Tame Your Slice In Three Easy Steps

Hooking and slicing can get you into trouble—especially off the tee. Even players with low golf handicaps find it hard to go low if they're constantly getting themselves into trouble. In addition to costing you strokes, slicing or hooking can ruin your position for your next shot. That makes it harder to greens hit in regulation (GIR). Fewer GIRs mean fewer birdies and pars, and higher scores. While we see more slicers than hookers in our golf lessons, one thing is certain: Eliminate a hook or a slice takes a little time and some work. Trying the golf tips given below will make the transition easier.

Taming Your Slice
Golfers slice when the clubhead is open at impact. An open clubhead causes the clubface to cut across the ball at impact, putting sidespin on it. Sidespin causes the ball to curve in the direction the clubface is pointing.

To correct a slice:

Strengthen Your Grip
To adopt a stronger grip, turn your left hand (right hand for left-handers) so you can see three knuckles at address. This promotes a closed clubface at impact.

Close Your Stance
An open stance causes the clubface to cut across the ball. Remedying this is simple. Turn your body a little to the right to set up an in-to-out swing path. By turning your body to the right, you close your stance

Rotate Your Right Arms
With your body closed to the target line, your right arm will rotate over your left as you swing past your chest. This also promotes a closed clubface at the moment of impact.

Anti-slice Drill:
Using a 7-iron, grip the club extra lightly. Set it down with the toe of the clubhead perpendicular to the ground. From there, swing the club halfway back and halfway through. As you swing through, let the toe of the clubhead hit the ground first. Feel the head take over as your forearms rotate through impact.

Taming Your Hook
A closed clubface at impact, on the other hand, triggers a hook. A closed clubface causes the clubhead to come too far inside. The key to curing a hook is to make contact with a slightly more open clubface.

Weaken Your Grip
To tame a hook, you'll want to "weaken" your grip. To do that, turn your left hand left (right if you're a left hander) so you can see two knuckles at address.

Open Your Stance
Just as you needed to close your stance to beat a slice, so to do you need to open your stance to produce a fade. So turn your body to the left slightly (left-handers turn right). That sets up a slightly out-to-in swing path.

Hold Off Arm Rotation
With your body open to the target line, your chest turns open faster on the downswing. This enables you to hold off arm rotation for a bit. It also keeps the face open for a shot that starts left and curves right slightly.

Anti-Hooking Drill
Use a 7-iron, set up with your back foot turned out about forty-five degrees and the ball positioned forward. Now make relatively easy swings, using your shoulders and upper body to do all the work. As you increase speed and improve ball flight, use longer clubs for the drill.

Hooking and slicing can get you into serious trouble—especially off the tee. That can ruin a hole and add strokes to your golf handicap. Taming your hook or slice using the golf tips described above will help you hit more fairways. That will put you into position to hit more GIRs. Do that and you'll card more birdies and pars, and lower your golf handicap a couple of strokes.


Copyright (c) 2011 Jack Moorehouse