OT: Fixing a golf slice?

[B1GEast]

Try to relax, check your form, you want that club face to make proper contact on the down swing. It ain't easy, but you have to coach yourself through it

 

[uconnfan68]

I've lived with a slice for 35+ years of golfing. Just accept it and don't drive yourself crazy. Once you accept the slice, your golfing life will be much happier.

If you can play it after you find, that’s fine. If it’s always in the trees or lost, then you need lessons.

 

[uconnfan68]

I line up my drive and the contact feels great. Good initial aim and then...into the rough/trees/fairway of the hole on the right. I slice nearly every time I drive the ball. There's myriad resources online for fixing this problem but everyone seems to have their own miracle fix. Just wondering if any Yarders(@mauconnfan?) have any tried and true methods they use to get a straight drive. I'm too much of a casual golfer to hire a swing coach or spend money trying to fix it. For now I'm relegated to hitting irons off the tee because then at least I hit the fairway I'm aiming for. I realize without seeing my swing it's hard to diagnose what I'm doing wrong but any help is appreciated. FORE!(> 1)

You can get into group lesson fairly reasonably. Do yourself a favor if you enjoy playing at all. Take a lesson...

 

[Umami Zen]

A quick puff on a vape loaded with super silver haze has the same effect for me.

Good advice for a draw

 

[Huskyhoops25]

I’ve always have played a fade but at my age I was losing to much distance to the 40 somethings that I play with. So I adjusted my swing to start hitting a draw. I closed the face of my driver about 5 degrees. I closed my stance ( put my front foot about 4 to 5 inches in front of my back foot ) and lastly I mentally draw a line on the ball down the line of flight that I want, and swing so that I am swinging out at the ball trying to hit the inner hemisphere. It took me most of a year to hone it but I hit a nice controllable draw now. It has increased my distance about 30 yards with the extra roll I get.

 

[mauconnfan]

Here's another thought on fixing your slice Jake, don't listen to much to a guy who shot an 85 on Saturday and hit 3 greens in regulation while throwing duck snotters off the tee all day. He obviously can't adjust all that well either . Crazy game at times for all.

 

[mauconnfan]

I’ve always have played a fade but at my age I was losing to much distance to the 40 somethings that I play with. So I adjusted my swing to start hitting a draw. I closed the face of my driver about 5 degrees. I closed my stance ( put my front foot about 4 to 5 inches in front of my back foot ) and lastly I mentally draw a line on the ball down the line of flight that I want, and swing so that I am swinging out at the ball trying to hit the inner hemisphere. It took me most of a year to hone it but I hit a nice controllable draw now. It has increased my distance about 30 yards with the extra roll I get.

Yep this^^ I always looked up to the guys who had that pretty draw off the tee on 1 but lived with a slight fade until around my late 40's. Not it's rare it hit the ball right but do have the occasional ducks cooking like the other day. I do use the stance you speak of for the draw when needing to do so from behind or in the trees or alike, it does work. If I did that off the tee I would never be in play I'd over indulge my draw time and time again but as we say, we all have something that works. For someone trying to get away from a cut or slice the closed stance can be of assistance.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I could live with my slice when I was younger because I could really put a move on the ball when I connected. As I get older, I just suck, so now I mostly focus on my drinking when I am on the course.

 

[Zissou]

Keep it simple.

The first response from businesslawyer is spot on.

Closing the club face is an easy fix, so let’s assume your swing has to adjust from outside-in to more insideout.

Go to a range where you can tee up in natural grass.

Tee up your ball. Then take another Tee and, on a straight line to your target, place the 2nd Tee about 3 inches in front of the teed ball. That is your straight line swing. Assuming you are right handed, now move that forward tee one inch to your right. Keep that tee high.

With a wood or long iron, practice swinging through the ball and over that 2nd tee. This is your inside out swing. You can practice this without hitting a ball, and then with hitting a ball.

Now add a few tweaks. Step just a little further away from the ball then normal, and then move your left food towards the ball (ball is forward in stance for long iron or wood). This will close your stance a bit. It will help you get to inside-out.

Now close your hips a bit. Line up to your target. Place your club on your hips and point to the target. Now pivot your hips a little so the club faces a little right of the target. This will close your stance a bit. It will help you get to inside-out.

Now slow your back swing and don’t pick up your club quickly in take away. Large arc. Only 75% back swing. Swing through the ball and over the 2nd tee.

These simple steps will likely not only fix your slice, but also teach you to shape shots on demand. You already know how to fade and slice. By learning your inside-out motion you will learn how to hook and draw. You will dial in the right motion and adjust with these simple tips.

After you are dialed in...

Need a slice / power fade on a shot? Open up your feet and hips, picture that old outside-in swing line (after you contact the ball the head goes left of that straight line 2nd tee).

Need a draw? Close the stance, close the hips, picture that inside-out swing line (after you contact the ball the head goes out over that 2nd tee that is to the right of the straight target line).

In your yard you can set up the 2 tees and with a half swing set the swing motion inside out. Just back and forth on that inside-out line.

 

[Huskyhoops25]

Yep this^^ I always looked up to the guys who had that pretty draw off the tee on 1 but lived with a slight fade until around my late 40's. Not it's rare it hit the ball right but do have the occasional ducks cooking like the other day. I do use the stance you speak of for the draw when needing to do so from behind or in the trees or alike, it does work. If I did that off the tee I would never be in play I'd over indulge my draw time and time again but as we say, we all have something that works. For someone trying to get away from a cut or slice the closed stance can be of assistance.

Occasionally I’ll get the duck hooks when I’m too quick and the right hand gets too strong but the occasional hook I can overlook when I look at the big picture.

 

[Fairfield_1st]

 

[freescooter]

I believe that correcting a slice is impossible. Best you can hope for is to keep it under control. But rest assured when you think it is gone for good, it rears its miserable head. I’ve taken lessons galore as well. Different pros have suggested different cures but 2 things have worked sort of. Take the club back on a slightly inside line and strengthen your grip. If it crops up mid round like mine seems to leave your driver in the bag and when you grip the club hold tight with the top 2 fingers of your left hand. Not sure why that helps but it seems to not eliminate the problem but minimize it. Instead of hitting it across the adjacent fairway you’ll just find the rough. Or you can do what my uncle Bob used to do. Aim way left and let your slice find its way into the middle of the fairway?

 

[Zissou]

Keep it simple.

The first response from businesslawyer is spot on.

Closing the club face is an easy fix, so let’s assume your swing has to adjust from outside-in to more insideout.

Go to a range where you can tee up in natural grass.

Tee up your ball. Then take another Tee and, on a straight line to your target, place the 2nd Tee about 3 inches in front of the teed ball. That is your straight line swing. Assuming you are right handed, now move that forward tee one inch to your right. Keep that tee high.

With a wood or long iron, practice swinging through the ball and over that 2nd tee. This is your inside out swing. You can practice this without hitting a ball, and then with hitting a ball.

Now add a few tweaks. Step just a little further away from the ball then normal, and then move your left food towards the ball (ball is forward in stance for long iron or wood). This will close your stance a bit. It will help you get to inside-out.

Now close your hips a bit. Line up to your target. Place your club on your hips and point to the target. Now pivot your hips a little so the club faces a little right of the target. This will close your stance a bit. It will help you get to inside-out.

Now slow your back swing and don’t pick up your club quickly in take away. Large arc. Only 75% back swing. Swing through the ball and over the 2nd tee.

These simple steps will likely not only fix your slice, but also teach you to shape shots on demand. You already know how to fade and slice. By learning your inside-out motion you will learn how to hook and draw. You will dial in the right motion and adjust with these simple tips.

After you are dialed in...

Need a slice / power fade on a shot? Open up your feet and hips, picture that old outside-in swing line (after you contact the ball the head goes left of that straight line 2nd tee).

Need a draw? Close the stance, close the hips, picture that inside-out swing line (after you contact the ball the head goes out over that 2nd tee that is to the right of the straight target line).

In your yard you can set up the 2 tees and with a half swing set the swing motion inside out. Just back and forth on that inside-out line.

Here is a visual. I’m assuming your slice comes from the left path above. Outside-in.

The right path above is inside-out. I placed a yellow dot where you want to place that 2nd Tee. Just swing over the first tee and tick that 2nd tee with your club head as you pass over it.

This is a very simple drill and a very simple visualization that will help you on the course. Train the muscle memory and picture the swing line.

All of the other “tricks” can help, but this keeps it simple. If you pass over that second tee you are inside out. Holding the towel with your elbow can help, but it’s trying to do the same thing by training your take away. I think that comes naturally with this tee drill. Keep it simple and just try the tee drill.

 

[Zissou]

I believe that correcting a slice is impossible. Best you can hope for is to keep it under control. But rest assured when you think it is gone for good, it rears its miserable head.

Jake - don’t buy into this. The fix is simple.

There are so many approaches and “tricks” to fix this common problem that it makes it feel complicated. It isn’t. Keep it simple!

 

[Umami Zen]

Placement of teed ball on tee box helps influence shot shape and takes advantage of one side of fairway.

Right side placement for fade. Left side placement for draw.

 

[Tex-Lager93]

Practice making a slow, deliberate backswing. When you put too much force in the takeaway, you could overpower the correct plane. Taking it slow prevents this...then swing normal through. You'll get used to what the correct swing feels like for you.

 

[JakeTheDog]

Keep it simple.

The first response from businesslawyer is spot on.

Closing the club face is an easy fix, so let’s assume your swing has to adjust from outside-in to more insideout.

Go to a range where you can tee up in natural grass.

Tee up your ball. Then take another Tee and, on a straight line to your target, place the 2nd Tee about 3 inches in front of the teed ball. That is your straight line swing. Assuming you are right handed, now move that forward tee one inch to your right. Keep that tee high.

With a wood or long iron, practice swinging through the ball and over that 2nd tee. This is your inside out swing. You can practice this without hitting a ball, and then with hitting a ball.

Now add a few tweaks. Step just a little further away from the ball then normal, and then move your left food towards the ball (ball is forward in stance for long iron or wood). This will close your stance a bit. It will help you get to inside-out.

Now close your hips a bit. Line up to your target. Place your club on your hips and point to the target. Now pivot your hips a little so the club faces a little right of the target. This will close your stance a bit. It will help you get to inside-out.

Now slow your back swing and don’t pick up your club quickly in take away. Large arc. Only 75% back swing. Swing through the ball and over the 2nd tee.

These simple steps will likely not only fix your slice, but also teach you to shape shots on demand. You already know how to fade and slice. By learning your inside-out motion you will learn how to hook and draw. You will dial in the right motion and adjust with these simple tips.

After you are dialed in...

Need a slice / power fade on a shot? Open up your feet and hips, picture that old outside-in swing line (after you contact the ball the head goes left of that straight line 2nd tee).

Need a draw? Close the stance, close the hips, picture that inside-out swing line (after you contact the ball the head goes out over that 2nd tee that is to the right of the straight target line).

In your yard you can set up the 2 tees and with a half swing set the swing motion inside out. Just back and forth on that inside-out line.

View attachment 66658
Here is a visual. I’m assuming your slice comes from the left path above. Outside-in.

The right path above is inside-out. I placed a yellow dot where you want to place that 2nd Tee. Just swing over the first tee and tick that 2nd tee with your club head as you pass over it.

This is a very simple drill and a very simple visualization that will help you on the course. Train the muscle memory and picture the swing line.

All of the other “tricks” can help, but this keeps it simple. If you pass over that second tee you are inside out. Holding the towel with your elbow can help, but it’s trying to do the same thing by training your take away. I think that comes naturally with this tee drill. Keep it simple and just try the tee drill.

Thank you. A lot of good advice in this thread. The visual is very helpful and the tee drill seems simple which is perfect for my simpleton brain. I took some swings in the yard this morning and I'm not close to hitting the second tee with my current swing. I did place another tee up and to the left which I am consistently hitting with the club, so it appears my swing is outside-in. Going to hit the range later and focus on trying to get up and over that second, right hand tee.

 

[ClifSpliffy]

go to a swing video place. hit a lot of shots with different clubs to generate a data plotted 'baseline' swing and trajectory profiles. now you have actual evidence for what ur swing actually is instead of what you think it is. adjust accordingly with input from someone who actually knows something.
or, cheapo v2.0 advice:
address the ball comfortably. bend/bounce at the knees a few times. if you don't feel that ur in ur happy spot, move ur feet accordingly -settle in.
head down, arm straight, swing slow, hit hard. admire the result.
sooooo much of sending a projectile successfully in sport is based on 2 inputs:
hip swivel and keeping ur head down. did i mention keeping ur head down? if not, remember to keep ur head down. anybody can do that, while the hip swivel is the most 'individual' movement in sports. can't change it much if ur body says 'no.'
cheapest advice: give up some distance for accuracy -do everything in slow motion as you get rid of the maniac swing. with even average ability, you'll stop 6'n the course to death. garuntee.
i/we always tell a new face/faces in the foursome at tee-off, 'do whatever the heck you want. kick it, throw it, improve ur lie by 30 yards -whatever. makes no nevermind to me/us cuz ur here to have fun, too. just don't bring that to a betting situation cuz iffn i/we even do that (rarely), the last thing anyone needs to hear from ur 'normally a scratch golfer' baloney (lie) is a whole bunch of lawyerin hot nonsense aboot 'bbut that garbage truck noise 2 miles away threw me off!' when in florida, we just feed those types to the alligators.

only around 10% of all duffers actually break 100 on an honest scorecard.
signed, 'i always shoot in the 70s. if it's any colder, i ain't going out.'

 

[tennmike]

I line up my drive and the contact feels great. Good initial aim and then...into the rough/trees/fairway of the hole on the right. I slice nearly every time I drive the ball. There's myriad resources online for fixing this problem but everyone seems to have their own miracle fix. Just wondering if any Yarders(@mauconnfan?) have any tried and true methods they use to get a straight drive. I'm too much of a casual golfer to hire a swing coach or spend money trying to fix it. For now I'm relegated to hitting irons off the tee because then at least I hit the fairway I'm aiming for. I realize without seeing my swing it's hard to diagnose what I'm doing wrong but any help is appreciated. FORE!(> 1)

Since you state that the initial aim is ok, you have a swing path problem. About zero percentage of all golfers take the club back and return it in exactly the same path; there will always be a loop. If you look back at the clubhead path before getting to the ball, yours is moving counter-clockwise - your takeaway is too inside then you loop over the top on the downswing. In your mind, thinking about doing the opposite. The backswing should feel outside the line and then the club drops to the inside on the downswing. Again, looking back, the clubhead moves in a clockwise direction. Feeling this will straighten you out.

 

[Zissou]

Thank you. A lot of good advice in this thread. The visual is very helpful and the tee drill seems simple which is perfect for my simpleton brain. I took some swings in the yard this morning and I'm not close to hitting the second tee with my current swing. I did place another tee up and to the left which I am consistently hitting with the club, so it appears my swing is outside-in. Going to hit the range later and focus on trying to get up and over that second, right hand tee.

It’s simple in concept, but retraining muscle memory takes repetition.
One helping hint is the short swing. Even in your yard, do those half swings or even quarter swings. Get that swing motion over the second tee. When it becomes comfortable and repeatable, expand the swing.

 

[alphasigko]

Take lessons.... Cured mine after one season's worth years ago. Losing the banana ball is exhilerating and worth every penny!

 

[LIuconn]

Another tip is to take some practice swings on a side hill lie with your club on the side above your feet. You’ll find it’s almost impossible to come over the top

 

[Chin Diesel]

Watching some of the Master's preview on golf channel tonight and they were detailing the overall improvement and consistency in DJ's game since he changed from a draw swing to a power fade.

As Lee Trevino said - "You can talk to a fade but a hook won't listen".

A fade or slice which travels a 1/2 fairway off center or less isn't anything to worry about off the tee.

Bigger issue to me is learning how to pure an iron to the green.

 

[Greathusky]

What helped me is this. As a left hander, I aim in my head towards left field. It seems counter productive but your body rotation which bring it back to the center.

 

[microfich]

You might consider improving your equipment.