Pros advice

How To… Cure That Slice

By Paul Charman, GP Teaching Professional

A slice can be caused by several things from a bad grip to bad alignment. You end up with an open club face and a swing path from out to in. As a young PGA trainee, I was always told never to cure a fault with a fault. In most cases I would always agree, but when it comes to curing a slice, I find that the best way to get results is to learn how to hook the ball.

1. CLOSE THE FACE

Before you even take a ball, adopt your normal stance. At this stage your club face should be pointing at your target. Now, imagine a clock, and close the club face so that the toe of the club points between nine and 12 o'clock, then take your normal grip.

TOE THE LINE

Still without the ball in front of you, make your normal back swing but on the way through the impact zone make sure that the club head swings in the direction that the toe is pointing. This should now be in to out. Repeat this a few times to ensure you've got it off consistently. Now try it with a ball. What you're looking for is the ball to start at the right of target and move viciously to the left.

R-E-L-A-X

As with all exercises, try to keep your hands as relaxed as possible to ensure that the club head swings freely through impact.

IN TO OUT

Once you've got that baby hooking, all you have to do is to slowly square the club face to the target shot by shot, reducing the amount of hook each time. Don't forget to re-grip the golf club with your normal grip every time you change the club face position, and to swing along the exaggerated in to out path.

SQUARE THINGS OFF

Eventually your club face will be back in its natural square position with the ball flying gloriously straight down the fairway each and every time.

For all the latest news, reviews and a lot, lot more from the world of golf, click here for the latest edition of Golf Punk Magazine.