Like many golfers, I was unable to draw the ball for the first year of my golfing career. I tried everything from aiming left to violently flipping my hands over at impact, only to watch each ball sail to the right. After four years of hard work, I can finally hit a soft draw on command, but I still see weekend warriors fight a hard slice. For those of you who are frustrated with your slice, the answer to your problems lies below. Unfortunately, I cannot promise that you will be hitting high 3-yard draws, but I can promise that you will no longer slice the ball with these golf tips.
As I have mentioned in my other articles, old school ball flight laws continue to leave the casual golfer confused. Golf tips in magazines, television commentary and many well-recognized instructors continue to provide golfers with incorrect information. Countless golfers therefore have many misconceptions about ball flight.
Myth: The ball slices because the clubface is open to the target
Not true. There have been numerous great players who hit every shot with a clubface that points right of the target at impact. The examples below show that both Rory McIlroy and Jim Furyk both hit their draws with an open clubface. Furyk had a club path of 5-7 degrees in-out, while McIlroy had a club path of 6.4 degrees. Both players drew every shot!
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Earlier in the summer, I was struggling to hit a draw. I could hit a gentle fade but I struggled to hit a consistent draw. A quick session with the TrackMan showed me that I needed to fix my path, not my clubface. For anybody that slices the ball, they must obtain an in-out path and they will fix their slice immediately!
The Five-Step Process to Fixing Your Slice
1) Change your Setup
Since the most important variable is club path, golfers must aim to the right. This will encourage an in-out club path, which is essential for any golfer who would like to see the ball move from right-left.
2) Do not sway off the ball on the backswing
Many golfers have a tendency slide away from the target on the backswing. In doing so, they increase the chances of a slice exponentially because the weight shift shifts the clubpath out-in. Make sure that your hips do not sway away from the target on the backswing and make sure that they shift towards the target on the downswing by keeping your weight on the front foot.
3) Swing to “rightfield”
On every shot, you want to feel like you are hitting a baseball to the opposite field.
4) Keep the handle in front of the blade
Many golfers who slice the ball try to help the ball up by scooping the ball or keeping the handle behind the clubface. To draw the ball, however, golfers should keep the clubface slightly in front of the handle throughout the swing.
5) Bring the handle up after impact
Never let the handle swing to the left after impact. Instead, feel as if the handle rises after you hit the ball.
By following these five simple steps, I guarantee that you will get rid of your slice and begin drawing the ball today. Once again I recommend watching the videos below from TrackMan Maestro, Michael Breed and Hank Haney to further your understanding. They are all ball flight experts who have worked with numerous teaching professionals during their career.
The TrackMan Maestro, or Joseph Mayo is a ball flight expert based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Together with former PGA Tour professional Grant Waite, he runs WaiteMayo Golf.
Michael Breed is the director of the Michael Breed Golf Academy at Manhattan Woods Golf Club in West Nyack, New York. He also runs The Golf Fix, a golf instructional show that airs every Monday afternoon on the Golf Channel.
The Golf Fix: Fix Your Slice
Hank Haney is arguably the world’s most recognized golf instructor. From 2005-2010, he coached Tiger Woods. Meanwhile, he hosts the Haney Project on the Golf Channel.
