A slice is potentially the most frustrating miss in the game of golf.
You will find that the more you slice the ball, the more frustrating the game of golf gets.
In fact, some golfers end up quitting because they can’t handle the constant slicing.
This slice seems to be much more apparent on the driver than it is on the iron.
We will fill you in on why that is and give you some information that will help you fix your slice.
Slice Driver But Not Irons- Reasons
There are three reasons that you could be slicing your driver but not your irons.
The three reasons are the length of the club, your swing path, and the release.
1. Length of the Club
The driver is the longest club in the golf bag.
When you play with a golf club that is several inches longer than your other clubs, you will have to make some adjustments.
These adjustments are made to your stance, your posture, and your setup.
This is an exaggerated example, but let’s think about swinging a pencil as opposed to swinging a hockey stick.
Certainly, it is going to take you much more effort and strength to be able to swing the hockey stick with any kind of power.
This same concept and theory apply to a golfer with a driver in their hands.
It takes quite a bit more effort to swing the driver than it does to swing a pitching wedge.
You will have to increase your speed, and your body will work quite a bit harder to get the club turned over and headed towards your target.
The length of your golf club is a significant reason your slice could be worse with your driver than your irons.
2. Swing Path
When you hit a shot with an iron, you swing down and through the shot.
The golf iron swings down into the ball, and it causes the golf ball to get compressed and launch into the air.
This is the proper path for an iron and one that most golfers can achieve.
When you swing with a driver, the path is much different.
The golf club has to swing on a more upright path and catch the ball on the upswing.
As the golf club is traveling through on the upswing, the club face needs to be square, or the ball will end up going to the right.
With the extended and different swing paths, many golfers have a hard time controlling what the golf club does.
They won’t be able to feel and see that the club is open as it travels on this more upright sweeping path.
In time players learn to release the club yet still hit the ball on the upswing.
3. Release
When a golfer swings through the impact, they must release their golf shots.
The golf ball is released as the hands and arms rotate, and the club is squared up at impact.
Since an iron is shorter and typically swung at a bit less speed, the release is a bit easier to manage.
With the longer clubs like drivers and fairway woods, the timing that a golfer has in their swing needs to be nearly perfect.
This is why you will hear many golfers say that their timing is off.
The poor timing causes the club to release a bit late, leaving the clubface open at impact and causing a slice.
Releasing the club is something that many new golfers struggle with.
It takes a bit of an understanding of the game of golf to perfect the release in the game.
Slice Driver But Not Irons- Fixes
Now that you understand why you may be slicing your driver but not your irons, it’s a good idea to learn how to fix this issue.
There are lots of ways that you can work on fixing your slice.
Some golfers slice because of a particular issue with their swing, but these are the most common fixes for a slice of the driver.
1. Setup
Many times a golfer’s setup is the reason that they can’t hit the ball straight.
The golf setup is something that has quite a few components.
Not only do your feet, shoulders, and hips need to be in line, but you have to be balanced and athletic as well.
There are two common setup mistakes that can cause a slice.
One of the first issues is a person that is aimed with their body open to the target.
When your body is open to the target, you will end up coming through the ball with the clubface a bit open as well.
Another issue with the setup is the golfers that try and overcorrect for a slice.
If you overcorrect, your body will be turned towards the left to try and make up for the slice.
If your club path is not perfect, you will end up swinging across yourself and hitting a slice regardless of being aimed left.
The best thing you can do when trying to avoid a slice is to keep your setup as square as possible.
Set yourself up as if you are going to hit the ball directly down the center of the fairway.
Make sure you consider your feet, your hands, the club face angle, your hips, and shoulders when you setup.
If you happen to have everything lined up square, but your shoulders are wide open, the results will very likely be another slice.
2. Swing Path
Swing path is probably the most common reason for slicing a driver.
Many people have a tendency to take their driver on an outside or over the top swing path.
This path causes the clubface to be open at impact and to put a side spin on the ball.
The side spin then causes the ball to slice.
The majority of amateur players are going to take the club on a more outside and upright path than they need to.
The swing path makes it difficult for players to golfers to time and release their shots.
If you can find a local golf course that has a large swing path loop, you can stand in it and swing the club on the proper swing plane.
If you don’t have this ability, then you may have some luck with a swing training aid.
There are golf alignment sticks that you can put in the ground when you swing.
These sticks will allow you to check your path to ensure that the club is not coming over the top.
Another great way to check your swing path is to video your swing and compare it to that of a great golfer.
You will be able to see how far off the path your swing is and what you may need to do to get it back on track.
3. Weight Transfer
Another way to fix a slice with your driver is to work on your weight transfer.
Many players have no trouble getting their weight to transfer to their back foot; however, transferring through to the right foot seems to be a bit more difficult.
Weight transfer needs to happen at the right time, and it will help players turn the club over and release.
If you are a player that struggles with getting your weight to your front foot, chances are you will slice the ball.
The best way to work on this is to practice swinging with a weighted club or a medicine ball.
You will be able to feel this weight and how the weight must be transferred from the back to the front foot.
The process of transferring weight in a golf swing takes quite a bit of effort and ability.
You will need to make sure that you are consciously trying to get that weight moving, as it will not happen on its own.
An excellent mental thought for golfers is to think about the club being finished in a high overhead position with the body facing the target at the end of the swing.
These positions and thoughts are going to help players feel what they need to complete a slice free golf swing.
Again some of these issues that are related to a driver slice are going to work themselves out in time.
Most players that struggle with a slice every time eventually start to feel what it takes to get the club face square at impact.
Could My Driver Be Causing My Slice?
Wouldn’t it be great if your golf equipment was the reason that you slice?
If it’s simply a matter of changing out golf equipment, most golfers are more than willing to make the change.
There is a good chance that your golf equipment could be contributing to your slice.
However, chances are the golf driver is not completely causing the slice.
There are a few things about a driver that will help a player who slices.
The first concept is offset.
If a golf driver is offset, it tends to be quite a bit easier for a golfer to square up the driver at impact.
The offset drivers tend to be offered in the more forgiving golf driver choices.
Another option that golfers will enjoy when it comes to fixing a slice is increased loft.
An increased loft helps players get quite a bit more forgiveness from their drivers.
Lastly, you will want to choose a driver with adjustability.
If your driver can be adjusted, you will have the ability to change the driver’s loft and the face angle.
This is an excellent choice for golfers that are working on fixing the slice.
They can set the driver to a very draw bias setting, and then as the slice improves, you can always change the driver back to neutral.
Adjustability in golf drivers has truly helped to make the game easier and more enjoyable for a large majority of golfers.
If you have had a slice on and off for most of your golf career, clubs with adjustability are a very smart addition to the bag.
Conclusion
A golf driver is harder to hit than a golf iron.
If you are discouraged by the way you hit your driver as compared to your irons, you are not alone.
Focusing on learning why you slice the ball and then applying fixes is essential.
To become a great golfer, you have to learn what it is that causes a slice and work on some different ways to fix it.
It takes practice to learn how to hit a golf ball straight.
Take your time and put some time in on the driving range to start to straighten your golf shots out.
Be thankful that not all of your golf clubs are slicing; it means you are doing some things right!
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