Please help fix my slice!

[ParPatrol]

Here are my averages for 14 drives. Nothing I do seems to fix this slice I’m dealing with. Any tips would be great appreciated. 

[barney_bogey]

My buddy Sterling hits a big ol nasty slice. We were playing in a scramble and my buddy Matt piped a baby draw down the fairway as he's known to do. Buddy Sterling said, and I quote, "I would do anything to hit driver like that".

I said, "Even take a lesson?" and everyone laughed like it was a joke...

It wasn't a joke.

He still hasn't taken a lesson and still hits a slice.

Don't be a Sterling.

[GolfSpy_APH]

32 minutes ago, ParPatrol said:

Here are my averages for 14 drives. Nothing I do seems to fix this slice I’m dealing with. Any tips would be great appreciated. 

Big thing is where you are hitting on the club face as well. A path out to in will be a definite part, but spin looks okay. With no Club speed tough to say on ball speed. Side spin is really high though, so two things you will want for club data.

Path - how far out to in you are 
Strike location - More heel? Need to start getting closer to center or toe

 

[Kenny B]

33 minutes ago, ParPatrol said:

Here are my averages for 14 drives. Nothing I do seems to fix this slice I’m dealing with. Any tips would be great appreciated. 

Well, @barney_bogey is correct.  I don't know anyone that has fixed a slice on their own; I tried... didn't work.  Your issue is either in your setup, backswing, or transition to downswing... or maybe a problem in all three.  Your ability to hit the ball as well as you do indicates that you are compensating for your swing flaws pretty well.  A good teaching pro will identify your issues and tell/show you which one to correct first.  Once that issue is fixed, then you can move on to other issues.  Trying to fix more than one issue at a time is a recipe for bad golf and frustration.  It's not a quick fix; it's a journey and we are all on the same journey... just different points along the path

Good luck!

[Josh Parker]

My guess because I have fought the same issues, is that you are coming across the ball and or steep. Looking at the height of the shots, you may also be hitting down on the ball instead of up. 

If you could post a video from behind and in front, it may get some better tips. 

[Erin B]

44 minutes ago, ParPatrol said:

Here are my averages for 14 drives. Nothing I do seems to fix this slice I’m dealing with. Any tips would be great appreciated. 

I don't know if this will help, but I had this issue last year that developed right in the middle of the season. I had a high ankle sprain in the middle of the season and I think that's what started it. I played through it with a wrap but after it got better I was left with a slice. I had to literally break my swing/stance/grip/alignment down to basics to fix it. Now I fixed it, but it was frustrating. I took it one step at a time, working on one thing and not all at once. Most of what I fixed was my grip (lead hand rotated to see three knuckles) and shallowing my swing. I'm pretty sure lost my shallowing when I was forced adjust because of my ankle. 

[skraeling]

1 hour ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

Big thing is where you are hitting on the club face as well. A path out to in will be a definite part, but spin looks okay. With no Club speed tough to say on ball speed. Side spin is really high though, so two things you will want for club data.

Path - how far out to in you are 
Strike location - More heel? Need to start getting closer to center or toe

 

Almost 1200rpm side spin…. Isn’t really ok.

face or path issue or both.

very low ball flight too

 

curious on driver loft and angle of attack

Edited February 6 by skraeling

[ILMgolfnut]

1 hour ago, Josh Parker said:

Looking at the height of the shots, you may also be hitting down on the ball instead of up. 

Possibly, but hitting down would tend to increase the backspin well over the 2786 he shows (last night on the sim I hit down on a driver and it was 4500+).

I see from his readout that the horizontal angle is 3 degrees left. If I'm reading that right, that means he's coming out to in, putting the dreaded wipe on the ball which sends it to the right. Doesn't show his club speed, but I bet his smash factor is reduced due to the wipe. As a veteran slicer, my guess is the combination of (a) an out to in swing and (b) the club face is a bit open compared to the swing path. Both of which send the ball to the right.

How to fix? There are drills for working on swing path and closing the club face, but I agree that you need another set of eyes (lessons, in other words) to precisely diagnose the problem and the fix. And lessons are cheaper than, say, a new driver.

Edited February 6 by ILMgolfnut

[taylorjonasher]

A quick fix that helps me when I am leaving the face open is to either strengthen my grip or go ahead and just rotate the club face closed at address. After my fitting last week, it was very apparent that I was playing with equipment that I had outgrown; changing shafts closed up the face at impact and now I'm sending piss missiles with zero f's given. Good luck!

[taylorjonasher]

28 minutes ago, ILMgolfnut said:

...lessons are cheaper than, say, a new driver.

Depends on how many you have to go to!

[GolfSpy_BNG]

2 hours ago, ParPatrol said:

Here are my averages for 14 drives. Nothing I do seems to fix this slice I’m dealing with. Any tips would be great appreciated. 

If you want a quick bandaid continue to move your right foot back until you are hitting hooks. I don’t mean widening your stance though. Don’t stop when you are hitting it straighter either. When I fixed my bad slice, I read that to fix it permanently you had to go past straight flight to draw/hook and work back to straight from there.  Pair this with the feeling that you are trying to hit the ball to “right field” with your follow through. 

[ILMgolfnut]

3 minutes ago, taylorjonasher said:

Depends on how many you have to go to!

True, but if you get into that kind of expenditure and you're still hitting consistent bananas, you need a new teacher.

Speaking of which, I have a followup with my teacher tomorrow. I'm hitting a lot fewer bananas but the push is still an issue, meaning club face open but the swing path is now out to in.

[JAYER38]

2 hours ago, ParPatrol said:

Here are my averages for 14 drives. Nothing I do seems to fix this slice I’m dealing with. Any tips would be great appreciated. 

These number are great to see but a video or even pictures of your swing in each position would be great from the back view.

I believe just like most others have said you are having a out to in path along with a open club face but its just inconsistent. I fought this problem and still do at times as I feel it never leaves haha.

Id start with how you stand at the ball. Ensure you have some sort of consistent way to approached the ball the same distance/feel every time.

Try moving the ball more towards your front foot, basically ball at the heel or inside of the front foot. This should theoretically make your slice worse/same if your swing path is already out to in

Then try moving the ball "back" away from the front foot by 3-6 inches but keeping the stance width the same(distance between the feet), This should make the ball come out straighter be it right/left depending on how open or closed the club face is.

See how those work out and report back!

Can then work to see if you need to add more/less spine tilt or even more/less knee bend and more/less back bend to lower the shaft of the club and keep it more/less steep

 

[OdinSnipes414]

39 minutes ago, taylorjonasher said:

Depends on how many you have to go to!

A bundle of five lessons at my local course is 250 bucks if I did 15 lessons then still almost a driver 

[NM01]

1 hour ago, ILMgolfnut said:

Possibly, but hitting down would tend to increase the backspin well over the 2786 he shows (last night on the sim I hit down on a driver and it was 4500+).

 

Not necessarily there are lots of people that hit up who generate high spin because they add loft and hit the bottom part of the club add closer to the heel. The notion that aoa causes higher or lower spin has been debunked by multiple fitters Howard Jones being one of them. 

[NM01]

Post a swing and we can see what happening but I’m going to go out on a pretty good limb that there is improper turning if the hips, hands/arms are rolling inside and leading to an over the top swing.

 

[buckpillar]

3 hours ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

Big thing is where you are hitting on the club face as well. A path out to in will be a definite part, but spin looks okay. With no Club speed tough to say on ball speed. Side spin is really high though, so two things you will want for club data.

Path - how far out to in you are 
Strike location - More heel? Need to start getting closer to center or toe

 

I'm thinking it is all in your shoulder setup, I'm betting that your lead shoulder is pointing left of your target line, the lead shoulder should be slightly in front of your back shoulder. Put a club across your shoulders at setup, stand up and see where its pointing. You want it to point actually slight right or your target line. 

Shoulders point left= cut across the ball ( slice)

Shoulders point center to right = inside to out path (draw)

 

[buckpillar]

I'm thinking it is all in your shoulder setup, I'm betting that your lead shoulder is pointing left of your target line, the lead shoulder should be slightly in front of your back shoulder. Put a club across your shoulders at setup, stand up and see where its pointing. You want it to point actually slight right or your target line. 

Shoulders point left= cut across the ball ( slice)

Shoulders point center to right = inside to out path (draw)

 

[NM01]

33 minutes ago, buckpillar said:

I'm thinking it is all in your shoulder setup, I'm betting that your lead shoulder is pointing left of your target line, the lead shoulder should be slightly in front of your back shoulder. Put a club across your shoulders at setup, stand up and see where its pointing. You want it to point actually slight right or your target line. 

Shoulders point left= cut across the ball ( slice)

Shoulders point center to right = inside to out path (draw)

 

And there are plenty of golfers who are square or closed that hit slices because the get the club too inside on the takeaway and come over the top. 

[LinksgolfFever]

All previous comments seem reasonable, seeing your swing would help tremendously in narrowing the advice.  There are really only 5 or 6 main swing issues and a couple of potential equipment issues that could/ would create  the flight you are describing 

swing issues:

1. Out to in swing path

2. Reverse C position at impact/finish reverse weight transfer/ rotation issue.  Not finishing your swing on your front side.

3. Weak grip/club face is open at impact.

4.  “Hitting” the ball and decelerating at impact, instead of swinging through the ball and keeping swing speed through impact zone to finish.

5. Open stance/open set up (feet and/or shoulders well left of target line, not parallel or near parallel to target line.

6. Early release in your downswing or casting from the top. 

Equipment wise a club head that is weighted or designed for a fade bias.  A shaft that is too stiff can promote the banana profile also.  
 

when I am fighting the push or fade when I am not trying to hit it, ball further up in the stance can help to give the clubhead more time to square.  
 

Good luck !

 

8 hours ago, ParPatrol said:

Here are my averages for 14 drives. Nothing I do seems to fix this slice I’m dealing with. Any tips would be great appreciated. 

 

[Kenny B]

6 hours ago, RickyBobby_PR said:

Post a swing and we can see what happening but I’m going to go out on a pretty good limb that there is improper turning if the hips, hands/arms are rolling inside and leading to an over the top swing.

You are safe on that limb; most common issues for 94.2% amateurs trying to learn the game on their own.  

[ParPatrol]

This was all SUPER helpful (even the “swing harder” advice)! Going to try out all these tips one at a time, and will come back with some progress and videos. You all are awesome! 

[JAYER38]

15 hours ago, Kenny B said:

You are safe on that limb; most common issues for 94.2% amateurs trying to learn the game on their own.  

This is the MOST accurate thing! Even cheap "none pro" lesson are usually worth it.. Ive found videos of yourself however good/bad tend to tell the story vs what you "feel" or "numbers say"

[Kenny B]

11 hours ago, JAYER38 said:

This is the MOST accurate thing! Even cheap "none pro" lesson are usually worth it.. Ive found videos of yourself however good/bad tend to tell the story vs what you "feel" or "numbers say"

The lesson that isn’t worth it is the one where you don’t get along with the instructor.

[JAYER38]

On 2/6/2024 at 11:02 AM, ParPatrol said:

Here are my averages for 14 drives. Nothing I do seems to fix this slice I’m dealing with. Any tips would be great appreciated. 

Any update on this and figuring out what you had going on?