Open Clubface
The root of most of a slicer's ills is that the clubface is still open at the moment of impact. The reason can be traced to a player's failure to rotate his hands correctly at the bottom of his swing. Just like a cowboy who pulls on a rope at the last minute to make it snap, a golf swing is similar, in that, at the bottom of the swing, a player's wrists should cross naturally and rapidly. That should not only square up the clubhead, but add distance to the shot. If an open clubface is your biggest problem, practice allowing your wrists to "pronate," or rotate, with your bottom wrist crossing over your top wrist at the bottom of your swing. Before long, you will hit the ball straighter and longer.
Head Movement
If your head is in front of the golf ball before you hit it, the chances are that you will slice it. By doing so, you have not allowed your arms enough time to catch up with the rest of your body, and you have interrupted the process of rotating your wrists to bring the clubface to a square position. Unfortunately, there are many causes for doing this. Maybe you sway away from the target on your backswing, and sway ahead of the ball on your downswing. Or you address the golf ball with your weight on the leg closer to the target, and your head remains ahead of the golf ball throughout the swing. Whatever the reason, a simple cure is to make your head stationary throughout your swing, never crossing the imaginary perpendicular line created by your ball.
Outside-In Swing
A simple test will tell you that you are hitting the ball with an outside-in swing. Line up a shot and take your club to the top of your swing. If you are right-handed and the golf club is pointing left of the target, chances are, you are swinging the club that way. To cure this problem takes a bit of visualization. Address the golf ball, raise your club about a foot or two above the ball and then make your backswing. Take note of the plane of your backswing, because to rid yourself of an outside-in swing, you'll need to take your downswing inside that plane. This will take practice, but once you make this minor change in your swing, it will reward you handsomely with straighter balls and lower scores.
About The Author
Bill Herrfeldt specializes in finance, sports and the needs of retiring people, and has been published in the national edition of "Erickson Tribune," the "Washington Post" and the "Arizona Republic." He graduated from the University of Louisville.
