you can now turn your hips and then shoulders. Your arms and club are free to swing through the ball directly down the proper swing path.
Try this slowly a few times to get the feel of it and increase your tempo gradually. If you're doing this right, you should consciously feel the shoulders lagging behind the weight transfer in a smooth rhythm. Once you've increased your tempo you should also get a much better sense of the power you can generate with this swing. You'll literally feel the clubhead being 'flung' down the target line because of the torque generated by your shoulder turn.
Besides fixing your golf slice, two side benefits to this 'anti-slice' drill are:
1. You will immediately realize is a better weight shift (without the slide or reverse pivot) and,
2. You will develop a much better swing tempo. You will actually be able to hear the results of your improved golf swing as the club 'swooshes' through the ball as well as see the results with longer, straighter drives requiring far less effort.
So you have two options to cure your slice. You can invest in an 'anti-slice' driver (offset driver) which will be a big help and you start grooving your swing with this drill to fix your slice too. Either way, if you follow through on this you will actually be able to start thinking about how you draw the ball!