No matter how good at golf you are, every player slices tee shots with their driver from time to time. And while it may feel like there’s no way to fix the problem, with a little readjustments and training, you can straighten out your drives and see more consistent results.
Like most things in golf, though, it requires getting back to the simple fundamentals.
Slices happen due to sidespin on the ball, which occurs when the clubface is left open as a golfer comes to impact. This happens for a variety of reasons, but, as GOLF Top 100 Teacher Carol Preisinger shows in the video below, the most common issue is opening up your shoulders at address.
Preisinger says the issue often happens because players try to overcompensate for their setup when the ball is too far forward in your stance.
“The ball is up in your stance and it’s teed up,” she says. “Most people will open up their shoulders because of that ball position. That’s going to make your club swing out to in, following that open shoulder line.”
In order to correct the issue and help stop slicing driver, Preisinger suggests adding side tilt, which will close your shoulders and allow you to swing more i-to-out.
“When you add side tilt, that will help you swing up on it [the ball], but, most importantly, when you side tilt, it will close your shoulders,” she says. “That will help you swing this golf club more from the inside out, and you can hit a nice draw down the range.”