still fading/slicing

[LANCEALOTS]

Re: Strong Grip and slicing drives

Robf..i Started Doing That As Well Around 2 Weeks Ago, Last Week, Started Pulling Everyting Left,left Of Target Then More Left. I Believe My Shoulders Are Closed But My Hips Are Open, Could Be The Reason. Easy And Quick Fix Though. See How It Plays Out/

[GolfJunkieSr]

Re: Strong Grip and slicing drives

Many years ago there was an instructor who's name escapes me right now. He advocated what he called the "gorilla" position when trying to figure out how a golfer should address the ball. Basically what said was with out using a club, to bend at the waist, and let your arms, and hands hang straight down. This position he said was your natural position for your hands, and arms to be in at address. What ever the position the hands were hanging would then be duplicated on the grip of the club. His reasoning was that the arms, and hands will always return to their normal hanging position on the down swing, to impact. Not everyones hands will hang the same way, and is why one grip will not work for all golfers.

What you have probably done with your grip is to have duplicated the natural hanging positions of your arms, and hands, and they now return to that natural position on the down swing, which keeps the club face in the same position it was at address.

Why people do not speak much about this type of gripping of the club I have no idea. Probably just lost, and forgotten information over the years.

Is it a good practice? Well I have used a very simular grip that you discribed for over 50 years. It has been a great "practice" for me. Many times i have been told my right hand is too strong by golfers shorter, and less accurate than myself. The only change I have made just a few years ago is in my short game where I now use a 10 finger grip for more control, because of my constant playing parteners, Art & Ben....LOL

BTW, I just remembered. Phil Galvano was that instructors name. GJS

[robf]

Re: Strong Grip and slicing drives

LANCEALOTS

I was hitting to the left as well. But a aligning my shoulder to the target got me hittling it straight.

[robf]

Re: Strong Grip and slicing drives

GolfjunkieSr.:

Thanks for your input. My conflicting feelings about the grip is based on what other people have told me. Some say its OK; others say it isn't OK. But I'm hitting just as far and accurate as the naysayers. The grip seems to work pretty well for me. It has taken the slice out of my game. This equates to a lot more confidence off the tee.

I guess if it isn't broke then there isn't a compelling reason to "fix" it.

Thanks for your help

[mariner]

This is related to the post below about "why does this produce a draw" but I thought it deserved it's own thread as so many people are fighting a slice, espeically when you start out, and I've never seen it mentioned anywhere.
Next time you go down the range, just change one thing and see what happens, when you address the ball with whatever club, instead of nearly touching the ball as you normally do, try it from 6 or 8 inches behind and make your normal swing. Unless it's just me, and I don't think it is, it's pretty difficult to slice with this set up and you should actually get a bit of a draw.
I've only just found this out and haven't tried it off the fairway as I assume I'll catch it fat, but it works like dream off the tee with all clubs.

[BrianW]

Re: If you would like to draw the ball or just stop slicing, try this.

This is normally a problem with the driver or 3 wood. The ball will be placed forward in your stance and if you place the clubface behind it at address it will pull your shoulders open, this will promote you cutting across the ball and slicing. Placing the clubface further back will allow you to setup with squarer or slightly closed shoulders that assist with a draw. Remember the shoulders are the rudders of ball flight.

[mariner]

Re: If you would like to draw the ball or just stop slicing, try this.

That's logical captain, but it's a mystery to me that I've never come across it before, after all, curing a slice is one of the number one things instructors have to deal with and this seems to do it in the easiest way imaginable?

[BrianW]

Re: If you would like to draw the ball or just stop slicing, try this.

That's logical captain, but it's a mystery to me that I've never come across it before, after all, curing a slice is one of the number one things instructors have to deal with and this seems to do it in the easiest way imaginable?

This is where I picked it up:

[pnearn]

Re: If you would like to draw the ball or just stop slicing, try this.

This is related to the post below about "why does this produce a draw" but I thought it deserved it's own thread as so many people are fighting a slice, espeically when you start out, and I've never seen it mentioned anywhere.
Next time you go down the range, just change one thing and see what happens, when you address the ball with whatever club, instead of nearly touching the ball as you normally do, try it from 6 or 8 inches behind and make your normal swing. Unless it's just me, and I don't think it is, it's pretty difficult to slice with this set up and you should actually get a bit of a draw.
I've only just found this out and haven't tried it off the fairway as I assume I'll catch it fat, but it works like dream off the tee with all clubs.

I assume your hands stay where they are, so is this not just hands ahead of the ball, forward leaning shaft, forward press etc - only you do it statically at address?

[mariner]

Re: If you would like to draw the ball or just stop slicing, try this.

I just put the ball where I always have, just inside the left heel like most people do I think, but then address the open space about 8 inches behind it and swing through it. No conscious thoughts about hands in front or where the shaft is leaning, as far as I can tell it's a standard driver setup with your left arm and shaft in a straight line.
If there is a swing thought, it's something along the lines of staying level through impact for as long as possible, though you can probably ignore that.
I had a lesson a while back and was told I was chopping down on the ball a bit (which is why all my drives went too high and never rolled) so I worked this out myself to promote a more upward strike on the ball and it worked. The draw bit was an unforeseen bonus.

[mariner]

Re: If you would like to draw the ball or just stop slicing, try this.

I've just watched the video posted by Brian and that exactly IT, that's just what I'm doing, although he is even FURTHER away from the ball with the driver, it looks like a foot at least.
I'm hitting my driver with the setup he's got for his 3 wood I think, but I'll try the driver version when I next get down the range.
I do it with the irons as well though, or else they don't draw for me ( I assume he wants to hit them straight!) whereas he says to take a divot, which you can't do with this method.

[Timothy Slaught]

Re: If you would like to draw the ball or just stop slicing, try this.

Hello All:

Mariner, this is exactly the set-up that Moe Norman, the late great ball striker used with his driver and teed woods. He could hit several hundred drives consecutively into an area 20 yards wide and 250+ out. By the way he also shot several rounds in the 50's (score...not the decade) on the Canadian Tour. Not bad.

I have been contemplating this issue myself as I have been fighting the slap fade with the driver lately. In my set-up with the driver, I play the ball off my left instep but my hands are more towards my center (belt buckle) which has the shaft leaning away from the target significantly. I grip neutral and square the clubhead at address but by the time my hands reach impact, they are several inches further toward the target. The shaft is leaning slightly towards target, left arm in line with shoulder at impact so this is OK but as my hands have moved forward at impact versus the address position, this has in fact left my clubface wide open when it strikes the ball. In my case, it was the open clubface causing the problem and that instantly and instinctively makes me swing over the top to compensate for the open face. Not good.

To remedy my particular problem, I am setting up with my hands a little more towards my left thigh so the shaft is not leaning so drastically away from the target. I also have strengthened my grip and set the clubface ever so slightly closed at address. I immediatley started drawing the ball again.

I tryed your method but I never got comfortable seeing the clubhead that far behind the ball. I instinctively want to set-up the club directly up behind the ball.

If your new set-up is making you hit more solid, then stick with it and good luck.

Tim S.

[BrianW]

Re: slicing the ball

When you slice the ball does it travel left then pull back right or does it bend straight out to the right?

[cyc53870]

Re: slicing the ball

Normally slicers are for beginners but with some practice and experimentation, you will develop a fade...

[ventor]

I was plagued by the slice for years .. for me it was something so simple that my local pro helped me get the club delivered from the inside .. I now play "mostly" with a gentle draw.