Understanding Shot Shape

Please watch....

I have never taught a predominant slicer that did not always have their clubpath travelling from out to in on a very consistent basis. I have never taught a predominant hooker that did not always have their clubpath travelling from in to out on a very consistent basis. In order to upgrade these golfers' ball flight we needed to improve their path first and then work to adjust the face to point somewhere between the path and the target line.

Here is an example of a lesson I might give to a golfer who predominantly fades/slices the golf ball:

I hope these two clips help you to better understand what it is you need to do to improve your ball flight and have more fun out on the golf course.

From Slicer to Bomber

The above TrackMan screenshot indicates a very typical pattern for the slicer - an overly inward club path (-15.2 degrees out to in) along with a clubface angle that is open/right of where the clubhead is travelling (9.9 degrees). This package results in shots that invariably launch left and curve aggressively right, often shaping across the target line. The end result is a far from optimal tee shot coupled with a healthy fear of any shot that leaks too far into right field!

The video below demonstrates what I did with the "owner" of the slice illustrated above. I have had tremendous success with this technique - primarily, I believe, because it taps into a golfer's instinct that screams - in order for my ball to not leak right I must swing as much to the left as possible. Essentially the drill gives the golfer a reason, something they've never had, to swing to the right. Take a look....

• Tilt the face down 30 degrees (1 hour)
• Take normal grip
• Adjust shoulders and arms to square the face at address
• Swing out to right field

After working on this drill for a while the golfer started to get comfortable and gain a measure of confidence that the ball actually would work back to the left.  This is what happened...

As you can tell from the above numbers the golfer has hit this shot more 55 yards longer. Part of that (15 yards) is due to an increase in speed, but as you can see - this player is now swinging from in to out, is hitting far less down on the ball, has substantially less spin and were it not for a slight heel side strike this would have been even longer.

These screenshots were taken during the course of a standard one hour lesson. They indicate an average shot from the player before the change and after. The golfer hit shots that were worse and better than both examples shown. Unfortunately an increase of 55 yards is not normal, but every little bit helps...!

Stop Slicing Today!

For slicers the challenge has always been that their misses are to the right and as a result they instinctively swing to the left.  You need to swing at the 'demons' in right field in order to slay them!

This is a fantastic video from Joseph Mayo (@TrackManMaestro) on how to lose the banana ball for good.  His five main keys are as follows: (for right handers)

• Align your entire body slightly to the right of your target - shoulders, hips, knees and feet. This will encourage you to make a swing that is more rightward relative to the target than the one you currently employ.
• At address keep the hands in front of the face.  The shaft should lean towards the target slightly.
• Have the weight feel like it is on your lead/front foot through out the swing. Driving the hips, and thus the weight, on to the front foot decreases spinning out - and trust me, you're working the spin move.
• Through impact feel the handle moving up and out.  Swing to the right of your target.
• Extend the arms through impact and into the follow through.  This can be done more easily by feeling the elbows staying close together through the hit.

Now go out there and practice - it's lovely out!