DRIVER=Slicing due to blocking

[greghutton]

Hi Animull,

Slicing is the most common shot amongst golfers, and i have given several reviews on how to fix this problem.

See this thread.

Good Luckand Let me know how you get on.

Greg Hutton
Head P.G.A. Professional
golftuitiononline.com

[Animull]

WHO makes the MAGNA golf ball as stores around here don't know what I am talking about ?
Thank you ...................................

[greghutton]

Top-Flite Magna

Hi Animull,

The Magna golf ball is made by Spalding and is in the Top-Flite range of balls. Read more here.

http://www.topflite.com/imgs/product...mage_magna.jpg

[Animull]

THANK YOU MR. jscorpe

[greghutton]

Hi pinflag,

Often we find that a fault in our swing is most noticable when we try and hit a long iron or driver, and is not is not as noticable in our mid-short irons.

Check through the following list of possible causes:

Aim: Club face could be too open.
Grip: One or both hand could too far to the left on the grip (Weak), in your case the grip is not a problem
Ball Position: May be positioned too far forward.
Body Alignment: The feet, hips and shoulders could be aiming to the left of parallel to the ball-to-target line.
Posture: You could be standing too far from the ball.
Backswing: You may be pick the club up too steeply.
Throughswing: You may not be transferring your weight, with the correct lateral hip movement through the ball.

If you are still having problems, post another question along with a video clip or series of photos.

[chester]

I too have many problems slicing. I slice the living poop out of it to the point where I have to aim 90 degrees to the left in order to compensate for the slice. Your tips are well taken and I will integrate, but do you have any more, or can you reiterate and really give it to me straight! treat me like a novice becuase I certainly play like on with that slice. thanks ! chet

[Rogerb]

Slicing

OK Chet, I'll try. When the pro saw my swing he described it as a "flail" - all arms and wrists, combined with teeing the ball in the middle of my stance. My swing was all arms. He trained me that "the swing is the thing - the ball only gets in the way". And most importantly, "don't try to kill it". Easy does it at first. Keep everything smooth. Thats my swing though - "smoooth". First thing to do was to get my feet just outside of my shoulders in my stance, move the ball to just opposite of left heel (I'm right-handed) and get the correct distance from the ball all the time. He then took me through the drill of properly turning my body and keeping my hands directly in front of my breastbone or my heart at all times and losing the wrists for a while. He told me that at first all the arms go is raise the lub up and put it down again. I had been using the arms and wrists to get some power, resulting in the out-to-in (pulling the club closer to me in the swing) on the swing as well the clubhead arriving at the ball with the face open. My grip was wrong too - I was trying to hammer the ball and choking the grip. Just hold the club through the swing like it was an egg. If your club grips are in good shape the club will stay in your hands. If the club grips are slick put new ones on - its easy to do. Once I started using the right grip, swinging with the body all the way down to the soles of my feet, swinging easy and not trying to set distance records, keeping the clubhead directly ahead of me, keeping it all together and using the losing the wrists for a while the slice pretty well cleared up. Later I could add some wrist action and start working on distance. I never will get a lot of distance, as I broke my back and demolished my right shoulder 20+ years ago, which limits any attempt at muscle toning, but on a good day I can get in the mid 80s and I'm happy.
Nothing will ruin a swing more than your mind. The mind should clear of all thoughts when you swing. Use it to get you from place, but once you are set up on the ball stop thinking, take a few slow, deep breaths, concentrate on the ball, use any swing thought you have or none if you prefer, stop thinking and swing - smoothly.
Theres really a ton more that I've picked up that I haven't mentioned, like club rotation on the swing (pronation/rotation - not with the hands but from the elbows down) but right now just try to relax with the whole thing. Take each one of these items, put them on a list, and take them one at a time, hitting a large bucket of balls with each one - the process is additive. Stance first, then grip, then keeping the clubhead in front of you as you turn 90 degrees on the backswing and the forward swing, etc. And don't try them all on the same day. When you get a little tired, put the clubs up and go home. If you get tense - look what happened to Annika when she tensed up. With all that pressure who wouldn't? If you get tense on the driving range - take a break, relax for a bit, think happy thoughts. And all the way around the course think happy thoughts, enjoy the scenery, and have fun with it.
The grip and swing forums here have some good tips. Right now just try to keep everything coordinated like I described, one thing at a time,spend a lot of time on the driving range once you have it to get the body to learn the swing, a bit at a time and above all relax and enjoy it!

[jscerbo]

Dear Pinflag,

Luckily the trouble you are having with your driver can be solved quite easily. :-)

The reason that the ball is going to the right is because the clubface is open at impact, you also mentioned you're hips if you're hips release too early you're shoulders throw the club outside of the target line.

Here is a simple drill one devised by Jim Mclean

After addressing the ball turn you're left foot 45 degress to the right. Notice how this locks you're hips into place. Now hit a few balls. This will straighten you're ball flight out.

On a second note you should also check you're takeaway. Most mistakes happen either before you start the club back, or with the first few feet of the swing. Take the club back about 3-5 feet. Check to see that you're knuckle count is the same (if you can see more knuckles you have opened the clubface, if you see less knuckles than you have closed the clubface), also check to see that the shaft of the club is parallel to the target line (this ensures ther correct path)

Try these drills out and you're ball flight will start to straighten out.

Please reply if you have any more difficulties always glad to help out

Jordy Scerbo Golf Instructor

[johnsno]

i seem to have a slice that come in my wrist or hands. I can point the toe almost at the ball and still slice it . I have worked on speed and that just shortens the yardage. I can live with the movement in the air but it is the 45 yards left it goes after it hits the ground. any ideas thanks..

[Sadeep]

Hi

Can anyone help my slice. At least I think it's a slice. I am LEFT-HANDED and everything I hit the ball with my driver it goes to the left. Sometimes on a very sharp curve other times on less of a curve. I hit the ball better with my 3 wood but it still curves a bit to the left. Forget about my 5 wood the slice is even worse. Can anyone help out??

[slicing_master2]

i've never really had a problem with slicing until the past 2 years. When i hit it with my driver it always slices way off to the right. I've tried everything to stop it. I've tried keeping my hands in...tightening my grip..turning my club head inward before i swing...having a shorter back swing but nothing seems to work.

Becuase of the slices my golf games blows
please help

[morphine]

Hello,

This is my first post. I've roughly been playing golf for about one month now, and I do realize that it takes time to get good.

I have a Ping Tisi Tec 10* driver ... basically when i hit the ball, the trajectory is kinda low and it curves hard to the right (almost a 90 degree turn) ... I think the term is slicing?

Was wondering what I can do to correct the problem. I don't think its in my grip. I think it might either be my posture or takeaway. But I was wondering how I can have a higher trajectory?


Thanks!

[hacker64]

I am slicing my woods not irons.
Could this be that i'm not shifting my weight as when i finish my shot i lose balance.

Thanks for any help

Rob

[GregJWillis]

Not necessarily because you are not shifting your weight. In most cases where only the woods are slicing, I see ball position being the main problem. Make sure it is on or about the front toe. Irons like to be more centered in the stance to promote a decending angle of attack. Woods like to be swept in a shallower angle. But, slicing is caused when the face does not get square prior to impact. So moving the ball forward give the face more room to go before it strikes the ball and could solve your problem.

If you have a good ball position, then look at the next major cause: Over hitting the driver with the arms. Irons don't get over hit because you are trying to go an exact distance. But the driver is meant to go maximum distance so we swing at a maximum level which is most often over your controlable level. The arms get used excessivly and they get ahead of the rest of the body and shoulders and your hands cannot catch up leaving them behind with an open club face. The trick is to make a strong move with the hips and shoulders to the ball and let the arms go with them, and not ahead of them.

Hope this helps.

[bigdavestuart]

Re: slicing with a driver

I started to do this aswell, but I played a round with a scratch handicapper and he gave me a few tips. They really worked.

1-Make sure that your club face, feet and shoulders are all parallel to the target and eachother.
2-In the setup cock your hips a little higher on the left side, so that you feel as if your left hip is a little higher than your right and make sure your right knee stays flexed (not hugely) throughout the swing
3-Don't have an overswing i.e. make sure you finish either before or on parallel to the ground when you finish your backswing
4-If you still aren't able to stop the slices then set up for a slight draw=set the clubface up square but move your right foot back a little bit. You will have to try a couple of different sizes of backsteps

I hope at least one of these will help

Good luck

[Mr_Change]

Re: slicing with a driver

If you are trying to hit it harder and use your shoulders to start your downswing you will cast the club and cause an outside to in swing path. This will cause you to slice. With your driver you use the same tempo and timing as any other club in the bag. If you use to much hips and let the club drag behind you you can get pushes and push slices and shanks.

To correct the first problem you need to start to swing your downswing using more hips, to fix the second problem you don't need to quieten your hips but to whip the club down using your arm at the same time as you use your hips.

[Golfinn]

Re: slicing with a driver

I would definately go back to the basics if I was you:


Check list:
-set up
-stance
-is the ball where is should be?
-grip
-club face direction

and finaly:

half a swing and after awhile 3/4 swing.