Understanding your golf swing so you can fix your slice
You don't need to understand the complete biomechanics of the golf swing in order to fix your slice. However, a basic understanding of the golf swing is required to have a chance at correcting your slice (or any swing fault for that matter).
Golf, in essence, is a simple game made complicated (who has time to understand the biomechanics of a golf swing?). And while we agree that golf is definitely not a game of perfect, the golf swing doesn't have to be that complicated. By understanding the fundamentals of your golf swing and reading what the golf ball is doing after you hit it, you can easily fix your golf slice or hook once and for all.
There are two reasons why the countless magazine articles devoted to fixing your golf swing don’t have any lasting effect on your ability to actually hit the ball straight:
- Golf tips generally are meant to ‘tweak’ or enhance an aspect of an otherwise solid game. Without a solid understanding of the fundamentals of the golf swing these golf ‘tips’ can actually be detrimental to improving your own game. How many times have you picked up a golf tip to fix something in your swing? It works for a while then something else goes off. You throw that tip out and try another one, and then another one and another in desperation.
- The other reason is that you generally have little to no feedback on what you are doing when you swing the golf club so you actually have no idea of where to make adjustments in your own swing.
The secret to golf, and improving your game dramatically, is simply understanding the basic principles of the ‘cause and effect’ of hitting the golf ball and knowing what to do about it.
This involves three things:
- Understanding the factors that determine the flight of the ball
- Using the flight of the ball as feedback to make the appropriate adjustments to your swing, immediately and easily
- Understanding the fundamentals of the golf swing in order to produce those changes
By looking at the ‘effect’ i.e. using the feedback the ball flight provides, you can determine, based on the characteristics of that ball flight, what factors went wrong and zero in on the swing problem (cause).
By having a good understanding of these basics, you can start picking out the most appropriate drills to help you iron out what ever is causing the problem in your golf swing. With this solid foundation, you won’t have to clutter your mind and paralyze your golf swing with a bevy of ‘swing thoughts’. Your golf swing will actually become grooved and you'll be able to fix that nasty slice or hook.
The golf swing has one purpose: to deliver the clubhead to the ball. The result of how that is done is reflected in the flight of the ball. The swing factors that determine the flight of the ball include:
Clubface alignment: The direction in which the FACE of the club looks at impact.There are three options in which the face of the club can be aligned at impact:
- Clubface is perpendicular or ‘square’ to the line of flight. This is the correct positioning of the clubface at impact
- Clubface looks to the left or is ‘closed’, at impact (for right handed golfers as you look down the target line)
- Clubface looks to the right or is ‘open’ at impact (for right handed golfers as you look down the target line)
Swing path: The direction the clubhead is traveling at impact. There are three options for swing path:
- Clubhead is traveling down the target line at impact (a good thing)
- Clubhead travels from an ‘out-to-in’ path in relationship to the target line (the most prevalent swing problem for average golfers)
- Clubhead travels from an ‘in-to-out’ path in relationship to the target line
Angle of attack: The angle, or inclination, at which the clubhead meets the ball. Come in to steep and you pop the ball up into the air.
Clubhead speed: The distance a ball travels is based on how fast the clubhead is traveling at impact (particularly if it is correctly applied).
It is the combination of these factors, and particularly the first two, that determine the flight of the ball. Knowing what constitutes delivering the clubhead to the ball properly AND understanding, through the immediate feedback provided by the flight of the ball, will enable you to make the appropriate adjustments to your golf swing to fix it and keep it fixed.
Click on any arrow to review the 'cause' and swing 'fix':
There are only three major flight-characteristics the ball has once it has been struck. It will either slice, hook, or it will go straight. There are three options the ball has within each of these for a total of nine ‘flight-characteristics’. These flight-characteristics are imparted to the ball by any combination of either swing path or clubface alignment.
Let’s examine each flight characteristic and what causes it.
Slice – ALL slices are caused by an ‘OPEN’ clubface at impact no matter what the swing path may be. The ball curves RIGHT (the amount it curves is based on how ‘open’ the clubface is) because of the side-spin imparted to the ball by the open clubface. Drivers are particularly nasty when it comes to imparting side-spin on the ball.
| Straight Slice: | Ball travels down target line and curves right |
| Swing path: | Clubhead travels properly along target line |
| Club face: | ‘Open’ at impact |
| Swing Fix: | Swing path is good so the problem is an open face. This usually means that you’re not letting the toe of the club rotate over the heel. If this is the case tension and grip pressure is usually the problem however, the problem could also be a 'cupped' left wrist which will tend to keep the clubface open as well. |
| Pull Slice: | Ball starts left of target line then curves right |
| Swing path: | ‘OUT-TO-IN’ across the target line |
| Club face: | ‘Open’ at impact |
| Swing Fix: | Most Pull-Slices are caused by leaving the weight on the right side for too long. Because you’re on your back foot, the club-face stays open longer and cuts across the ball. Correct this by making sure you shift your weight to your left side to start your forward swing. |
| Push Slice: | Ball starts right of target and curves even further right |
| Swing path: | ‘ IN-TO-OUT ’ across the target line |
| Club face: | ‘Open’ at impact |
| Swing Fix: | The push slice tends to be caused by SLIDING ahead of the ball during the downswing. This causes the ball position to change (relative to your body now) and the clubface is open as it hits the ball as a result. You’re probably trying to overpower the ball to get distance. Relax. The ball only weighs 2.6 ounces. Make sure your lower body is ‘quiet’ through your swing. Don’t sway. Let your arms drop first and ‘pull’ your body after you hit the ball. |
Hook – ALL hooks are caused by the clubface being ‘CLOSED’ at impact no matter what the swing path may be and are characterized by the ball starting in the direction imparted to the ball by the swing path then curving LEFT.
| Straight Hook | Ball travels down target line and curves left |
| Swing path: | Clubhead travels properly along target |
| Club face: | ‘Closed’ at impact |
| Swing Fix: | Swing path is good so the culprit is the closed face at impact. The toe of the club is rotating over the heel to the closed position. Again, faulty timing, tension, and grip pressure is usually the problem. |
| Pull Hook: | Ball starts left of target line then curves left |
| Swing path: | ‘OUT-TO-IN’ across the target line |
| Club face: | ‘Closed’ at impact |
| Swing Fix: | It’s likely that you are stopping your left side mid-way through the forward swing (probably because of an improper weight shift) which will cause your arms and right shoulder to ‘wrap’ too quickly around your spine. That will cause the out-to-in swing path and closed clubface. Focus on a smooth weight transfer to let your right side turn through the ball so you finish with your right knee and belt buckle pointing directly at the target. |
| Push Hook: | Ball starts right of target and curves left |
| Swing path: | IN-TO-OUT across the target line |
| Club face: | ‘Closed’ at impact |
| Swing Fix: | You’re coming in from the inside probably as a result of faulty timing and then trying to compensate for your late turn by flipping your hands through the ball in an attempt get the ball back to the target line. |
| Straight Pull: | Ball starts left of target and stays straight |
| Swing path: | OUT-TO-in across the target line |
| Club face: | Square to the swing-path |
| Swing Fix: | Faulty timing is usually the issue here. Generally over-anxiousness at the top of the swing is the cause as you are too eager to start the forward swing. You need to wait before you start your forward swing in order to give your club time to change direction. Remember to let your arms drop down first before your start your body rotation. |
| Straight Push: | Ball starts right of target and stays straight |
| Swing path: | IN-TO-OUT across the target line |
| Club face: | Square to the swing-path |
| Swing Fix: | Lay a club down along your toe line (parallel to the target line). Now take a practice swing but stop the swing when you left hand is over your right foot. The likely culprit is that the butt of the club is facing right of the target line which is creating the ‘in-to-out’ swing path at impact. At this point in your swing the club shaft should be parallel to the target line. Take a few more swings to get your timing and position right. |
Drills to ingrain swing path and clubface position:
Club Face Position Drill:
A good drill to develop proper clubface position is the ‘Toe-up-to-Toe-up’ drill.
- Address a teed ball with a 7-iron
- Swing club back so that the shaft is parallel to the ground and stop
- Proper alignment here will have the club shaft parallel to the ground and parallel to the target line
- If you were to drop a golf ball from your left hand it would land just by your right foot
- The toe of the clubface will be pointing straight up
- Practice this move until you can easily replicate it
- Once you can do this consistently, practice swinging the club back and through impact to a position that mirrors this on the forward swing finishing with the toe of the club pointing straight up
- When you can do both consistently, add some additional length to your swing
- Not only is this drill excellent in terms of providing visual feedback for you but it will also help you to develop the feel of the correct motion required to deliver the clubface that is square to the target line at impact
Club Path position Drill:
This is an excellent drill to develop and understanding and feel for proper swing path through impact.
- Position a tee 15 inches directly in front of a ball along the target line. This will be the target tee
- If you’re trying to remedy a clubhead path that travels too much to the left (out-to-in) then place another tee five inches to the right of the target tee. This tee will become your ‘path’ tee.
- Address the ball with a seven iron
- Aim the clubhead at the target tee; make your swing and focus on a forward swing that extends your clubhead over the ‘path’ tee.
- Swinging along this slightly exaggerated clubhead path will help you to see a more correct direction for the clubhead path through impact and to develop a feel for the correct motion.
- Ultimately, what you’re looking for is for a clubhead path that travels toward the target tee.
- For a clubhead path that travels too much to the right, simply transfer the path tee to the five inches to the left of the target tee.
- Once you have the feel for this, try the drill with a driver. The longer swing created by the length of the driver will exaggerate any problems with clubhead path.
By understanding the factors in your golf swing that affect the flight of the ball: clubface alignment, swing path, angle of attack and clubhead speed and by understanding the feedback the ball is giving you after you hit it, you'll be in a much better position to make course corrections to your golf swing to fix your slice - without getting into the biomechnanics of your swing.