You can cure your slice!

"How do I stop slicing?"
It's no wonder as the USGA just released statistics indicating that 90% of golfers slice. It is such a significant problem that we are going to embark on an entire series on the subject. We are going to give you the exact cures, drills and products we use daily to eliminate this dreaded flight pattern. We are not going to give you all the remedies at one time as many of our students try to incorporate them all at one time and even become snap hookers. We guarantee improvement for you lies in one of these cures.

Please try these remedies one at a time, and adjust the dosage according to the degree of your slicing affliction.

Two key factors combine to produce a slice: clubface angle at impact and swing path. If the face of your club is open to the path of your swing at the moment of impact, the resulting blow makes the ball curve from left to right. If, at the same time, your downswing cuts across the ball on a path that goes from outside your intended target line to inside that line, the ball will start traveling to the left before the influence of your open clubface makes it curve back to the right. Stopping a slice means "try to hit a hook".To do that, the slicer must reverse the errors that combine to produce a left-to-right trajectory.
In other words, you must be sure that your clubface is either square or slightly closed at impact and that your downswing goes from inside your target line to outside your target line and then around your body in an arc path. To find out how to make all that happen in the next three lessons, please read on,

STEP ONE
SEE THREE KNUCKLES TO STRENGTHEN YOUR GRIP
We maintain that the way you place your left hand on the club is the single most influential factor affecting the angle of your clubface at impact (we're assuming that you are a right-handed golfer; if not, simply reverse his directions). Virtually all slicers employ "weak" grips, which means their left hands are turned too far to the left. To strengthen your grip, start by hanging your left arm at your side so that the entire width of your left thumbnail is flush against the seam of your left pant leg. Move your left hand in front of you and position it on the grip so that your left thumb is on the right side of the shaft. When you look down, you should be able to see at least three knuckles on your left hand. Now simply place your right hand on top of your left so that the lifeline of your right palm covers your left thumb.

STEP TWO
KEEP THE CLUBFACE LOOKING AT THE BALL
If a stronger grip doesn't immediately cure your slice, it's time to try something a little more drastic: changing the position of the clubface during your take-away. Most beginners and average golfers tend to rotate the clubface to the right during the take-away, thereby opening it. Likewise, tour pros who are fighting hooks often make an effort to keep the toe of the club pointing upward during the take-away. But, opening the clubface and toeing up can be poison if you're fighting a slice. Instead, try reminding yourself that it's ok to be square. Do your best to keep the clubface "looking" squarely at the ball during take-away, with the toe of the club pointing straight out in front of you. That will keep the clubface closed in relation to your swing path, a position that tends to promote a hook
The product that we use daily in the academies that will virtually guarantee you execute these first two steps correctly is the WrisFirm.

We cannot emphasize enough getting a shaft that is right for you as well. A shaft that is too stiff or too flexible will hang the ball right, particularly with the driver. Driveitlong is the only company we know that will work with you to find the shaft that is right for you . See their information at: http://www.driveitlong.com

Swing
When a great player strikes the ball, he or she decreases loft. When a poor player strikes the ball, he or she increases loft. It is almost that simple. As Hogan and Leadbetter point out, the only thing that really matters is impact.

All swing errors - like coming over the top, reverse pivoting, bad ball position - lead to one simple conclusion: they add more loft to the clubface than it had at address. What if you could find a way to decrease loft? That's what the Hogan secret is all about.

Hogan's secret was in his left forearm. More specifically, the rotation of the left forearm to the right on the backswing and to the left on the downswing. Most amatuers slap at the ball at impact with their hands rather than allowing the natural rotation of the forearm to the left at impact and beyond.

Hogan believed his left forearm was the steering wheel of his swing. In practice, Hogan would rotate his left forearm as far to the right as possible on the backswing. He believed he could swing as hard as he wanted on the downswing without fear of duck hooking. There was simply not enough time to close the clubface that much by impact.
Most amateurs have the opposite problem. They close or hood the clubface (i.e. turn the clubface counter-clockwise) on the backswing which almost guarantees an open clubface at impact and resulting slice.
Leadbetter recommends that golfers focus on rotating the left forearm gently clockwise in the moveaway from the ball, in conjunction with the turning motion of the body. He advises using a tee so that it points straight out the of the little gap between the velcro and the leather on the back of your glove. This will help you observe the rotation of your forearm and clubface. The tee should point at your target at address, to the sky halfway back on your backswing, and to the ground halfway through your follow-through.
Work on gently rotating your forearms to the right on the backswing and left on the downswing. You will be pleasantly surprised with the gentle draw and subsequent distance. In the next issue, we will be covering the position and role of the hands in the swing.

Simplify the Putting Stroke for Improved Accuracy
The Natural Golf System has developed a method for simplifying the putting stroke that is used by literally millions of golfers, not just Natural Golfers. The simplified putting stroke begins with a reverse-overlap conventional putting grip (Natural Golfers take things one step further by employing the Palm Grip on increase stability and control).

What this does is it forces you to begin your putting routine by placing the putter in your right hand first. With the putter in your right hand you will find that it is easier to align the face of your putter with the target (this will be even easier if you employ a Palm Grip).
Now, as you take your putting stroke, forget about the ball. Just focus on the palm of your hand as it moves directly at the target. This should feel as if you are tossing a softball underhand.

Practice this 10 - 15 times.

Your goal is to get to a point where you just concentrate on your palm and forget about where the ball is going, how fast, etc.
Remember, you don't think about all that when you toss a softball do you?

NOTE: There is one more thing that can help you simplify putting even more�installing square grips on your clubs. Many people fail to realize that the Rules of Golf allow for square grips to be installed on your putter. Now, you can feel how the putter is aligned because the flat sides of the putter grip will be aligned perfectly with the putter face.

Role of the left arm, hand and wrist

When watching a golfer, the left wrist is probably the easiest way to tell how well the person plays golf. If the left wrist stays flat, he/she is a good player. If it collapses, they need improvement. The Flat Left Wrist is the result of swinging the club in a manner where the alignment of the club face to the left arm stays constant. It shows the club followed the pivot and that the clubhead was not "thrown" at the ball.

Because the flat left wrist is the indicator of a precision golf swing, it should be carefully monitored. We highly recommend slow practice swings with the objective of maintaining a flat left wrist. Use these practice swings to work out the sequence of movements that facilitate this imperative.

Another way to perfect the flat left wrist is through chipping practice. Chipping requires a short, slow swing and is easy to monitor. Ensure your hands stay ahead of the clubface until the ball is long gone.

One of the easiest ways to master a flat left wrist is by using a training aid call The WristFirm. It is the best training aid we've seen to feel the flat left wrist position. It automatically puts the left wrist in a flat position and the right wrist in a bent position throughout the swing. Wearing The WristFirm, first for chips and then for longer and longer shots, is the fastest way to learn the feeling of maintaining a flat left wrist. The secret is simple, yet powerful. Because it creates the perfect position in the critical impact area. It is as close to an instant swing as anything we've seen.

The WristFirm will first act as a restraining device to keep your hands from steering or throwing the clubhead. As you improve, it will merely act as a guide. The more you need to improve, the more The WristFirm will restrain you. You simply can't cheat it.

Since the flat left wrist is the acid test of good player versus other players, you can't miss with this one.

The Golf Swing's Number Two Imperative - Clubhead Lag

Clubhead Lag can be defined as the resistance to a change in direction. The clubhead is the last thing to the ball and is dragged behind the rest of the swing.

In practical terms, this imperative refers directly to the arms and club following the pivot on the downswing. Trying to feel clubhead lag is probably the most difficult thing to teach because it occurs when no effort is made in the arms. If you are using your arms to create speed, you are not lagging.

Clubhead lag is a result...Forcing lag creates tension.

Good clubhead lag occurs with the absence of things as opposed to the presence of things. This imperative is destroyed when players try to do what is obvious to them in the swing. The best product we have found to give you the feel of lag is the Answer by Golf Technologies. It automatically holds a golfers trailing hand in the bent lag position.

The left arm on the downswing must not move independently. Try to focus on the arm following the pivot Most players have a hard time with the pivot, not because they pivot poorly, but because they move their arms independently.

If you have been told you don't pivot well, it is most likely that your left arm is too active on the downswing. In order to improve your pivot, you must first improve the connection between your arm movements and your body turn.We have them focus on building pressure between their left arm and chest as they pivot to the target.

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