A slice is one of the most common swing ailments in golf — and also one of the most frustrating. When your miss is a slice, the game can start to feel impossible.
Worse yet, those who commonly fall victim to a banana slice are often the least equipped to fix it. With a slice being common among beginning golfers, it’s not easy for them to diagnose and fix the common causes of the miss.
Luckily, that’s where we at GOLF.com come in. And with the help of GOLF Top 100 Teacher Erika Larkin, we can help those struggling with a right miss — and even turn that slice into a draw.
A common cause of a slice is spinning — rather than shifting — through the swing. When you do this, the hands will track outside and cause the shaft to get extremely steep in the downswing. From there, all you can do is cut across the ball, which, with an open clubface, results in a slice.
“The thing about spinning out is that it drags the club through, a lot of times leaving the face open,” Larkin says.
To fix this, try focusing on stabilizing your front leg. If you do this, it’ll help keep you from spinning out and cutting across the ball.
“When you actually stabilize the front leg properly,” Larkin says, “it creates a natural chain reaction to let the arms swing past the body.”
A good drill for stabilizing your front leg is to take a few swings with your trail leg behind you.
When you do this, you’ll be forced to keep your lead leg stable in order to make solid contact.
“It’s really going to force the issue of better balance, stabilizing that front leg so you have a chance to create a natural, proper release through impact,” Larkin says. “This should help you hit straighter, more solid shots — and maybe even some draws.”