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By: Brian Neufeld, GolfTourney.com Contributor
The most common mishit in golf is the slice. Amateurs and beginners tend to struggle with this banana-shaped ball fight and there seem to be hundreds of tips around the internet for solving this problem. While some curve in your shots can help your shotmaking ability, a dramatic slice will cut down your distance and put you in precarious positions off the tee. Today we will look at some simple tips to fix your slice.
Close Your Shoulders
One of the biggest mistakes golfers make is misaligning their upper body. If you’re losing the ball right there’s a good chance your shoulders and upper body are pointed too far to the right. Try using your shoulders, as well as your feet, as a reference for where you’re aiming. You can have a playing partner put a club across your shoulders to help you find proper alignment. Some golfers will even line up as normal and then shift their shoulders to the left before initiating their swing.
Check Your Grip
Golf grips are one of the most subjective things in the sport. What works for one golfer could be totally different for the next. While we don’t recommend a complete overhaul of your grip without consulting with a professional, there is one common denominator between slices and your grip. For right-handed golfers, try rolling your right wrist more on top of the club. Having your right hand too open will make it impossible for you to rotate through impact, leaving the clubface open, and sending shots flying to the right.
Play It
If you can’t beat it, join it. A lot of professionals will tell you to never aim left if you have a slice but on course changes to your swing are probably a worse option. Save adjustments to your swing for range work and play your natural shot shop when playing a round. If you lose your first few tee shots to the right, make the adjustment, and move your target left of center. The game of golf is about how many shots, not how those shots look, so do what you have to do during the round to find the short grass.
Slices can be a frustrating hurdle for newer golfers to handle. All of us have a natural ball flight that is uniquely ours. Don’t get caught up in trying to hit a PGA level draw and focus on your game. Typically, with some small adjustments, you can wave goodbye to that nasty slice and straighten out your shots. Just remember to save any dramatic changes for the driving range and do what you have to do to survive the round.
About the Author: Brian Neufeld
Brian Neufeld’s background includes more than 15 years of experience in golf course management, specializing in agronomy. Brian uses his knowledge of the game and best practices in turf sustention to create informative pieces for GolfTourney.com’s readers.
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