The biggest hindrance in the game. There is not a single golfer on the planet who has not fought off the slice in their day, and I am sure you are no exception. During this section, I will cover a few of the main causes of a push slice, and how you can correct them. I know there are a million sites and articles out there that claim to be the cure all for the slice, but I will give you tips based on what I have been taught in my golfing career… that have actually worked for me as well. If you can devote the time and the focus to the following tips and drills, you will see an improvement in your golf game.

The most common cause of the push slice is somewhat in the name, you are pushing the ball and your upper body is not keeping up with your lower body. This is a very common issue, but it is actually fairly simple to correct. Whenever I start to push or slice, I first pay attention to my lower body to ensure I am not moving too quickly and getting out in front of the ball. This sort of swaying motion is the main cause of a push, and even a slice if you are getting too far out in front. The easiest way to correct this motion, is to focus on your lower body during the swing. I am not saying to slow it down too much, because that will over correct you and cause a big hook. The intention here is to simply keep your upper and lower body moving at about the same speed, which will allow for the ball to start straight down the line of the target. While at the range, hit a bucket of balls, with the sole focus being on your tempo throughout the swing. Don’t focus on where the ball is going (for now), but focus on your lower body and ensuring that you are not getting out in front of your upper body.

Another common mistake causing the push slice, is getting the hands too far inside and jamming yourself, causing you to move your hands inside and push the ball back out away from the body. The best practice for correcting this, is to put a towel under your back arm. If you are a lefty, then that means left arm… right means right arm. During this motion, do not swing at 100%, but try and focus around the 80% range. The goal of this is to keep the armpit on the body as long as possible, which will ensure that you are not moving it off of your body too far, causing you to dip inside on the down swing. Grab 10-15 balls for this drill, and as before, don’t focus on the result. Keep your mind tuned towards the armpit, and keeping the towel in place. This tends to be a very frustrating drill if you focus on where the ball is going, so trust me, keep your focus on the towel and what your body is doing throughout the drill. You need to teach your body the muscle memory for when the towel is not there.

Don’t get me wrong, the push slice is the most aggravating miss hit in the game. It goes short and it goes well off line. I assure you, if you focus on these two methods, you will put yourself into a good position to start the ball down the line and keep it on the target. In all, I recommend making this the focus of your practice for at least one week. As with everything in the game of golf, you will not correct this overnight. The most difficult drill of all is the towel drill, because it is a mental challenge, and the intended results do take some additional time. Here is my challenge to you: Each day that you go to the range during a typical week, I want an entire bucket of balls designated to these two drills. After one week, I want you to hit the course and take note of your ball striking, particularly fairways and greens. I will assure you that you are hitting more fairways and greens than before, which is everyone’s goal… right? With that said, don’t go out and play a round during the first week of the drills. You need to give yourself the time to develop the motion before taking it to the real test – the course. Use the drill for every single club in your bag, until you are 100% comfortable with the motion. Once the week is complete, then you can take to the course and relish in the results of your hard work.