I’m struggling to stay circular or in the barrel with 3wood and driver. With My irons I feel stable and I am getting my left hip turned and leg straight. 7-W very crisp and straight right now. But the two longer clubs I tend to sway and slide. The miss is usually a push, sometimes it slices but it’s mainly a push.. Any thoughts? Thanks, Craig Smith
You are trying to hit those clubs too hard (running) before you have mastered it (crawling). If you are doing it slowly it is telling you that you can do it. So do it slowly with the longer clubs until you are used to it. Then once you are ready, turn up the legs a little more. Get used to it. Then go a little more and you will b at top speed.
Everyone wants instant results and to hit great shots without a great swing. This is why I keep telling everyone to forget the ball and work on the movement. You have one swing and you say you are doing it right. So do it right with the longer clubs no matter how slow you have to swing.
All triggers happen no matter which one you are thinking of. I am giving you are choice because all 3/4 work but different people like to think of different things. So pick your trigger. Stick with it. After you do your trigger get to the touching of the legs position.
Paul ,The “bump” advocated by top players like COLIN MONTGOMERIE has hurt many golf swings .
There’s one thought and move which can help to straighten the leg and prevent sliding :push energetically the left bottom cheek backwards! You can try having somebody standing behind you back to back when you do this “push back ” move :he’ll be rolling forward and fall on his face so much this move is powerful!
In addition doing so speeds up the turn forwards
It sure has. I hate the thought of bumping. Montgomerie is a huge slider but he is a tour player who has done this many times in his life plus hitting a fade doesn’t hurt.
This is an excellent drill. As an older player, still fairly fit and supple and a nine handicapper, I have been a long time slider particularly with woods.
Played on a cold Scottish January the other day with your rotation thoughts and straightening my right leg ( I’m a leftie ) I hit some very satisfying straight shots. It is not so easy to do and requires constant practice as you suggest
I’m now constantly doing the turning drill at home and even when out shopping with my wife much to her embarrassment.
Probably for the first time I now have a few swing thoughts when I play and have an understanding of what happens when I hit a poor shot.
Paul ,I forgot to mention an excellent drill to combat the “SLIDE ” and improve the rotation forwards :practise full swings without the ball on an upslope ,lead foot higher than trail foot ,such as on the side of an elevated tee :you’ll have to push mighty strong with your backfoot to rotate forwards and it’s impossible to slide in this situation!
Thanks, Paul. The repetition of “back, back, back,” will cement this superbly. And you’re right, the bad habit of sliding seems particularly insidious, creeping back into the swing without constant attention.
Yes, this is a good thought. You will never forget it now.
This is such a tough thing to fix especially if you have done it for a long time. Most sliders try to do a few repetitions to fix it and think they’ve got it then they go right back to sliding. This takes tremendous effort to fix for good. This is why I want sliders to make this a habit. If so, they end up doing it tens of thousands of times over time and it is finally gone forever. What a relief it is when you stop hitting that huge push/push fade. At that point you become fearless on and hole.
Hi Paul,
my main problelm is sliding to the right on the backswing so the my weight is too much on the outside edge of my right foot. Is there a thought or drill to help locate my weight over my right instep.
Also, in the helicopter drill you emphasize keeping the club, hence, shoulder pretty much paralell to the ground and not to drop one shoulder. However in the video on maintaining lag, you right shoulder is a lot lower than your left in the slo-mo of your swing(easyto see if you pause the video) especially at the release point. Can you comment on this.
Thanks, Noah
No matte what anyone says there is no simple fix for this. You need to make sure you are coiling, make sure your head is moving back and make sure you are loading onto the instep of the back foot on a flexed back knee. Also, check your shoes. A lot of sliders have stretched the outside of their back shoe so no matter what you do the shoe itself will roll you to the outside. Remember those things and do tons of practice swings holding and checking at the top.
I already answered the shoulder question with the helicopter drill. This is a warm up drill not reality. Check your spam folder or below the tip you posted it on. If you still don’t see it I will send it again.
I think I may have an issue with sliding when I try to turn my left hip too hard in the downswing especially with my driver any longer irons. I tend to hit snap hooks and sometimes pushes but if I slow down the my ball flights is a draw. I also check to make sure my grip is neutral to rule that out as the cause of the hook. Do you think this is the cause of my hooks and slowing down in my downswing the cure?
The slide is tricky to cure. It took me 2 months everyday all day but noone told me to touch the legs with the left leg locking. If do, I would have fixed it in 2 days.
Yes, this plus a strong grip is the cause of your hooks. You need to feel the let knee go back as soon as you start your downswing. When you slide you over tilt in the downswing causing the path to swing too much from the side. Lock the leg sooner and you don’t tilt as much therefore the path is down the line.
Understand exactly what I want you to do then do it slowly every night. Too many people who slide rush this and never fix it. This is a whole new way to start down but you have to get it otherwise you will never get rid of the snap hooks.
hi paul question on the triggers,i am caught between using 2 triggers , i like the drive th left leg straight back but often feel my self doing that jumpimg at ball feeling you talk about ball goes straight but pick it cleanly off grass no divot, can work on the jumping but find hard to control speed of leg going back hard to go slow is that normal for this trigger . have used the trigger you use the problem i run into with this is it is easy to go diff speeds but find i get alot more pushes and push fades,alot of times when i drive with right toe to get to left knee, i tilt back too much and get the push push fade.when driving with right toe any tips on how to keep me from tilting back as i drive right knee around to touch left.
Just realize the legs locks because you are turning. If you are hitting better shots with this one then keep doing it. I just don’t like thinking about my left side so I choose the right. If I drove super hard I would push it too but I tell myself not to do this. I am usually at about 80-85% of as hard as I can do it. You may be going all out because you are new to doing it. I just like the fact that you are feeling it and getting used to it. Make sure you are doing tons of swings off the ground. If so, you can work on mastering it through repetition.
Hi Paul,
I seemed to have just figured out that this is what I am doing especially with my woods. For me, in order not to slide, I have to not let the weight roll to the outside of my left foot, almost keeping it on my left instep and of course the heel as I come through and finish. Am I on the right track here? When I roll my foot or slide my hips, my mistake is not only a push, but I often hit an inch or two behind.
Thanks for answering our comments, it is very helpful.
David
My foot is solid through impact then I roll to the outside edge. You may be on the outside edge too early which would be sliding. So it’s okay into the follow through but not at impact. So, take a look at doing this into the future.
Thanks for this tip Paul. When I started to learn golf many years ago the pro told me to not try to hit the ball but rather to try to swing against an imaginary brick wall in line with the outside of your left hip. This tip seems to me to saying the same thing. Is this correct?
Regards
David
Well, you don’t want to hit this wall. I want the person thinking “turn” not “shift.” If you go to my touch the legs position you would shift so I know are going to do that. What I don’t know is are you going to turn which I why I want you thinking this way. So it is a turn and a shift knowing the shift will occur on its own. You may not realize you have already done it before.
Hi Paul,
So I went out and tried this today at the driving range and it was my awakening. You have said that some part of the swing is like throwing a ball. When I throw a ball, I stride and then turn. I was a pretty good pitcher back in the day, but I haven’t been doing well with the clubs. Today I did this tip and holy crap! The ball went straight and at least 20 yards farther with less than full effort. To be sure, not every shot was as described. Of the errors were thin and fat shots, some wild slices and some off the toe, but all of those were things I could attribute to looking up, or not using powerless arms. Now one big question: if you hit a draw or a fade, do you aim at the target or to the right or left to compensate for the curvature?
thanks,
ter
Good stuff. If you were a good pitcher you should be great at golf. Glad you see that and are trying to do it. Yes, you will not be great every time but seeing a dramatic difference tells you that you are on track and need to keep doing it this way. Once you do, you should get the consistency back.
Sliding is my problem now and I am trying to fix it as soon as possible. One question: it seems to me that if I use my right foot toe to push and make a circular motion to touch left leg, then my left leg is pushed back automatically. So do I still need to think about pushing my left leg back when I am at the top of the backswing?
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26 Responses to “Good Habit Series – Sliding”
January 7, 2015
CraigSmithHi Paul (and Hapoy New Year).
I’m struggling to stay circular or in the barrel with 3wood and driver. With My irons I feel stable and I am getting my left hip turned and leg straight. 7-W very crisp and straight right now. But the two longer clubs I tend to sway and slide. The miss is usually a push, sometimes it slices but it’s mainly a push.. Any thoughts? Thanks, Craig Smith
January 7, 2015
Paul WilsonCarig,
You are trying to hit those clubs too hard (running) before you have mastered it (crawling). If you are doing it slowly it is telling you that you can do it. So do it slowly with the longer clubs until you are used to it. Then once you are ready, turn up the legs a little more. Get used to it. Then go a little more and you will b at top speed.
Watch:
DRILL: Do It Right at 1MPH https://ignitiongolf.com/right-at-1mph/
Everyone wants instant results and to hit great shots without a great swing. This is why I keep telling everyone to forget the ball and work on the movement. You have one swing and you say you are doing it right. So do it right with the longer clubs no matter how slow you have to swing.
January 7, 2015
NazninKarimHi Paul
Are we thinking of two triggers in the through swing now, toching the legs if thats the one I do and then front leg back too at the same time?
Cheers
Naz
January 8, 2015
Paul WilsonNaz,
All triggers happen no matter which one you are thinking of. I am giving you are choice because all 3/4 work but different people like to think of different things. So pick your trigger. Stick with it. After you do your trigger get to the touching of the legs position.
January 7, 2015
RaymondCHASTELPaul ,The “bump” advocated by top players like COLIN MONTGOMERIE has hurt many golf swings .
There’s one thought and move which can help to straighten the leg and prevent sliding :push energetically the left bottom cheek backwards! You can try having somebody standing behind you back to back when you do this “push back ” move :he’ll be rolling forward and fall on his face so much this move is powerful!
In addition doing so speeds up the turn forwards
January 8, 2015
Paul WilsonRaymond,
It sure has. I hate the thought of bumping. Montgomerie is a huge slider but he is a tour player who has done this many times in his life plus hitting a fade doesn’t hurt.
January 7, 2015
daviddonaldsonThis is an excellent drill. As an older player, still fairly fit and supple and a nine handicapper, I have been a long time slider particularly with woods.
Played on a cold Scottish January the other day with your rotation thoughts and straightening my right leg ( I’m a leftie ) I hit some very satisfying straight shots. It is not so easy to do and requires constant practice as you suggest
I’m now constantly doing the turning drill at home and even when out shopping with my wife much to her embarrassment.
Probably for the first time I now have a few swing thoughts when I play and have an understanding of what happens when I hit a poor shot.
Keep up the good work!!
Regards
David D.
January 8, 2015
Paul WilsonDavid,
Glad you liked it. Glad you like the tips.
Yes, you need to really work on it but seeing straight shots should be incentive enough to keep practicing it. Make it habit and you will master it.
January 7, 2015
RaymondCHASTELPaul ,I forgot to mention an excellent drill to combat the “SLIDE ” and improve the rotation forwards :practise full swings without the ball on an upslope ,lead foot higher than trail foot ,such as on the side of an elevated tee :you’ll have to push mighty strong with your backfoot to rotate forwards and it’s impossible to slide in this situation!
January 8, 2015
Paul WilsonRaymond,
Not sure if people will put the effort in to practice like this. It would give people the feeling though.
June 22, 2020
nycc0659This sounds like a good idea I will try it!
January 7, 2015
KeithBromleyThanks, Paul. The repetition of “back, back, back,” will cement this superbly. And you’re right, the bad habit of sliding seems particularly insidious, creeping back into the swing without constant attention.
January 8, 2015
Paul WilsonKeith,
Yes, this is a good thought. You will never forget it now.
This is such a tough thing to fix especially if you have done it for a long time. Most sliders try to do a few repetitions to fix it and think they’ve got it then they go right back to sliding. This takes tremendous effort to fix for good. This is why I want sliders to make this a habit. If so, they end up doing it tens of thousands of times over time and it is finally gone forever. What a relief it is when you stop hitting that huge push/push fade. At that point you become fearless on and hole.
January 7, 2015
NoahShawHi Paul,
my main problelm is sliding to the right on the backswing so the my weight is too much on the outside edge of my right foot. Is there a thought or drill to help locate my weight over my right instep.
Also, in the helicopter drill you emphasize keeping the club, hence, shoulder pretty much paralell to the ground and not to drop one shoulder. However in the video on maintaining lag, you right shoulder is a lot lower than your left in the slo-mo of your swing(easyto see if you pause the video) especially at the release point. Can you comment on this.
Thanks, Noah
January 8, 2015
Paul WilsonNoah,
No matte what anyone says there is no simple fix for this. You need to make sure you are coiling, make sure your head is moving back and make sure you are loading onto the instep of the back foot on a flexed back knee. Also, check your shoes. A lot of sliders have stretched the outside of their back shoe so no matter what you do the shoe itself will roll you to the outside. Remember those things and do tons of practice swings holding and checking at the top.
Slide: https://ignitiongolf.com/cure-slide
I already answered the shoulder question with the helicopter drill. This is a warm up drill not reality. Check your spam folder or below the tip you posted it on. If you still don’t see it I will send it again.
March 17, 2015
thomasflahertyPaul
I think I may have an issue with sliding when I try to turn my left hip too hard in the downswing especially with my driver any longer irons. I tend to hit snap hooks and sometimes pushes but if I slow down the my ball flights is a draw. I also check to make sure my grip is neutral to rule that out as the cause of the hook. Do you think this is the cause of my hooks and slowing down in my downswing the cure?
March 18, 2015
Paul WilsonThomas,
The slide is tricky to cure. It took me 2 months everyday all day but noone told me to touch the legs with the left leg locking. If do, I would have fixed it in 2 days.
Yes, this plus a strong grip is the cause of your hooks. You need to feel the let knee go back as soon as you start your downswing. When you slide you over tilt in the downswing causing the path to swing too much from the side. Lock the leg sooner and you don’t tilt as much therefore the path is down the line.
Understand exactly what I want you to do then do it slowly every night. Too many people who slide rush this and never fix it. This is a whole new way to start down but you have to get it otherwise you will never get rid of the snap hooks.
Watch:
Hooking: https://ignitiongolf.com/cure-hooking
Grip:
Left Hand: https://ignitiongolf.com/left-hand-grip
Easy Way to Master the Top Hand Position: https://ignitiongolf.com/easy-master-top-hand-position/
The Top Hand Determines the Position of the Bottom Hand: https://ignitiongolf.com/top-hand-bottom-hand/
Right Hand: https://ignitiongolf.com/right-hand-grip
June 13, 2015
golfer99hi paul question on the triggers,i am caught between using 2 triggers , i like the drive th left leg straight back but often feel my self doing that jumpimg at ball feeling you talk about ball goes straight but pick it cleanly off grass no divot, can work on the jumping but find hard to control speed of leg going back hard to go slow is that normal for this trigger . have used the trigger you use the problem i run into with this is it is easy to go diff speeds but find i get alot more pushes and push fades,alot of times when i drive with right toe to get to left knee, i tilt back too much and get the push push fade.when driving with right toe any tips on how to keep me from tilting back as i drive right knee around to touch left.
June 14, 2015
Paul WilsonBarry,
Just realize the legs locks because you are turning. If you are hitting better shots with this one then keep doing it. I just don’t like thinking about my left side so I choose the right. If I drove super hard I would push it too but I tell myself not to do this. I am usually at about 80-85% of as hard as I can do it. You may be going all out because you are new to doing it. I just like the fact that you are feeling it and getting used to it. Make sure you are doing tons of swings off the ground. If so, you can work on mastering it through repetition.
September 20, 2016
DavidButlerHi Paul,
I seemed to have just figured out that this is what I am doing especially with my woods. For me, in order not to slide, I have to not let the weight roll to the outside of my left foot, almost keeping it on my left instep and of course the heel as I come through and finish. Am I on the right track here? When I roll my foot or slide my hips, my mistake is not only a push, but I often hit an inch or two behind.
Thanks for answering our comments, it is very helpful.
David
September 21, 2016
Paul WilsonDavid,
My foot is solid through impact then I roll to the outside edge. You may be on the outside edge too early which would be sliding. So it’s okay into the follow through but not at impact. So, take a look at doing this into the future.
Watch:
Forward Foot: https://ignitiongolf.com/follow-through-forward-foot/
July 11, 2017
DavidWaltersThanks for this tip Paul. When I started to learn golf many years ago the pro told me to not try to hit the ball but rather to try to swing against an imaginary brick wall in line with the outside of your left hip. This tip seems to me to saying the same thing. Is this correct?
Regards
David
July 11, 2017
Paul WilsonDavid,
Well, you don’t want to hit this wall. I want the person thinking “turn” not “shift.” If you go to my touch the legs position you would shift so I know are going to do that. What I don’t know is are you going to turn which I why I want you thinking this way. So it is a turn and a shift knowing the shift will occur on its own. You may not realize you have already done it before.
Watch:
It’s Like A Throwing Motion: https://ignitiongolf.com/like-throwing-motion/
Also,
It’s a Turn Not A Jump: https://ignitiongolf.com/turn-not-jump/
August 8, 2019
terrybadgerHi Paul,
So I went out and tried this today at the driving range and it was my awakening. You have said that some part of the swing is like throwing a ball. When I throw a ball, I stride and then turn. I was a pretty good pitcher back in the day, but I haven’t been doing well with the clubs. Today I did this tip and holy crap! The ball went straight and at least 20 yards farther with less than full effort. To be sure, not every shot was as described. Of the errors were thin and fat shots, some wild slices and some off the toe, but all of those were things I could attribute to looking up, or not using powerless arms. Now one big question: if you hit a draw or a fade, do you aim at the target or to the right or left to compensate for the curvature?
thanks,
ter
August 12, 2019
Paul WilsonTerry,
Good stuff. If you were a good pitcher you should be great at golf. Glad you see that and are trying to do it. Yes, you will not be great every time but seeing a dramatic difference tells you that you are on track and need to keep doing it this way. Once you do, you should get the consistency back.
Here are the tips on drawing and fading:
Should You Hit a Draw or a Fade?: https://ignitiongolf.com/hit-draw-fade/
How To Perfect Drawing and Fading: https://ignitiongolf.com/perfect-drawing-and-fading/
The Real Draw: https://ignitiongolf.com/real-draw/
The Fake Draw: https://ignitiongolf.com/the-fake-draw/
How To Hit A Fade: https://ignitiongolf.com/how-to-hit-a-fade/
August 29, 2021
LennyPaul,
Sliding is my problem now and I am trying to fix it as soon as possible. One question: it seems to me that if I use my right foot toe to push and make a circular motion to touch left leg, then my left leg is pushed back automatically. So do I still need to think about pushing my left leg back when I am at the top of the backswing?
Thanks,