slice

[mytwocents]

I am a left hand golfer and any shot has a slice to the left. Woods more than irons. What can I do to hit a straight shot?
It has been worse in the beginning. Then I set up in an more upright position. What else can I do?

[GregJWillis]

Its not necessarily you upright position. A slice is caused by 1 or 2 of 2 things: Outside-In path and/or and open clubface.

You will know if you hit an outside-in path if the ball is straight in the direction of the path first for the first 10 yards (for you a little right), then it will beging to curve left. And you can also look at your divot pointing in that same direction (to your right of the target)

You hit it with an open face if you see the call start curving immediatly to your left. It will usually be a higher shot as well.

So, what do you do to fix it?

Outside-in path is usually because you are casting your hands at the top or near the top of the swing. This causes the club to be thrown outward away from your body, and the only way to hit the ball it to reroute the club back into the body, otherwise you miss the ball. So to hit it, it will be comming from "Outside" the body and "In" to your taget line.
Solution: Use the lower body turn first, then let the shoulders rotate and len your arms drop and LAST, the hands will release at the ball.

Open clubface is usually because you are taking the club away with the hands and have the face rotating open too early in the takeaway. This causes you to have to flip the clubface back closed -- a very dificult timming issue to get right. If you are late, slice, to early and you hook.
Solution: Don't take the club back with the hands at all. Only let the shoulders take it back. When the shaft gets parallel, then you can let the arms raise and the hands will naturally want to set at to the top.

[mytwocents]

Hi Greg,

thanks for your quick and detailed reply. In fact, my divots really look the described way. Now I have a thing I can focus on next.

If I do make any steps ahead, I will let you know!

[Golfbald]

Watch your belly button

Hey two cents.

I agree with most of what was said above but I hava a different take on it. Casting is not a bad thing in fact it is a correct motion in the golf swing. The only problem you are having is a sequence problem. The casting motion is actually the release of the golf club and should happen later in the swing. It is a nessessary motion to get optimum distance.
The sequence of the downswing if you look at it in slow motion is: (abbreviated version!) when the hands have not quite reached the top the down swing is initiated. The hands will actually continue back a small distance further. The right heel begins to come off the ground doing two things, the weight will begin to shift to the left, the leg will begin to move into the Z position. The left knee will begin to move back and the right knee will begin to move forward toward the ball. This must occur for 2 reasons, the club must occupy the space that the right leg is taking up and this will initiate the right shoulder to turn from a high position top a low position. The right arm coming from a throwing position (as if you are throwing a football) at the top into the slot. On the way into the slot position, the right arm is brought in extention and then the wrist is brought into extention at to past the ball. The extention of the right arm and wrist constitute the casting action in the golf swing.
The hips in the swing golf swing is a difficult motion for most golfers. It is a compound action. The hips go up then down then turn. They start on a 9:00 - 3:00 orientation. As the swing starts the right hip moves to 4:00 with out locking the knee. This would cause a reverse pivot. On the down swing as the right heel comes off the ground the left hip is the anchor and the right hip moves to 10:00. The left hip does not move backward. As the left knee moves into extention (without locking) it may slide slightly lateral but never backward. The right hip continues to 10:00. The 9:00 - 10:00 should have you facing the target. The full release of he club head will turn the hips into this position.
Casting in the sequence you are using is caused by the belly button A. not being 4" ahead of the chin through the entire swing or B. the belly button stopping at any point of the sequence. If the belly button stops you will come "over the top" everytime.

I know this is probably to much information but do it slowly in the order described above. I can usually catch 95% of slicers faults with this. The other most common fault of a slicer in aligning with the shoulders to the left at address.

Hope this helps!!!

GolfBald