Driving · Drill
Loop the Club the Other Way to Turn a Slice Into a Draw
Part of our driving programs for slice. Build a program with it
Most slices loop outside your hands on the way down and cut across the ball. So practice the opposite loop. If you're right-handed, picture the clubhead making a small clockwise circle. It goes back a touch outside, then drops inside on the way down. Now the club comes at the ball from behind you. Go slow at first. Once the loop feels natural, make it smaller until it's just a thought. You should see the ball start right and curve back.
The drill
- Set up without a ball.
- Make slow swings that loop out going back and in coming down.
- Feel your hands drop before your shoulders turn.
- Hit half-speed shots with the same loop.
- Add speed once the slice stops.
Why it works
A slice happens when the clubface is open to the path and the path moves left across the ball. When the club loops outside your hands on the way down, it approaches from outside the target line and cuts across the ball. Dropping the club inside on the way down lets it approach from behind you, so the path moves out to the right and the face can close relative to that path. That produces a ball that starts right and curves back.
Common mistakes
- You make the loop too big and the club gets stuck far behind you.Shrink the circle until it is a small, slow move, and keep your swing speed low until the path feels controlled.
- You spin your shoulders open first, which pushes the club back outside.Feel your hands drop first, then let your shoulders turn after the club has started down.
- You swing fast before the loop feels natural and fall back into the old cut across the ball.Stay at slow and half-speed swings until the slice stops, then add speed in small steps.
How you'll know it's working
- The ball starts to the right of your target and curves back toward it.
- You strike the ball solidly in the middle of the face, not off the heel or the toe.
- Your divot, on an iron shot, points at or slightly right of the target instead of left.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Make the loop larger and the swing slower, and do it without a ball until the path feels familiar.
Harder: Hit shots at full speed with a small loop, then try to repeat the same start line and curve ten times in a row.
Common questions
Why does my slice get worse when I swing harder?
More speed tends to make the outside-in move stronger, so the club cuts across the ball more. Fix the path at slow speed first, then add speed gradually.
Can you fix a slice with a swing path drill alone?
The path is a big part of most slices, so this drill helps a lot. Your grip and clubface also affect the curve, so check that the face is not wide open at impact.
