9 out of 10 golfers suffer from a slice. As common as the fault is, there is only one cause - an open clubface at impact. Here are three easy quick fixes to help stop your slice in a hurry. Use them if need be on the course, for a mid-game fix, but I would highly recommend trying to groove them on the range so they because ingrained in your swing.
Stronger Grip
I’m talking hand position here, not grip pressure. Most slicers grip the club in too weak of a position (hands too much on top of the club) – to help combat this poor position, rotate your hands to the right on the club. The V’s created by the webbing between your thumb and index fingers should point either at your right shoulder or the right of it as shown in the image. A stronger grip position will help encourage you to grip the club more in your fingers, and it will make it easier for your wrists to rotate through impact helping to square the clubface.
Relax your grip, arms and shoulders
Tension is killer in golf. A smooth, controlled golf swing is nearly impossible to complete while your hands, arms and shoulders and tense. Tension, especially in the arms and wrists will reduce your ability to rotate the clubface through impact – leaving it open. In terms of your grip, you should only be gripping the club tightly enough so it doesn’t fly out of your hands – on a scale of 1-10, 10 being literally strangling the club – you should be sitting around a 3. Try shaking your arms and shoulders out before each swing too – being loose is conducive to a smooth controlled swing that rotates well through impact.
Flatten Your Swing Out
Slicer’s commonly have upright swings – this makes coming over the top very easy, and can contribute to an open clubface at impact. A rounder, more horizontal swing will help encourage attacking the ball more from the inside, and decrease the chances of hitting a slice. Try thinking of swinging more baseball-bat like – and it should help you out. You may need to stand further away the ball to compensate for your flatter swing.
Be sure to give the quick fixes a try the next time you want to ensure you don’t slice. Remember though, the number one cause of a slice is poor fundamentals – be sure to check yours often to ensure your properly setup to perform a good swing.