bad slice....help please

[gabe72]

ok heres my deal, i have a great distance, only problem is, the shot goes about 100 yards to the right ( not kidding). I am right handed, my shot starts off straight as an arrow and then curves straight right. this only happens with my driver off the tee box. I have tried different grips and aiming to the left, I have tried different stances, ball positions and ball addressing, I am a new golfer and I could really use any help, Thanks for your time.
gabe

[james.welsh]

Re: bad slice....help please

Classic "over the top" swing path. Get lessons.

[Soaring Divot]

Re: bad slice....help please

Classic "over the top" swing path. Get lessons.

Mr. Welsh, in his brief way, is probably right. You are creating side spin by cutting across the ball from outside to in. You want to try to keep the club head coming from the inside. You might try making sure that your right elbow stays tucked close to your body on the downswing and see if that helps you keep from throwing the club away from your body to soon.

[golf_scholar88]

Re: bad slice....help please

ok heres my deal, i have a great distance, only problem is, the shot goes about 100 yards to the right ( not kidding). I am right handed, my shot starts off straight as an arrow and then curves straight right. this only happens with my driver off the tee box. I have tried different grips and aiming to the left, I have tried different stances, ball positions and ball addressing, I am a new golfer and I could really use any help, Thanks for your time.
gabe

Try and use your shoulders more and swing the club on a more shallow plane. Make sure you square up the club face as well.

[LowPost42]

Re: bad slice....help please

Gents, I largely disagree with your diagnosis, based on the described ball flight.

Starting straight as an arrow points towards a proper swing path. This would conflict with an OTT idea. OTT, the ball starts left - the classic pull-slice (I had one for a while).

The hard right turn suggests a clubface that is open at impact. The force of your swing, gabe, causes the ball to go straight, often for 50-150 yards. Eventually sidespin takes over, the ball makes a hard right turn, and finishes it's flight.

For me, it was overpowering the shaft and either holding my lag (not releasing my wrists) or choking the clubface open (I haven't discerned which, yet, but I'm guilty of both at times).

What shaft are you playing in your driver? How strong is your grip? Obviously, video is the be-all and end-all. Try relaxing your hands, and swinging just a touch shorter and slower.

[gabe72]

Re: bad slice....help please

thanks for all the replys. I have another symptom to add to the mix. I went and hit about 50 balls this morning, trying to keep my elbow close and I even tried looking at my club during the back swing. Looking at the club during back swing helped alot EXCEPT I found myself hitting the ground alot about 6 inches behind the ball, mostly causing a large divot and not striking the ball at all. Secondly I have a huge blister on my right thumb, remember I am right handed, so I am guessing I was holding the club way to tight, DAMN I think i am uncurable. But I did hit my irons very well today. Oh yea I put a towel under my right armpit to try to keep my elbow down and that didint work either. Low Post was right about my ball flight, it goes about 150 yards and tehn turns right, still. and I am using a stiff flex shaft, low-post. Thanks again for any input.

[gord962]

Re: bad slice....help please

DO NOT put a towel under your right arm under ANY cricumstance!!!!! . This keeps you from getting to the correct position at the top:
http://members.shaw.ca/gord962/drills/top_position.htm

Ensure your clubface is square at impact:
http://members.shaw.ca/gord962/drills/clubface.htm

And work on keeping a nice relaxed grip. Gripping too tightly prevents your wrists from releasing naturally, which wll hold the face open at impact.

[bluetoff]

Re: bad slice....help please

I had this problem, just with my driver off the tee. I realised in the end it was my 9.5 degree club. I changed it for a 11 degree and now my tee shots go straight. I originally thought it was me and my swing.