Common Misconceptions About Slicing Your Driver

Many golfers believe a slice is due to an outside-to-in swing path, an over-the-top swing plane, or an early release of the golf club. While these factors can contribute to slicing, they are not the primary causes. These explanations only scratch the surface and can lead to unnecessary complexity in your swing adjustments.

The Real Culprit: Sidespin

The primary cause of a slice is sidespin, specifically when the ball spins to the right (for right-handed golfers). After impact, the ball initially travels in the direction the clubface is pointing. As the ball loses speed, the sidespin takes over, causing it to curve to the right.

The 70/30 Rule: Club Face vs. Swing Path

A study by the PGA of America found that 70% of the sidespin causing a slice is due to the clubface angle, while only 30% is due to the swing path. Yet, many golfers focus exclusively on fixing their swing path, which addresses only a fraction of the problem. Even if you perfect your swing path, if your clubface remains open, you’ll still have a significant slice.

For example, if you have a 21-yard slice, fixing your swing path might reduce it to 15 yards—a noticeable improvement but still problematic. On the other hand, correcting your clubface could reduce your slice to just 6 yards, making your shots much more manageable and consistent.

How to Control Your Club Face

The first step in fixing your slice is to gain control over your clubface. Many golfers unknowingly open their clubface before the club reaches hip height in their backswing. An open clubface means you have to close it at some point during the swing, which introduces timing issues and inconsistency.

Consider the following:

• Closing the Club Before Impact: This leads to shots flying left of the target and a loss of power.
• Closing the Club After Impact: The ball doesn’t care what happens post-impact, so the ball still flies right.
• Perfect Timing: Attempting to close the clubface at the perfect moment is a recipe for inconsistency, as it rarely happens consistently.

The solution lies in preventing the clubface from opening prematurely in the first place. By focusing on keeping the clubface square throughout the swing, you can drastically reduce sidespin and achieve a more predictable ball flight.

Practical Steps and Resources

To help you visualize and correct your clubface position, we’ve created a video that explains these concepts in detail. Watching this video will provide you with practical steps to start correcting your slice today.

To read more about correcting a slice with our blog post “52 Ways To Correct A Slice”

Marc Solomon, PGA – Your Instructor For Life