THE SLICE – [F]
Many golfers, especially high handicappers, often struggle with slicing the ball. This is when the ball starts left of the target line and then makes a sharp turn to the right. The most common cause is taking the club too far behind the golfer during the backswing and the only way back is the pull the club over the top of the shoulder which takes the clubhead over the top of the target line. As the golfer struggles to get the club back to the ball, he pulls the club back across the target line and hits the ball with a then open club face. This is the reason the ball starts left [club path] but then flies off to the right [open club face].
To correct the dreaded slice, the golfer must learn the correct sequencing of the golf swing in both directions, which generally can be stated as shoulders back [the backswing] and hips forward [the downswing].
The downswing must start with the lower body. Many golfers believe it starts with the pelvis pivot and shift. But this isn’t correct. The downswing starts by pushing the hips forward with the trailing foot. This shifts the golfer’s weight back to the lead side and foot. With the correct sequence this is basically the unwinding the torque that was hopefully created and stored during the backswing. The proper and correct sequence of the downswing is trailing foot pushing the hips forward towards the target while at the same pivoting, followed by the chest, then the arms and shoulders, and finally the club.
But first, the golfer must get to the top of the swing correctly before the downswing is initiated during the transition. The takeaway sequence starts with the shoulder pivot while the arms and club remain in front of the golfer’s chest. This is followed by the arms, hands, and the club to the top of the swing.
The most common takeaway error using the hands and arms to swing the club, which is incorrect in both the backswing and the downswing.
In the downswing, your shoulders, arms, and hands along with the club are last to respond to the downward motion. This brings the club on an inside path to the impact zone and straight into the target line. The ball will then be impacted with a square clubface in the direction of the target, and this eliminates the slice.
Copyright, August 2020, Glen Bowen, Certified Professional Golf Coach, US Golf Teachers Federation