If you're a golfer and you haven't heard of the word "slice", you're lucky. Either that, or you haven't been in the game long enough to know what a slice is.
Fades are different from a slice. When you're talking about fades, that means the ball is moving slowly from the left to the right. When you hit the ball at the center of the fairway and it moves a little to the right, but still remains on the fairway, that's called a fade. But a slice, on the other hand, is when the ball moves aggressively to the right. Your shot may start well at the center of the fairway, but the next thing you know, your ball is gearing towards the woods, or even worse, to the nearest window of a house.
If you want to get rid of that wicked slice, you have to bear in mind that two things usually cause this to happen. The first is your grip, the second is the club face and impact. Once you get this things fixed, you won't be seeing that slice again anytime soon.
One, getting the grip right. Pay close attention to how you handle your golf club. If you don't have one right now, you may take a pen or a pencil. If you notice your thumb and index finger, you will see that the middle portion of these two fingers is forming an inverted V. While holding a pen or pencil, position that inverted V to aim to your right shoulder. Make sure it doesn't point to the chin or left shoulder.
Two, is the club face and impact. For right handed golfer's the club is usually pointed at a 1 o'clock or 2 o'clock direction in relation to the club's heel and toe. This leaves your club face very open, causing that nasty slice. Basically, the heel is beating the toe to the impact. For you to build more awareness to your club face, try this little drill to get rid of that nasty slice.
The Drill:
The drill is made for you to practice your golf swings for around 10-15 minutes before teeing off. What you're going to do is to take a 7 or 8 iron and make some really small swings with it. Small swings mean three quarter length swings wherein your left hand will not reach parallel to the ground. What we want to achieve here is the awareness of what your club face is doing, and for you to feel the toe of the club passing the heel. Your goal is to realize how much rotation the club face has to have to get it to a square position. Once you have this done, you will begin to notice that ball traveling more to the left than to the right.
Once you get 10 in a row of swings traveling to the left using a 7 or 8 iron, you can then move on the longer clubs like a 5 or 6 iron. With these irons, you can start making longer swings. If you start hitting slices again, go back to the 7 or 8 iron, and try to achieve the 10 in a row again before moving up.
Using this drill will help you see how a ball can move differently from the way it usually does. This lifts some of the mystery of the game and it builds up your confidence by giving you some control of your shots. Practice your grip at the home or even at the office, and make sure to give time to the drills. You'll surely be on your way to getting rid of the wicked slice.
Fades are different from a slice. When you're talking about fades, that means the ball is moving slowly from the left to the right. When you hit the ball at the center of the fairway and it moves a little to the right, but still remains on the fairway, that's called a fade. But a slice, on the other hand, is when the ball moves aggressively to the right. Your shot may start well at the center of the fairway, but the next thing you know, your ball is gearing towards the woods, or even worse, to the nearest window of a house.
If you want to get rid of that wicked slice, you have to bear in mind that two things usually cause this to happen. The first is your grip, the second is the club face and impact. Once you get this things fixed, you won't be seeing that slice again anytime soon.
One, getting the grip right. Pay close attention to how you handle your golf club. If you don't have one right now, you may take a pen or a pencil. If you notice your thumb and index finger, you will see that the middle portion of these two fingers is forming an inverted V. While holding a pen or pencil, position that inverted V to aim to your right shoulder. Make sure it doesn't point to the chin or left shoulder.
Two, is the club face and impact. For right handed golfer's the club is usually pointed at a 1 o'clock or 2 o'clock direction in relation to the club's heel and toe. This leaves your club face very open, causing that nasty slice. Basically, the heel is beating the toe to the impact. For you to build more awareness to your club face, try this little drill to get rid of that nasty slice.
The Drill:
The drill is made for you to practice your golf swings for around 10-15 minutes before teeing off. What you're going to do is to take a 7 or 8 iron and make some really small swings with it. Small swings mean three quarter length swings wherein your left hand will not reach parallel to the ground. What we want to achieve here is the awareness of what your club face is doing, and for you to feel the toe of the club passing the heel. Your goal is to realize how much rotation the club face has to have to get it to a square position. Once you have this done, you will begin to notice that ball traveling more to the left than to the right.
Once you get 10 in a row of swings traveling to the left using a 7 or 8 iron, you can then move on the longer clubs like a 5 or 6 iron. With these irons, you can start making longer swings. If you start hitting slices again, go back to the 7 or 8 iron, and try to achieve the 10 in a row again before moving up.
Using this drill will help you see how a ball can move differently from the way it usually does. This lifts some of the mystery of the game and it builds up your confidence by giving you some control of your shots. Practice your grip at the home or even at the office, and make sure to give time to the drills. You'll surely be on your way to getting rid of the wicked slice.
About the Author:
Matthew Seppanen is the co-host of the #1 Golf Instruction Podcast, Go Golf Tips. Click on the link for more information about how to fix your slice. To learn about how you can play better golf and be the envy of your foursome please visit Go Golf Tips.
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