How to fix a golf slice in just 5 minutes
Before we start talking about a very common mistake among amateur golfers, namely the golf slice, it is worth remembering that for decades amateur golfers have received or heard countless lessons on the subject. If all this advice really worked, there probably wouldn’t be so many generations of golfers still hitting shots that curve from left to right, as we regularly see on golf courses.
How to fix a golf slice?
Most amateur golfers today struggle with their game because of incorrect information rather than a lack of ability. So, when we make this type of mistake, the first thing we need to do is pay attention to our sensations and thoughts. However, it is important to work with an expert who can help us understand what is happening in our golf swing and enable us to improve quickly, because in many cases our sensations can be misleading and our assumptions incorrect.
Fixing a golf slice with two questions
Before we begin, there are two relatively simple questions we should ask ourselves:
- How do we think the clubface is positioned in relation to the target at impact: open or closed?
- How do we think we swing the club, and in which direction is our swing path moving: to the right or to the left?
Most amateur golfers answer the first question by saying that the clubface is open. Very few think otherwise. Many also agree that their swing comes from the outside, but very few know how to correct it. To stop a golf slice, is it necessary to close the clubface? The answer is no. It is more accurate to say that to correct a slice, the club needs to approach the ball on a more inside-to-out path.
One of the elements that influences the curvature of the ball is the direction of our swing. We therefore need to approach more from the inside, and to do this it is essential to reduce premature rotation of the upper body during the downswing. If the body rotates less prematurely and works more laterally, it can help improve the direction of the swing.
Tips to help avoid a slice in golf
Here are some general guidelines that can help improve and correct the direction of your golf swing:
- The hands should move more to the inside during the backswing.
- You should feel that your left shoulder stays lower throughout the backswing and closer to the ball and the ground.
- At the top of the backswing, you should feel that your left arm is lower than shoulder level.
- Keep your weight on your left leg throughout the movement.
When it comes to the downswing, there are a couple of guidelines to keep in mind that can help the club approach the ball more from the inside:
- More lateral movement of the pelvis when starting the downswing.
- Keep the left knee flexed for longer during the downswing (great players who hit a draw tend to make this movement. They do not rotate prematurely or straighten the knee too early).
Amateur golfers often find these guidelines difficult to understand, but they are one of the ways to correct a golf slice, regardless of the sensations we may experience during the swing.
In any case, changing a habit is an ongoing process that requires effort. To achieve this, we need to fully understand what we want to do with the ball and how we want it to fly. Only then can we develop our own swing pattern.
Still not sure how to fix your slice? Here is the video “Fix your slice in five minutes” from my YouTube channel (Armando Martin Golf School):
If you enjoyed this article and would like help correcting another aspect of your game in a more personalized way, feel free to visit our online golf lessons section.
