Proper setup is the first thing to achieve when finding out how to fix a slice. This starts with correctly gripping the club. Have a slightly “strong” grip, rotating your lead wrist clockwise with your thumb resting on the back side of the club shaft. For more on the grip, see our post “The Grip”.
A wide stance helps balance and allows you to have as much swing speed as possible. While when hitting irons the ball will be in the middle of your stance, it should be farther forward in your stance when hitting driver. A good starting point would be to have the ball lined up with the heel of your lead foot. See our post “Driver Setup” for more tips on addressing the ball with the driver.
Mark Crossfield covers the grip and ball position in the excellent video below. Let’s get stuck in as Mark likes to say.
Now that we know we have the proper setup, we can move on to how our swing is determining how the clubhead path and clubface angle and the relationship between the two, at impact, create the ball flight pattern.
Many of us do not get enough exercise in our lives. The most handy excuse we give is that we simply do not have enough time in our busy lives. In reality, we probably lack the required discipline and desire to lead as healthy of lifestyles as we should. It may be unrealistic to think we will implement a full blown golf fitness program. Most amateur golfers simply do not have this level of commitment to their golf games.
There are two areas of personal fitness that golfers can focus on with little time commitment that will have the most positive impact on their game, flexibility and endurance. Lifting weights is not one of them. Big muscles do not directly translate into hitting the ball farther and certainly aren’t required for a consistent swing. Hitting your shots farther is achieved by increasing your clubhead speed. Otherwise beanpole sixteen year olds could not hit 300 yard drives.
Flexibility is key in getting the proper rotation and turn in your golf swing. Many high handicap and beginner golfers do not have enough rotation in their swing. They compensate their lack of rotation by either swaying and swinging too much with their arms. Both of these actions can lead to an over the top, outside to in swing which often results in a slice. Full rotation in your golf wing is beneficial in creating a consistent, inside to out swing.
Increasing your flexibility will make it easier to increase your rotation in your swing. While stretching everyday is ideal, increased flexibility can be realized by stretching as little as twenty minutes three times a week. Pilates and yoga are two of the most popular methods to stretch today. The benefit of Pilates or yoga is that in addition to increasing your flexibility, both also strengthen your core muscles (without lifting weights!). A strengthened core promotes better balance which helps with consistency in your swing.
Endurance is an area of fitness that most amateur golfers overlook. It is especially overlooked by those who ride a cart. Why do I need to worry about endurance when I don’t even walk my round? You’d be surprised how many golfers tire by the end of their round because they’re simply not in shape. Walking more throughout your day is a great way to build your endurance and improve your overall fitness. The easiest way to increase the number of steps you take a week is to begin walking your golf round. Walk using a pull cart instead of riding a powered cart. There are also many other areas of your life you can increase your walking. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Do you have a dog? Take him for regular walks. He’ll love you for it and you’ll be creating a healthier you.
Take at least a total of an hour a week to stretch your body. Find ways to include more walking in your daily life. Your golf game will thank you for it.
Please note as we discuss the grip on the club, the following discussion will be aimed at a right handed golfer. Reverse for left handed golfers.
The biggest obstacle in the way of high handicap golfers improving their game is the inability to stop slicing the ball. A slice, a ball fight path that bends to the far right for right-handers and to the far left for left-handers, inhibits you from consistently hitting your target while shaving valuable distance from your shots. Although a slice can occur with any club, it is usually more pronounced with a driver due to the distance you hit it, the larger club face, lower loft, and the longer path the club head has to travel. Many amateurs try to compensate for their slice by aiming farther left when the best course of action is to eliminate the slice all together.
A number of factors can cause you to slice the ball, including your grip being too weak, the club face being too open at impact, and an “outside to in” swing. The first thing to check, and what we will be discussing in this post, is your grip.
First, let’s discuss the different ways in which your hands can interact in gripping the club. The three main golf grips, beginning with the most popular, are the overlapping, interlocking, and baseball grips. Tom Ringer explains the differences of each in the video below. I personally use and recommend the interlocking grip as I like how it keeps my arms and hands in unison.
Most high handicap golfers have too weak of a grip on the club. When we talk about weak or strong grip, we are not talking about the pressure used to grip the club, but rather the position of your hands, specifically your left hand. Most golfers who slice the ball hold the club in the palm of their hands when you should rather hold the club in your fingers with light pressure. To grip the club with a strong grip, begin by placing the heel pad of your left hand, the meaty part of your hand below your pinky, on top of the shaft, and wrap your fingers around the shaft as shown in the photo below. Your thumb will then rest along the right side of the shaft, not down the shaft as many golfers do. Your right hand then covers your left thumb with your left thumb resting in the crease in the palm of your right rand. Your right thumb then rests on the left side of the shaft, not straight down the shaft. For another explanation of this concept, please see LPGA instructor Kristin Sunderhaft’s great post “Improving your grip will improve your game”.
One final thought on your grip. Watch a PGA Tour event on TV and see when the pros grip the club. They grip the club while holding the club in the air, not after addressing the ball with the club on the ground. The benefit of gripping the club while holding it in the air is that it promotes gripping the club in your fingers and not your palms. Check out the video below as Matt Hilton explains.
We’ve covered three important concepts regarding the grip – the types of grips allowing interaction of your hands, how to have a strong grip, and when to grip the club. The grip is one of the easier parts of your game to correct. You can also practice your grip almost anywhere. If you’re looking for how to fix a slice, start by improving your grip.
