Hitting with my hands - slicing

BoardsMember

Ok, I know without seeing the swing it might not be opportune to seek advice, or to expect advice that will fix the issue; but on the off chance....

I have started to slice the ball, even on short irons. I would tend to have a slight fade, but anything from the 6 iron up would usually be pretty dead straight. I have noticed my divots are pointing to the left of target (right handed golfer). Alignment is good. Hitting the driver pretty straight & solid having worked on waiting for the club at the top of the back swing.

So the issue is a loss of timing on the irons. I think what I am doing is I am pulling down/starting the downswing with my hands, rather than waiting/pause at top of backswing, and letting the body pull my arms through. So wondering if anyone might have any tips or drills to help. It's like, with the driver, I am flatter, take away along the ground, and rotating, all makes waiting for the body to make the first move easier; whereas with the irons it is slightly steeper and more hands in take away so a little harder to wait at the top.

God, I think I am over-thinking it!! Maybe I should just stand up and hit the thing....and if it is a slicing day then aim right of target

PARlance

How's your putting? Starting to slice them yet?

Haven't a clue and shouldn't be advising you BM but last year my Pro had me do 2 practice swings before each shot at the range.
I had to pause at the top for the practice swings and then just swing normally for my shot.
It eventually reduced my overswing and did help out with getting the timing right. I did it solid for a month, 2 pre shots before every shot at the range.

It may help you out, you would nearly have to force yourself to start downswing with your hands from a paused position, it would feel so wrong that I'm guessing it may help.

Compulsory post : Go see a pro

BoardsMember

PARlance wrote: »

How's your putting? Starting to slice them yet?

Not yet, but getting a nice few RPMs & top spin on those babies

Thanks for the advice!!

denishurley

BoardsMember wrote: »

God, I think I am over-thinking it!! Maybe I should just stand up and hit the thing....and if it is a slicing day then aim right of target

Really?! How's your grip?

Boskowski

Everyone is different and I'm no expert to begin with but what did it for me was turn back then turn through and forget everything else.
Rotate your torso away from the target then through the target and let arms and hands take care of themselves. For me it has to feel really like the engine, the initiator is the torso rotation. Limbs passive.
I know everyone feels the swing different but worked for me anyway. If I only do that 75% right there is no way I could possible slice. A poorly executed one with hands creeping into it may fade but no way slice.

GreeBo

BoardsMember wrote: »

Ok, I know without seeing the swing it might not be opportune to seek advice, or to expect advice that will fix the issue; but on the off chance....

I have started to slice the ball, even on short irons. I would tend to have a slight fade, but anything from the 6 iron up would usually be pretty dead straight. I have noticed my divots are pointing to the left of target (right handed golfer). Alignment is good. Hitting the driver pretty straight & solid having worked on waiting for the club at the top of the back swing.

So the issue is a loss of timing on the irons. I think what I am doing is I am pulling down/starting the downswing with my hands, rather than waiting/pause at top of backswing, and letting the body pull my arms through. So wondering if anyone might have any tips or drills to help. It's like, with the driver, I am flatter, take away along the ground, and rotating, all makes waiting for the body to make the first move easier; whereas with the irons it is slightly steeper and more hands in take away so a little harder to wait at the top.

God, I think I am over-thinking it!! Maybe I should just stand up and hit the thing....and if it is a slicing day then aim right of target

divots pointing left is fine, they should a little.

Does the ball start left of target and slice back or start straight and slice right?

OR worse again, start right and go righter!?

Depending on which of these it is its a different fault.
You are better off checking with a 6 or 7 iron as too much loft can hide the spin on the ball and mask a slice.

BoardsMember

GreeBo wrote: »

divots pointing left is fine, they should a little.

Does the ball start left of target and slice back or start straight and slice right?

OR worse again, start right and go righter!?

Depending on which of these it is its a different fault.
You are better off checking with a 6 or 7 iron as too much loft can hide the spin on the ball and mask a slice.

Starts a little left, fades a little, so ultimately not far off target but I dont lime it!!. Good to know re the divot. I think I have worked it out now. Kind of flailing a little with hands before coming I to the strike zone. Probably dont have good enuf posture, whereas with driver I am way more focused on a strong solid posture. Good advice above re torso rotate away and thru, that was the first thing I tried when hitting balls just now and I could feel the clu head and release much better. Thanks, roll on the medal on Saturday, first si gles 18 holes since start September!

GreeBo

BoardsMember wrote: »

Starts a little left, fades a little, so ultimately not far off target but I dont lime it!!. Good to know re the divot. I think I have worked it out now. Kind of flailing a little with hands before coming I to the strike zone. Probably dont have good enuf posture, whereas with driver I am way more focused on a strong solid posture. Good advice above re torso rotate away and thru, that was the first thing I tried when hitting balls just now and I could feel the clu head and release much better. Thanks, roll on the medal on Saturday, first si gles 18 holes since start September!

so that means your club face is actually closed to your target (ball starts left) but you are swinging even further left thus slicing it back to the right.

check your grip, you might be setting up closed and have naturally started to slice it back into play but are now overdoing it, all subconsciously
Have you been having problem with pulls and missing left recently/before this?

BoardsMember

Not sure my face is closed, I think it is probably square or even maybe slightly open but I am swinging across the line, hands pulling too early from the top; maybe taking it back a little outside the line, hence the divot shape/direction of the ball.

I hit some balls the evening, just wedges, trying to get the feel of well timed shots with soft swing and was hitting it really solid. When I start losing timing or feel I tend to start swinging harder and more with my hands. Playing in the wind last week messed me up!

It can go pretty nasty sometimes! Either duck hooks where I come over the top and early, or else come out of it early and leave the face open for outrageous slice. I'm pretty philosophical about it though, whatever the day brings I can handle and just try to enjoy, 2 young kids and never been lower, just not time to get lower!

Re grip, right hand is probably a little low, and left maybe a tad strong, but it's not a million miles off.

GreeBo

BoardsMember wrote: »

Not sure my face is closed, I think it is probably square or even maybe slightly open but I am swinging across the line, hands pulling too early from the top; maybe taking it back a little outside the line, hence the divot shape/direction of the ball.

I hit some balls the evening, just wedges, trying to get the feel of well timed shots with soft swing and was hitting it really solid. When I start losing timing or feel I tend to start swinging harder and more with my hands. Playing in the wind last week messed me up!

It can go pretty nasty sometimes! Either duck hooks where I come over the top and early, or else come out of it early and leave the face open for outrageous slice. I'm pretty philosophical about it though, whatever the day brings I can handle and just try to enjoy, 2 young kids and never been lower, just not time to get lower!

Re grip, right hand is probably a little low, and left maybe a tad strong, but it's not a million miles off.

face has to be closed to target at impact for the ball to start left!
You might be 5 degrees closed at impact, but swinging 15 degrees left, so your face is 10 degrees open to swingpath abd the ball slices.
Face determines where a ball starts, swing path where it ends ( roughly)
A slice and a duck hook are pretty close swings, just the face is different.

Try it with more club, a wedge can hide cut and hook spin as there is so much backspin.
Also try closing the face a bit at address. Get to the point ever you are hitting straight left, then work on aiming your swing plane right a bit.

Enjoy!

Oilbeefhooked!

BoardsMember wrote: »

Not sure my face is closed, I think it is probably square or even maybe slightly open but I am swinging across the line, hands pulling too early from the top; maybe taking it back a little outside the line, hence the divot shape/direction of the ball.

I hit some balls the evening, just wedges, trying to get the feel of well timed shots with soft swing and was hitting it really solid. When I start losing timing or feel I tend to start swinging harder and more with my hands. Playing in the wind last week messed me up!

It can go pretty nasty sometimes! Either duck hooks where I come over the top and early, or else come out of it early and leave the face open for outrageous slice. I'm pretty philosophical about it though, whatever the day brings I can handle and just try to enjoy, 2 young kids and never been lower, just not time to get lower!



Re grip, right hand is probably a little low, and left maybe a tad strong, but it's not a million miles off.

Your issues sound very familiar to me, and the main fault i had, was
that my shoulders were open to my target even though to me they felt square, resulting in a variety of shots, but mainly high, weak ,left to right toe
strikes (clubface open to path) with divots going well left of target.This was because i was subconsciously holding the clubface open, as my instincts knew if i released the club on this swingpath i was looking at a serious duck hook left.
I , like you spent ages messing with my grip to try and compensate, but in reality NO swing changes were needed, JUST 'closing'
(which was really squaring) my shoulders,and focusing on striking the inner quadrant of the golf ball (same grip/same swing), so i could then freely release the club, resulting instantly in my weak toey fade, becoming a solid middle of the club strike with a slight draw.
I still have to concentrate on every shot , to not let my shoulders creep open - its amazing how you might feel your shoulders are square but someone standing behind you can see they are pointing way left!
Get someone to check it out, hope this helps.:)

BoardsMember

I have played a few times since my crisis! Been hitting it great, as solid as I have ever struck the ball. It recovered in stages really...

Basically it was to do with timing and confidence.

First off, getting a decent strike on the ball came back. I accepted that I might cut the ball a bit, but I trusted myself to wait for it, and be in a strong power hitting position when it came to hitting the ball. My hands and body had got seriously out of synch.

When I got a bit more confidence, I shortened my swing a little, I think I was losing power/control at the top of the swing by over-swinging.

Now my one thought is at the take away - make sure I am looking at the ball when rotating away, and make sure my arms, particularly forearms, feel like one piece with the club and remain straight, pushing back and away from the body.

Whatever the technical effect, I am delivering the club without loss of power, and hitting it long and straight. I got up onto a 470yard par 4 the other day with no run on the ball at all. Hit gap wedge into a 580 par 5. So happy now, until the next crisis of course!!

alxmorgan

BoardsMember wrote: »

I have played a few times since my crisis! Been hitting it great, as solid as I have ever struck the ball. It recovered in stages really...

Basically it was to do with timing and confidence.

First off, getting a decent strike on the ball came back. I accepted that I might cut the ball a bit, but I trusted myself to wait for it, and be in a strong power hitting position when it came to hitting the ball. My hands and body had got seriously out of synch.

When I got a bit more confidence, I shortened my swing a little, I think I was losing power/control at the top of the swing by over-swinging.

Now my one thought is at the take away - make sure I am looking at the ball when rotating away, and make sure my arms, particularly forearms, feel like one piece with the club and remain straight, pushing back and away from the body.

Whatever the technical effect, I am delivering the club without loss of power, and hitting it long and straight. I got up onto a 470yard par 4 the other day with no run on the ball at all. Hit gap wedge into a 580 par 5. So happy now, until the next crisis of course!!

That's some drive !!!!

BoardsMember

alxmorgan wrote: »

That's some drive !!!!

Eh....I got up "in regulation". Thanks Alx