Working the Slice out of the Driver

1,444 Views | 13 Replies | Last: 3 yr ago by Duckhook
Strategy
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AG
I've worked hard to improve my game for the past 12-18 months. Hitting irons and even 3/5 woods well. Still struggling with my driver pulling to the right.

What has helped you hit consistent straight drives and stop slicing?
Aggie369
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AG
Even though its not actually happening I FEEL like my arms drop first. Also no tension...feel like I'm barely holding on to the club. My only thoughts on the course are tension in my arms/hands and to try and "stay tall".

Everyone is at different levels so frustrations come from different things. I used to be a decent player and have spent the last 10 months shooting 78-85. My driver causes a lot of my problems.

Stopped thinking about my swing and started focusing on being relaxed...shot 76 my first round out and played par 5s over par and putted pretty ****ty.

Golf is hard
Trucker 96
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I swing hard and hope somethin good happens
FarmersFightAg
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AG
I struggled for years with this. Have finally found more consistency with turning the ball over left. My miss hit is now on the left side of the fairway, but it's added distance rather than a high flying weak slice.

Ball placement further up your stance (at or past your left heel, assuming you are a righty), and try for a stronger grip where it feels like your thumbs are a little behind the club shaft pointing right. The grip will allow your wrists to have more freedom with turning through, rather than laid off with an open club. Both of these should allow for a more closed face at impact, and can even get you a little draw!
ChoppinDs40
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AG
FarmersFightAg said:

I struggled for years with this. Have finally found more consistency with turning the ball over left. My miss hit is now on the left side of the fairway, but it's added distance rather than a high flying weak slice.

Ball placement further up your stance (at or past your left heel, assuming you are a righty), and try for a stronger grip where it feels like your thumbs are a little behind the club shaft pointing right. The grip will allow your wrists to have more freedom with turning through, rather than laid off with an open club. Both of these should allow for a more closed face at impact, and can even get you a little draw!


A little draw? That's a recipe for pure duck hook.

To the OP. Listen, there isn't a ton of stuff that causes the slice.

However, there are a TON of ways to "fix" (really just masks the poor swing mechanic) the slice. Over-strengthening grip, drastic ball placement in stance, closing feet of stance.

Start thinking more cerebral about how the ball flight works in relation to your club face at impact. Slice is caused by 2 things: 1) coming across ball (outside/in swing path), or more commonly referred to as "coming over the top". When the club face strikes the ball from this angle it causes the ball to spin right to left, or clockwise. This right spin creates the slices and takes off massive distance. And 2) club face is open at impact. This will lead to pushing the ball right, as well as creating right spin.

Sometimes these are paired together for a mega slice. Over the top and open club face. Ball is OB within 50 yards.

I struggled (and on bad days still do) with the open club face. This can be fixed by making sure you're in a good position at the top of your back swing with a flat or flexed wrist (DJs wrist is super flexed). From there, keep the club handle moving with a good follow-through.

The tips to strengthen grip to allow for wrist movement (I cringe at promoting wrist movement) are there to allow you to slam the face shut at impact. This is because you're way open until the very last second.

Sudden shutting of the club face may work on some holes or days, but adding that much inconsistency will not improve your game. Just think, you're having to readjust poor mechanics in the last .05 seconds the swing - not a recipe for consistent success.

NOW, if your problem is swing path (outside/in), go get some lessons and get on a camera.

It took me 4 months of lessons at Golftec to fix mine (swing way too inside/out). Some pros still tinker with theirs all the time (justin rose recently re-did his).

Swing path takes a change in muscle memory but can be done.

Lots of drills but mine was always the swing thought of "swing left" to create less hook (inside out) path on my balls.

Hope this helps.
Rubble
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AG
Bingo Bango Bongo said:

I swing hard and hope somethin good happens

Me too
Trucker 96
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Spin and ball-flight is 100% based on clubface angle relative to swing path, and a slice means your clubface is open relative to your swingpath. Now this could be that you have an out-to-in path with a square face, or a good straight path with an open face. A stronger grip can help get the face more closed if your issue is a weak/neutral grip-resulting-in-open-clubface issue, but if your real issue is an out to in path, you'll need to work on the cause of that (which are many). But a stronger grip can be a bit of a bandaid to help while you deal with it
stick93
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You might take a look at this video. For me, purposely trying to keep the club face pointed at the ground on the way back seems to have corrected a few things. Most notably, fanning the club open on the way back and getting my weight out of position right away.

Legend
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AG
Another cause can be that you are "hanging back" meaning you are not getting your weight moving towards your front foot on the downswing. A lot of times, if you focus on getting the weight through the front you will stop slicing.

The other tips above are good too. It all depends on what's causing the slice. But for me, it's usually that I hung back on my back foot and got out of position as a result.
mm98
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Legend said:

Another cause can be that you are "hanging back" meaning you are not getting your weight moving towards your front foot on the downswing. A lot of times, if you focus on getting the weight through the front you will stop slicing.

The other tips above are good too. It all depends on what's causing the slice. But for me, it's usually that I hung back on my back foot and got out of position as a result.
I'm no expert but I see so many people doing this. Hell, me included. If I hang back the rotational axis leaves me no choice but to extend early and swipe across the ball.

When I exaggerate the weight shift, even as clunky as it feels, the ball magically goes straighter.
bdgol07
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Rubble said:

Bingo Bango Bongo said:

I swing hard and hope somethin good happens

Me too
The ol nine ball approach...thats my drinking golf game. Drink a beer, hit the ball hard as possible and go find it
Duckhook
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Goodnight Irene
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Chiming in with what is helping me. Make sure the ball is up at your front foot instep. But the biggest thing that is currently straightening out my ball flight is I found I was getting in the habit of crowding the ball so I have moved away from the ball a few inches and it seemed to help my club path be less over the top.

Your mileage left to right may vary
bdgol07
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AG
Duckhook said:


Helping someone not slice their driver...username DOES NOT check out
Duckhook
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bdgol07 said:

Duckhook said:


Helping someone not slice their driver...username DOES NOT check out

It no longer applies, but there was a reason I chose that username back at the dawn of the World Wide Web!
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