BALL FLIGHT AND YOUR SWING CONTINUED!

Ball Flight and Your Swing - Part 4: The Pull-Slice

Probably the most common mistake in golf, the one you'll see the most on the first tee of most golf courses, is the pull-slice where the ball starts wide of the target and curves back toward the target. However rather than a total error with no redeeming feature, it's a tribute to the average players ability to adjust from a very bad position at the start of the downswing.

The pull part of the pull slice is caused when the back shoulder pushes out towards the target line and the chest spins around to start the club back to the ball. Whether this is due to impatience or simply bad mechanics, it sends the club on an outside-to-in path that's on course to start the ball wide of the target [to the left for right handers]. Now comes the admirable part of the pull-slice; the slice part. This is caused when the face of the club is open to the path i.e. the face is pointing toward the target, a situation that puts side spin on the shot, curving the ball back toward the target.

Now because it curves it finishes somewhere around the target and herein lies a benefit laced with a bit of danger - yes it's in play but the slice costs you distance and in the wind it becomes unmanageable. Here is a scenario to rid yourself of the pull-slice.

Fix the path first. Take your address position using a five iron and then place a ball on the ground opposite your back foot approximately three clubheads away. This is your guide ball. Now hit a bunch of balls and practice bringing the path of your clubhead in over the guide ball. This will give you the correct path. Using the correct path your ball should start at the target and as soon as it does a high percentage of the time then you go to work on the face.

To learn to square up the face of your club at impact do this drill: address the ball as you normally do and then pull your back foot away from its regular position so that your back toe is in line with your front heel. Now flare your back foot about 45 degrees. Hit balls from this stance and feel your forearms turn over through impact. Granted it’s an awkward position but it will teach you to release the club, something you didn't do when you were a slicer.