The biggest problem faced by golfers throughout the world is the slice, and naturally as a result everyone is looking for a quick fix to this game crippling fault. Fortunately by simply following these easy steps you will be able to make the necessary corrections and start hitting perfect straight shots.

If you have a golf slice I can safely say that you are hitting the ball at impact with an open club face when it should be square.

In most situations this is true whether you are swinging the club inside to out or outside to in. The exception to this rule is the push where your ball goes straight right. When you push a shot the club face is open, though it is square to the direction the club head is moving. This results in a straight shot to the right.

If you aren’t convinced you are swinging outside to in, even though you are slicing the ball, I recommend you perform this quick drill and then practice this fix. Tee up a ball and then place another tee in the ground about 5 inches to the left of the ball and about 3.5 inches inside the direction line of the shot. Now hit the ball, with an outside in swing you will follow through and hit the second tee. You will miss the second tee if you have an inside out swing.

Another surefire sign of an outside in swing is finding you are pulling your hands quickly to the left as you hit the ball, finishing with them wound up near your left shoulder, as you see your ball slice to the right. If your hands swing straight out after the ball you will be hitting with an inside to out swing.

A golfer may strike a ball along the direction line but still produce a mild form of a slice, namely a fade, if they have an open club face. This produces left to right spin and leads to the curve to the right.

If a golfer swings with an outside in swing the main force is applied in a right to left direction thus resulting in a ball that goes to left. It will then curve to the right due to the spin imparted by the open club face at impact. This is the most common form of slice and the most popular fault golfers need fixing.

So in order to fix a slice there are two key points that must be looked at and corrected, namely having an open club face at impact and swinging outside to in.

How to fix your open club face

In most cases if you have an open club face at impact it will have also been open at the top of your swing. If we analysis the club face at the top it’s clear this is caused by a poor grip or the wrong hand position at the top of the swing. There is a direct correlation between the angle of the club face at the top of the swing and that at impact.

A poor grip at the top of the swing will be the result of gripping incorrectly at the start of the swing. Thus it is important to always check your grip. When you take your stance it is essential you make sure that only two knuckles of the left hand are visible when the hand is holding the club. If you can see more than three knuckles this will produce an open face. Also check that when you place your right hand onto the club a V is formed by the thumb and forefinger and it points to the right shoulder. It shouldn’t point up, if it does you should correct this immediately.

As part of this fix you also need to check the position of your hands at the top of your swing. At the top look at your hands, you should see only two knuckles of the left hand and one on the right and either a straight line along the back of the left hand and wrist or even a slight inward bend of the left hand, with the right hand firmly under the shaft. If left wrist is under the shaft this results in an open club face. By ensuring the right wrist is under the shaft with the correct grip, you can be sure the club face will be square.

It is critical the club face is square at the top of the swing. If it isn’t you will find when you swing down the face at impact will be open.

Secondly lets look at the outside in swing.

How to correct your outside to in swing

If you hit with an outside in swing you can guarantee these two events took place:

1. That you were not in the correct position at the top of the swing.

2. The first movement from the top was with the hands and not with the hips. It is crucial that the club comes down on the inside and this can only be achieved by making room for the hands to start straight down with the hips out of the way. The inside out swing happens with a lateral movement of the hips from right to left.

Let’s look at these two points in more detail.

The correct position at the top of the swing means you will have more weight on the right side than the left at the top of the swing. If you find most of your weight is on the left, it will move to the right as you begin your downswing and create an outside in swing. Make sure you aren’t dipping the left shoulder as this can make it difficult to perform the weight transfer properly.

It is recommended you make a full 90 degree shoulder turn because if you don’t it becomes a lot harder to bring the club down on the inside and cure your slice. This movement can be difficult to perform if you don’t turn your hips 45 degrees.

Check that your right elbow points down, if it flies out this suggests the right wrist is not under the shaft. You should keep the right wrist under the shaft as this maintains a weak position, this is perfect as it ensures it doesn’t become too dominate,

Likewise having a firm left grip is good pointer, this way it isn’t over powered by the right hand. A dominate right hand can easily throw the club outside the line.

If you are to fix your slice you need to also make sure your inside out swing has a fixed axis. A golfer that sways his head will find this almost impossible to maintain unless they can return exactly to the position they started at before hitting the ball. It is far easier to simply not sway your head.

Furthermore you need to be certain that your swing plane is nether too flat or upright. This is generally the case and everything is in good order if your hands are even with the top of your head at the top of your back swing.

In conclusion to stop slicing and fix this fault you need to be aware of your club face and the shape of your swing. You may need to address both of these points or just the one in order to fix your golf slice.