The Slot?

[kid2]

Iv just been reading back through some old posts about how to straighten your shots.....
I hit my irons with a nice soft fade and im happy enough with these but i struggle at times to keep the driver straight.....I play my tee shots like my iron shots to allow for the fade but sometimes it will travel 230mtrs and about 30mtrs from my original target right....Im hoping this isnt a slice!!!!I reckon that if i can straighten this that my chances of scoring low will be increased as im pretty happy with my progress at the moment.
If i try get the right elbow into my hip through the swing will this help and if so does it go into the so called slot on the downswing or in the backswing?
Also if i try this with the driver should i also be doing it with my irons......I dont want to over-complicate things for myself with swing thoughts and technical stuff but im just curious to know if this works......

 

[USER1999]

If you fade (slice?) your irons, it will be magnified with your driver. Sort your irons out, the driver will follow. Same swing after all.

 

[TonyN]

Do you aim left to compensate? If so, you may just be opening your stance and making things worse.

As above your driver will move sideways more than your irons. You need to find the cause of the problem so you can put it right. It could be one of many things.

Can you record your swing and stick it up for the experts to look at?

 

[TonyN]

Sorry just re-read post, not sure if this is right (nor am I claiming to know much about the swing) but I hit a draw and find that keeping the right elbow close to my side/hip helps me to keep the club on the inside on the downswing, I am not sure you'll be able to do this if you hit a fade as i guess (and its only a guess) you will have an out to in swing path and your arm will be further away from your body/hip on the downswing.

What do you want? Straight or still a bit of fade? or even draw?

 

[ball_basher]

a pga pro i used to work with once told me to try slicing it if your a slicer and try hooking it if you hook ..

 

[RGDave]

does it go into the so called slot on the downswing or in the backswing?

Can be used for both.....here's a thought for backswing I was reading only hours ago.

...yada, yada... GETTING IN THE SLOT — At this stage one thing to look for and practice repeatedly is to make sure that the butt-end of the club shaft is pointing towards the ground approximately mid-way between your feet and the ball – this is absolutely critical in order to get your club going on a correct plane.

I tend to think of it as on the way down only t.b.h.

 

[kid2]

Do you aim left to compensate? If so, you may just be opening your stance and making things worse.

As above your driver will move sideways more than your irons. You need to find the cause of the problem so you can put it right. It could be one of many things.

Can you record your swing and stick it up for the experts to look at?

Hi Tony....I do aim left to compensate but im not talking crazy distances.....Im really only 5-8 yards left of the intended target....Im happy enough with this as im comfortable hitting my irons this way....Its just the driver thats bugging me...I dont fade my 5 wood i hit this pretty straight and the same with my 3 wood thats whats got me confused....Maybe im just forcing the big stick a bit too much!!

 

[kid2]

Hi Murph....Its definately a fade...I aim 5-8 yards left of my intended target all the time with my irons and woods and im comfortable with that.....My understanding of a slice is something thats so severe its nearly going longer sideways than it is forwards.

 

[JustOne]

The reason the ball starts left is because that is where the clubface is pointing when you hit it, the more you cut across the ball with your swing path then the more it's going to curve to the right.

Imagine if your clubface was pointing STRAIGHT and you cut across it the same amount, it's going to start straight and then banana off to the right.

Without changing your entire swing or setup you need to try and cut across it less and less with your swingpath so it doesn't banana quite so much, eventually as you cut across it less and less it will go almost straight where you're aiming it...5-8yds left of your intended target [Clubface and swingpath match exactly and there is no sidespin, an 8yd straight pull left]

There's nothing wrong with fading your driver...just don't cut across it quite so much. Put a club down on the floor pointing 6 yds left of your target (where you are aiming) and try to get the clubhead to swing along that line.

If you swing too much across (8yds) the ball will fade, bang on (6yds) and the ball will go straight, too straight (4yds) and you'll actually draw it (or hook it) left of where you were aiming


If 6yds left of your target with the club on the floor isn't giving you the shape you are after then try 4 yds, and keep changing it until you get something you are happy with. (I can't see how much you are cutting it from here!)

Hope that helps...

(nb: alternatively you could take more drastic measures to change your swing).

 

[Ethan]

kid, you are slicing it. Sorry. faders move the ball only a few yards in the air, and generally do so from a straight swing path.

Your problem probably involves some over the top (out to in) and an open clubface.

Try to find a way to draw it. Put the ball back in your stance, close up your shoulders and try to release the hands through impact so the ball starts out to the right and then comes back. Once you have that feeling you will know what a slice feels like in comparison.

 

[TonyN]

Surely if he puts the ball back in the stance the results will be worse ( open club face springs to mind).

Get you swing up kid.

 

[bobmac]

Kid, PM sent

 

[Ethan]

Surely if he puts the ball back in the stance the results will be worse ( open club face springs to mind).

Get you swing up kid.

Most slicers have the ball too far forward and are reaching forward and round to get it.

 

[JustOne]

and try to release the hands through impact

Ethan, can you explain the term "release the hands through impact", I'm not sure I know what that means....

 

[Ethan]

and try to release the hands through impact

Ethan, can you explain the term "release the hands through impact", I'm not sure I know what that means....

Faldo used a drill for this. Stand with the club in the address position. Take a quarter swing back slowly so club is parallel to ground and pointing away from target. It should also be parallel to target line. Back of left hand should be facing forward and face of club facing forward. Then quarter swing slowly through impact so that club reaches parallel to ground again, this time pointing to target. This time back of right hand should be facing forward and face of club pointing backwards.

This is a mini release drill, and if you can do it, you will probably have squared the clubface through impact.

 

[USER1999]

I think the key word there is probably.

Unless very good, you will probably have left it open, or probably have closed it early.

Sounds difficult to me.

 

[JustOne]

Most slicers have the ball too far forward and are reaching forward and round to get it.

Yes, and...

Most slicers have their weight too far to the right of the ball,eg: too much shoulder tilt to the right and/or lean.

Most slicers have the grip of the club behind the ball at impact, eg: club overtakes/matches the hands prior to hitting the ball.

Basically if you bring the ball back, keep a little more centered and keep your hands ahead of the clubhead at impact your swingpath should start to take care of itself... however it'll be flippin' hard to get used to for a while..... might need 50 balls at the range to bed in the new swing

 

[Ethan]

Most slicers have the ball too far forward and are reaching forward and round to get it.

Yes, and...

Most slicers have their weight too far to the right of the ball,eg: too much shoulder tilt to the right and/or lean.

Most slicers have the grip of the club behind the ball at impact, eg: club overtakes/matches the hands prior to hitting the ball.

Basically if you bring the ball back, keep a little more centered and keep your hands ahead of the clubhead at impact your swingpath should start to take care of itself... however it'll be flippin' hard to get used to for a while..... might need 50 balls at the range to bed in the new swing

Maybe they should try Stack and Tilt?

 

[Deleted member 1147]

I had a lesson last week which sorted out a small slice/big fade.

On the video analysis it showed that my hand were above the correct line on the downswing. Meaning I was hitting from outside the line.

To rectify this we tried a couple of things which seemed to work at the weekend.

1st - my coach had me take my backswing to the point where the shaft was parallel with the ground. He then placed one of those magic yellow sticks all pro's have in their bag on the ground parallel to this, slightly behind me, and a couple of inches outside of the shaft. He then told me to try to swing but keep my hand inside the line of the stick on the way down. This made me feel as if I was pushing the club away from me at impact, but meant I was hitting it straight rather than to the left.

He also once described it as trying to pull the grip into my right hand trouser pocket.

I hope this makes sense, and is of some use

 

[funkyfred]

kid, you are slicing it. Sorry. faders move the ball only a few yards in the air, and generally do so from a straight swing path.

Your problem probably involves some over the top (out to in) and an open clubface.

Try to find a way to draw it. Put the ball back in your stance, close up your shoulders and try to release the hands through impact so the ball starts out to the right and then comes back. Once you have that feeling you will know what a slice feels like in comparison.

Ethan, why is a fade only a few yards and a draw can be over 30 yards? surely whats good for one is good for the other, are all thses people who say they draw a ball, actually hooking it?