The Quarry One Minute Clinic #9

Fore Right!!!

Tips for taming that slice from Quarry Head Golf Pro Sean Etheredge

Sean Etheredge, Quarry Golf Club Head Golf Professional

Does your ball fly to the right of the target each time? Does it start right of your target and curve even further off to the right? Chances are—you suffer from a common ball flight problem called a “slice.” This means you are sacrificing both accuracy and distance in your quest to swing for the fences and outdrive your friends…Review the tips below to help banish that banana ball for good!

It is important to realize what causes the slice before we address how to fix it. This way, you can begin to understand everything you do with your grip and set-up impacts your swing, and therefore, your ball flight. Balls that slice by starting and curving right are caused by an open clubface and a path that crosses the target line.

Grip:

The first step is to check and make sure the grip is in a neutral to strong position. This means the creases formed between your thumb and index finger are pointing towards your right shoulder or just outside of it slightly. Check this in a mirror from the face-on position to be sure!

Set-Up:

In a standard alignment, you want to have the feet, hips and shoulders parallel to your intended target line. However, if you are already struggling with a slice, you need a bit more help with the path. The best way to start out feeling this is to set-up with your body lines pointed slightly right of the target. Start out by setting up parallel, then pulling your right foot, hip and shoulder about 6-8 inches away from the target line. Now when you swing along your stance line, it is aimed more from the inside to help the path, as opposed to across the target line.

The Release:

For slicers, the feeling needs to be more of letting the club head release or rotate through your downswing and into your follow through.  This means that the toe of the club must pass the heel, allowing the clubface to “square up” to hit the ball.  My favorite way to judge this is to feel like the right palm is in control. Imagine a card dealer who wipes his hand around the table laying out cards. The dealer’s palm is always facing down at the ground and rotating away from him. This is a great way to feel the rotation needed to square up the club and get those shots back on line. 

Visualization and Understanding the Concept:

To put this all together, it is sometimes easier to understand why things must happen and why they feel so different.  Well, I believe it is because most golfers try to swing “up and down a target line” instead of swinging around their bodies. When you go out to try these tips, try to imagine swinging around your body. Let the shoulders turn, let the arms swing and try to make that ball turn to the left!