What To Do If You Slice Your First Tee Shot

By | on September 9, 2016 | 28 Comments |


lock

Sorry, this content is for members only.

Click here to get access.

 

Already a member? Login below

Email
Password
 
Remember me (for 2 weeks)

Forgot Password





Tags:

Author Description

Avatar photo

Paul Wilson is the creator of Swing Machine Golf and founder of Ignition Golf. Paul's golf swing technique is based on the Iron Byron swing machine. YouTube Channels: Paul Wilson Golf and Ignition Golf Tips. Please Join me on Google+

28 Responses to “What To Do If You Slice Your First Tee Shot”

  1. July 14, 2012

    HermanKoh

    Hi Paul,

    I’ve been your follower for the last 2 years or so and I’ve got all your products. In fact my swing now is pretty similar to yours. This is my biggest problem, the slice with the driver. What I normally do is if I slice the first tee short, my next plan of action would be roll over my wrist 20 times and if I still slice my second tee short, I give up on my driver for that round and I go to my 3 wood for all my tee short. My question is why don’t I slice my 3 wood but I slice my driver? My thinking is that it’s better hitting my second short from the fairway 20-40 meters shorter than hitting it from the rough.

    • Herman, This should not be a problem at all. All you need to do is train your wrists to roll over one another. You can do this at the range or at home. Just keep rolling them over understanding this is squaring the face. Once you train this to happen you stop thinking about it. This does not mean you are not feeling it. It is just not your main thought. Your main thought switches to the lower body to straighten out your shots.

      If you are still slicing after working on this for any period of time I would think you are not rolling them soon enough, you do not understand how to roll them or you are trying to hit the ball way too hard.

      So I would get to work on this club and spend some serious practice time doing this drill exactly how I say to do it. Do it slowly and keep doing it until you can hook 99% of your shots. Once you can do it slowly gradually increase the power of this roll over still hooking it. Once you are this point you then forget this rolling action and start to focus on the lower body powering the swing. This will straighten out your shots.

      Th 3 wood is not slicing because it is shorter. Because of this you can turn it over easier. It has more loft. This means there is more backswing as opposed to sidespin. This club may have the right shaft for your swing. Finally, you are more confident with this club. If you are more confident you are not over-thinking your golf swing as you try to hit this club.

      You can keep hitting the 3 wood if you like but for the sake of spending a little more time working on the Driver you could have to problem solved.

  2. July 27, 2013

    TIMADAMS

    Paul,
    First,this is by far the best looking video(clarity)I have seen on the web site(been a member 7 months)did you get a new camera?
    Secondly,Wow what a great golf hole!But don’t you think on that hole the tendency would be to subconsciously block or slice the ball right because of the trouble?(lol)
    On a serious note I find when I roll my wrists into a shot I may at first hit it straight or a slight fade but then i either snap it or I start coming over the top.In other words the domino effect of bad things.this would usually happen towards the end of my medium bucket.I usually think I’m getting tired so I chip a little or just leave the range

    • Tim,

      Nothing has changed in the way I shoot the videos. That was shot a while ago on the first tee using the exact same equipment.

      I just used that hole because that is our first hole. I always pull it in the water because I try to take too much off. Hitting it more right is the shot but you’re right people do push it … a lot (trying to avoid water).

      You are not working on the roll over correctly. Rolling it manually should be hooking it. Each hook you hit is one more in the column called “I released the club.” By overdoing it you are not looking for good shots. A big hook is a god shot. You are trying to hit good shots. This is not what you want to be doing. SO you hook, hook and hook some more until you know the feeling and train yourself to do it every time. Once you can do this, you still feel it but you main though becomes the uncoiling of your body. Do this right and the hook becomes a dead straight shot. Not enough and you pull hook it. Too much and you push fade it. Now your goal is to know exactly how much uncoil you need to hit it dead straight. This is then what you are trying to do forever.

      So back to the drawing board. Hook it until you master the release. Then you will never have to do this again.

      Watch:

      How to Cure the Direction: https://ignitiongolf.com/cure-direction/

      How to Cure the Spin: https://ignitiongolf.com/fix-spin-problems/

      How to Cure the Contact: https://ignitiongolf.com/cure-contact/

      How to Cure Spin and Direction Problems: https://ignitiongolf.com/cure-spin-direction-problems/

  3. July 27, 2013

    PacoColin

    Thanks Paul this is the drill for me now I need to start doing it. All your videos are the best though thanks for the good work

    • Paco,

      Glad you liked this one. I thought there would be a lot of people who could benefit from it.

      Thanks for the support.

  4. July 29, 2013

    BrienRicci

    I will give this a try. I hit the ball OB more than 50% of the time on the first hole at our club.
    The 1st hole has pretty tight OB on the right. My ball does not slice much but is pushed OB
    most of the time. Very frustrating.

  5. Paul ,I quit slicing the ball once and for ever ( ( Caution! You said once never to say That ) when I went with one of your previous lessons of holding the handle very ,very lightly or évén very loose at address and keep it So as long as possible .
    The Clubhead comes in square at the ball .
    Now ,where do I find in your lessons how to improve my lag ?
    Apart from turning fast as possible ,I work on keeping the Clubhead at the top a minute Time ( I count one ,two ,three in my head ) So as to ” load ” the shaft before entering in the downswing ,by letting m’y right elbow falling to m’y right side.
    Is there another way you would recommend ?
    Improving my lag has done a lot to improve my distance .
    I also work in slow Motion on the “unbending ” of the right arm in the downswing …

    • August 10, 2014

      Paul Wilson

      Raymnond,

      Any of the tips on this site are searchable through the red navigation bar. Search SWING TIPS > FULL SWING > DOWNSWING > LAG

      The best way to get lag is to realize you will not get it immediately and you constantly work on it. I mean everyday as many repetitions as possible. Just keep doing the drills and it will eventually be a part of your swing. Also, if you are holding the lag angle in the downswing make sure you are also releasing the wrists. I see too many people hold this and for far too long. This locks everything up.

  6. August 10, 2014

    SylvainRuel

    Paul what about my ball doing let say 180 to 200 yards straight and then go right and hit the rough or hit the fairway and then bounce on the rough ? Sometimes I hit well whit my driver but I still hit bad shot out of the blue !! I always do the roll over drill . Maybe I think to much 🙂

    Thanks and I appreciate what you do getting me a better player

    Sylvain

    • August 10, 2014

      Paul Wilson

      Sylvain,

      As much as you think it is going down the middle I guarantee you are aimed right and pull slicing it slightly. If the ball is slicing the face is open. If you were square and the face was open the ball would be starting right of the target so you have to be aimed right or you could be way open.

      You are doing the roll over drill to get rid of the sidespin. If you still have slice spin you have not rolled it early enough, long enough. This is a drill. You must be constantly doing it until you master it. If you even see one shot with slice spin when you play you need to roll it before you hit your next shot. Get the feeling of the release then you hit the shot with the body coil and uncoil feeling the wrists release.

      So,

      1. You need to check your alignment so you see you are aimed right.

      2. You need to keep hitting hooks in practice and roll overs in practice swings right from the top and get used this feeling.

      3. Focus on coiling and uncoiling when you play.

      Alignment: https://ignitiongolf.com/golf-alignment
      How To Put Down an Alignment Stick Properly: https://ignitiongolf.com/alignment-stick-placement/
      Change Clubs Change Alignment: https://ignitiongolf.com/change-clubs-change-alignment/
      How To Get Perfect Alignment On the Course: https://ignitiongolf.com/perfect-alignment-on-course/

  7. August 11, 2014

    markcherup

    I am confused about this roll over with the wrist. When you say do not think about rolling the wrist are you still suppose to be doing it while working with the lower body? Are you always suppose to roll the wrist over once you cure your slice? Should rolling the wrist over be a part of your swing forever? Thanks for your help.

    • August 12, 2014

      Paul Wilson

      Mark,

      This is a drill. You are doing his and only this as you are working on mastering it. Once you can consistently hook the great majority of your shots you then stop thinking of rolling it and start thinking about using your body to initiate the downswing. This does not mean you are not feeling it roll over. You would still feel it because you just did it numerous times in practice but it is now doing it because you trained it to do it.

      Now when you are at the stage you can consistently hook it and you are going to start thinking of the body you hit a shot and watch your ball. Here is what to look for:

      Any slice spin = you have not hooked enough.

      Any straight push = you need to turn more with the lower body you are sliding.

      Any pull, pull hook = good but you need more lower body so it starts first.

      What I am looking for at this point is that the person pulls it or pull hooks it even though they are no longer thinking of using their lower body. This means I took their mind off of rolling and it is still rolling. At this point I am seconds away from curing the slice. Just got to add a little more lower body. Too many people move to using the lower body before they can hook it consistently so they end up slicing it the first balls. If this happens it is the tell-tale sign the person has not mastered the roll over.

      Follow these steps and you will fix it forever.

  8. August 13, 2014

    markcherup

    thanks for the help.

  9. August 13, 2014

    markcherup

    Thank you for your help.

  10. August 28, 2014

    LenKoblenz

    Paul,
    I look forward to the day when I can play a hole like your Number 1 in a relaxed manner and not be intimidated. It looks scary.

    Len

    • August 28, 2014

      Paul Wilson

      Len,

      On the first tee you need to be thinking swing easy. 50% and hit the fairway. Trouble will strike if you are trying to hit your best shot. Just get it play. Keep doing this and you become comfortable hitting your first tee shot because you know you always hit it down the middle. EASY EASY EASY

  11. Hi Paul. You have described my problem, i.e. slice first drive. During pre-game warm up, I can hit most drives straight, but slice the first tee shot. I suspect nerves set in and I do not complete my B/S, fail to hinge and the result is a slice. (Open C/F).

    What is your opinion re slightly closing the C/F at address? Does this cause other problems?
    Thanks, tom

    • Tom,

      I would think you are looking up on this first tee shot to see how amazing you are going to hit it. The more you look the tighter the wrists. So in the future do the roll over drill before you hit your shot. Then step up and swing at 50%. Keep the wrists loose. The slower you swing the less you will use your arms the less you will look. Your new goal is “hit the fairway” not hit it 250+ down the fairway.

      Do not close the face. This is a band aid that will never work. We don’t need band aids. We just need to do it right. Work on the roll over drill more.

      DRILL: 3 Ways To Roll It Over: https://ignitiongolf.com/3-ways-to-roll/

  12. September 10, 2016

    LeighCannon

    Paul, this has been a great tip for me, as me and slicing go way back :/ I’ve been practicing the early rollover drill, along with firing the lower body and letting the subsequent movement of my shoulders pull the arms round. Another thing that has helped is to exaggerate the wrist roll during the drill to the point of ending with the back of my left hand facing the target (right-handed golfer). Doing these swings one-handed is also highly effective.

    I can then start to hook, as you say, and then try to speed up the lower body rotation in order to square the club face.

    Perhaps I’m over doing it. I don’t feel I’m doing it in an excessive or wrenching way, but my problem is I’m starting to notice some pain in my left knee after a round of golf, which seems to come from the straightening and turning of my left leg. It can help to get my weight back a bit more on my heels in the swing, but I was wondering if this is something you’ve noticed in your students and if it’s due to some other swing fault I’ve unaware of.

    Thanks,
    Leigh

    • September 11, 2016

      Paul Wilson

      Leigh,

      If you are feeling it in the knee I would think your left foot is too straight. Take a look at this position because I driver my legs super hard and it doesn’t hurt my left knee. It need to be turned out 25-30 degrees. If it still hurts then try a different trigger or slow down a little. I highly doubt you are doing it too fast.

  13. September 10, 2016

    RickZech

    Paul,
    I am a lefty with the dreaded slice. I have tried the roll the wrist drill with mixed results.
    Then I tried to change my grip (10 finger) to more in the fingers and both Vs pointing to the left ear. Still not good.
    I thought I might be standing to far away from the ball and moved about 1 inch closer. I thought that would eliminate an inside out slice swing. I just didn’t feel comfortable and it really didn’t help.
    I have tried to go back to the basics including the hip turn but I feel like I’m back to square one and frustrated. It is nearing the end of the season up here in Minnesota and was wondering what you would suggest.
    Thanks,
    Rick

  14. September 13, 2016

    AlanCranston

    Hi Paul my problem is not slicing but hooking my driver. When I parked the driver and used my 3 wood things get much better, then most time I hit a very good baby draw. I know somewhere in your library there is a tip to cure severe hooking.

  15. Paul,
    I only use a 3 metal. Never been comfortable with driver. I have never had much slice. The 3 metal has been straight but short. I spent this off season drilling to move my hips quicker for added distance. Now I somewhat slice the 3 metal but irons are still straight. If I incorporate the roll over drill, should I be easing up on the hip speed till I get consistent hooks and speed up hips again?

You must be logged in to post a comment.