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Correct Your Golf Slice With A Better Downswing Sequence

In my time, I've met quite a few golfers that, while they've golfed for years, still have trouble with randomly slicing the ball.

They've read countless articles on the best fixes, but when those suggestions didn’t work right away, they ended up listening to their golf buddies who all pitched in giving, in their opinion, the solution to fix a slice.

While reading articles written by instructors is a good option, it's not the entirety of a solution. Merely a part of solving the issue with random slices.

In order to know if you are truly executing the swing fixes suggested in the what you've read, it's important that you get true feedback at the driving range, either by a qualified golf instructor or by a training aid like our own patented golf swing aid, for instance (a not so subtle plug, I know!).

You need real feedback at the driving range to actually correct your swing.

In regards to the information you read and the feedback you're given, if you don't follow the instructions to a T, you will be reinforcing the old bad swing sequence. This will cause you to be more frustrated than when you began since you'll feel the article that was supposed to fix the problem only made it worse.

While they intend well, the other problem is listening to your golf buddies.

Although they may want you to play better golf, they never want you to play better than them, they want your bet money!

They never want you to play better than them, they want your bet money.

But in all seriousness, I've dealt with a slice for years, aiming far left knowing the boomerang ball would end up on the far right-hand side of the fairway. If the fairway was narrow, I was always in the woods. The yardage I lost was about as frustrating as the slice itself. My friends said, “open your stance”, “close your stance”, “weaken your grip”, strengthen your grip” (you get the idea).

Even if one of those suggestions worked, I never knew it because the other sequences were out of synch.

That said, I was able to finally get that persistent slice out of my game and here is what worked for me. I’m not an instructor but I have been around the game for 30 years.

Using alignment rods to help correct golf slice

My first suggestion is to focus on your alignment. Many slicers, myself included, feel as though you're aiming straight, but in reality, you are aligned far too left in order to compensate for the expected slice.

The use of alignment rods, or at least a golf club shaft, will help you get a true bearing.

Golf is one of the hardest sports to aim since as you look down at the ball, facing forward, while actually aiming at a target 90 degrees to your left.

No wonder it's so hard to align properly!

However, by using alignment rods, you will know for certain where you are aligned even if your brain says, "this just doesn’t feel right."

Use alignment rods to help correct a golf slice

Trust the alignment rods. Spend time at the range just hitting balls, with just that one correction, alignment rods, or golf club shafts.

Fix your grip to reduce slicing

Once you begin to “feel more comfortable” with the new alignment sequence, check your grip.

Improperly gripping the club is another issue with amateur golfers. They almost always grip the club too tight.

So do your best to relax the hands and only grip the club tight enough to keep from slipping out of your hands during the swing.

Your relaxed hands will certainly help the club head square up at impact, minimizing the slice.

Lay golf club grip on your fingers

First, lay the club's grip on your fingers.

Close the grip by rolling your hand

Next, close the grip by rolling the left hand over the grip.  

NOTE: The hand pressure is just tight enough to hold the club, do not squeeze the club grip with too much pressure!

Slide right hand under golf club grip

Next, slide the right hand under the club grip as shown.

Close right hand on the golf club grip

Lastly, close the right hand as shown. Again not too tight!

Focus on your swing arc for a better golf swing

The last suggestion I would make has to do with swing arc. I like to reduce the number of swing thoughts, a shot killer in and of itself!

The first two above suggestions are more of setting up, so once they're done, no more thinking. Now you just have to focus on the action of your swing.

Reduce the number of swing thoughts, a shot killer in and of itself.

Many golfers swing the club outside in, causing the club face to spin the ball to the right. A swing inside out will help square up the clubface at impact.

The inside-out swing (the right swing for power) is when the right elbow is closer to the side.

Comparing an inside-out golf swing to an outside-in swing

Golfer #1 in the frame with the green check mark has a smooth backswing creating torque as the body and shoulders turn.

As the downswing begins the golfer can stay on the 45-degree plane as he pulls the clubhead down and through the ball for a pure strike.

The backswing is started by a turn of the hips while rotating the shoulders. The swing plane line is on a 45-degree plane, creating torque as the body core turns.

Golfer #2  Takes the club back far too steep, preventing the creation of the torque needed to launch the ball.

His backswing also makes it impossible to follow a downswing plane to strike the ball squarely.

By knowing where your body is and what it's doing during your downswing sequence is incredibly important to a consistent and successful golf swing. 

One of the biggest underlying issues for inconsistent golf swings is that the golfer typically isn't shifting their weight to their front foot during the downswing.

Shift your weight for a more consistent golf swing.

If you're not taking a divot with every swing, then you're very likely not shifting your weight (even if you swear you are). 

To make sure you're properly shifting your weight during your swing, pick up a Pocket Pin High Pro swing aid today and test your own swing. If you don't hear a "CLICK", then you're not shifting your weight. Simple as that.

If you find your Pocket Pin High Pro doesn't help you take a divot more often (and help drive the ball further with greater accuracy) then you can send it back to us for a full refund within 60 days of your purchase. That's how much we stand behind our patented product!  

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