THE “ CURE ” FOR SLICING 1 . The Path Cure Takeaway : Imagine an arc — most slicers move their arms away from their body at the beginning of the swing , rather than keeping the arms connected to the body while the body is rotating . If the arms stay connected , the club head will swing in an arc shape around the body . The club is not supposed to go literally straight back from the ball , a “ straight back ” takeaway is actually more of a semi-circle . The club head should return to the same arc on the downswing as it approaches the ball . Backswing : Biggest possible shoulder turn — the best players rotate their upper body an average of 90 degrees at the top of the backswing . The bigger the shoulder turn , the more likely the club head is to get behind the body and stay behind the body . With a limited shoulder turn , the club head is more likely to stay in front of the body and get more out in front on the downswing . The combination of an arc in the takeaway and a large torso rotation at the top gets the player on track to achieving a proper swing path . Transition : Hips turn first , arms drop to the body — the proper sequence of the transition is to open the hips without opening the shoulders . Think “ turn the hip , drop the grip .” While the lead hip is turning toward the target , the grip of the club is dropping toward the trail hip and the trail shoulder is dropping as well . Downswing : Keep the back facing the target — as the player turns the hip and drops the grip , it is important to keep the back facing the target as long as possible . The trail shoulder drops , creating a side bend , like doing a side crunch on the trail side . So , while the hips are opening , the shoulders wait to open . For players who immediately open their shoulders and turn their chest facing the target on the downswing , the club gets outside the body , creating an unwanted swing path .
2 . The Face Cure Setup : Stronger grip — when talking about club face control , it starts with the hands and the grip . A stronger grip for a right-handed golfer means rotating both hands to the right . From the players ’ perspective , looking down and seeing two knuckles on the lead hand is a neutral grip ; seeing three knuckles would be a strong grip . The lead hand is the most important for face control . Takeaway : Clubface looks at the ball — too much club face rotation early in the swing is a commonality among slicers . This means the wrists are turning too much in a manner that gets the toe of the golf club pointed up toward the sky when the club is waist-high . Rather , the player should keep the face looking at the golf ball , meaning less wrist rotation . Top of Backswing : Clubface looks at the sky — those players who get the toe of the clubface pointed toward the sky in the takeaway will likely have the toe of the club pointed down toward the ground at the top of the backswing . Instead , these players should try to get the clubface looking toward the sky at the top of the swing , which is more of a closed face . To achieve this position , the lead wrist will be more bowed and the trail wrist will be more cupped . Downswing : Clubface looks at the ball again — when the club returns to waist-high in the downswing , the face needs to again look at the golf ball . If the face is more open with the toe of the club pointing to the sky at this point , the player would need significant face closure late in the swing to avoid the slice .
3 . Improve Physical Limitations Most slicers suffer from a lack of flexibility , especially through the hips , struggle to separate the lower body from the upper body , and have a tough time maintaining posture .
This drill involves using a pool noodle down the line of the target , positioned just outside the players ’ hands . The player will swing under the noodle to help promote an in-to-out path .
Improve Hip Flexibility : Most slicers lack hip flexibility and overuse the shoulders as a result . The more the player opens the shoulders in the downswing , the more the path will move out-to-in . The average slicer should begin stretching the lower body on a daily basis . Increase Separation of Lower and Upper Body : Players who turn their shoulders more than their hips or turn the shoulders and hips together in the downswing suffer similar consequences . The goal is for the hips to lead the way downswing , creating separation from the shoulders . The longer the back stays facing the target , the more the path will move in-to-out . This can only be achieved by improving the ability to separate . The average slicer should incorporate separation exercises and stretches into their regular routine . Maintaining Posture : Slicers often lose posture on the downswing , known as early extension . This reduces the space for a proper swing path , forcing the player to push the club outside the body and causing an out-to-in swing direction . Slicers should begin rotational exercises that involve maintaining golf posture , such as pulling resistance bands while in a golf position . vsga . org J ANUARY / F EBRUARY 2025 | V IRGINIA G OLFER
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