Strengthen Your Left Hand Grip To Stop Slicing
Strengthen Your Left Hand Grip To Stop Slicing
There are many reasons why a golfer may slice a ball, but there is also one constant when a ball slices (curves left-to-right for a righty). That constant is an open clubface at the point of impact. An open clubface is when it’s pointed to the right or more towards the sky. This open clubface can be caused by many things including an incorrect swing path, a poor setup, or a weak grip, amongst others. Today, I’m going to explain how a weak left hand grip can increase the likelihood of a slice.
In order to have a consistent swing, you should have a grip that matches your swing. Unfortunately, for many golfers their grip doesn’t match their swing or their hands are in a position where they are more likely to change the angle of the clubface at impact. The most common error I see is when a golfer grips the club with a weak left (lead arm) hand. In this position, the hand is placed on the side or even under the grip causing quite a few issues such as a loss of power and the greater potential to slice the ball.
Self-Test
If you’re a slicer, it’s imperative to strengthen your left hand grip. Here’s why and a little test to show you. Stand tall with your arms hanging comfortably and softly down your side. You’ll notice your palms are facing your side. Now, lean over until you’re in your golf posture continuing with your arms hanging softly under your shoulders. Notice how your palms are now angled about 45 degrees facing your body. When you lean over, your arms naturally rotate inward.
Why is that important and what does it have to do with your slice? When you lean over and allow your arms to hang softly, this is your arms natural position. This is where your arms want to be. Try this: grip the club with just your left hand. Rotate your palm towards the ground and notice the clubface rotate towards the sky. The more it points this way, the more the ball will slice. The weaker your left hand grip is at the start, the more prone the clubface will be at impact because your left arm will try to go back to it’s natural position.
It is possible to hit great shots with a weak grip, but usually, this is for golfers that tend to over-rotate their arms on their downswing.
How To Grip The Club
I recommend trying to grip the club up in the air in front of your face so you can see what’s going on. When placing your left hand on the grip, try to angle your palm about 45 degrees towards the ground. If done correctly, you should be able to see 3, maybe 4 knuckles on your left hand. Additionally, the ‘V-shape’ caused by your left thumb and forefinger will be pointed towards your right shoulder. After placing your left hand on the grip, put your right hand on with your palms facing each other.
Not only will this stronger grip help eliminate or reduce the amount of slice, it will also allow your wrists to hinge correctly creating more power in your golf swing. It’s a win-win!
The grip is a very sensitive and difficult topic to fully grasp. For help with your own grip, I recommend seeing your local PGA Professional to help you perfect it.
Good luck and thanks for reading!
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About
KYLE VOSKA, PGA PROFESSIONAL
I grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio and graduated from St. Michael’s, St. Xavier, and Miami University. After graduating from Miami with a Finance degree, I moved to Florida to pursue my professional golf dreams. After a few successful years and a couple of difficult years, I stopped playing full-time. After a year of caddying on the LPGA Tour for Young Jo, Kim Williams, and Angela Stanford, I moved back home to Cincinnati. Currently, I live near Sharonville with my lovely wife, Lindsay, our kids, Maclin and Ellie, and our dog, Nora.
Teaching golf for over a year in Florida and having taken and watched many lessons from PGA Certified Master Teaching Professional Carl Rabito, becoming a golf instructor was something I really wanted to do. Fortunately, I was able to find a home at Sharon Woods Golf Course in Cincinnati, my old home from the 90′s, to further this new career path. As I enter my 6th season as a golf professional, I’m excited how my role is taking shape. I assist in managing and supervising a staff of nearly 40 while teaching golf lessons to over a 100 students. Hopefully, someday I’ll have the opportunity to mentor some future golf professionals like myself.
Email: kvoska@hotmail.com
ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
- PGA Member – June, 2009
- 2008 PGA National Assistants Champion
- 43 Professional Tournament Victories
- 2010 Southern Ohio PGA Section Player-of-the-Year
- 2010 Southern Ohio PGA Southwest Chapter Player-of-the-Year
- 2009 Cincinnati Chapter Match Play Champion
- 2009 Southern Ohio PGA Assistant’s Champion
- 2001 and 2010 Southern Ohio PGA Open Champion
- 2000 PGA Buick Open Contestant
- 1998 Miami Athlete-of-the-Year
- 2-Time NCAA Division I All-American
- Mid-American Conference Sportsman and Player-of-the Year (1998)
- 2-Time Cincinnati Met Amateur Champion (1997, 1998)
- Cincinnati Met Amateur Medalist and Runner-Up (1996)
- NCAA low scoring average on Par 3′s (2.91) in 1998
- Low competitive round – 62 (3 times): Four Bridges CC (’01), Oasis CC (’09), and Juniper Hills GC (’02)
- Low non-competitive round – 61: Browns Run CC – White tees
- Won a 54-hole Developmental Players Tour event by 9 shots shooting 19 under par with no bogies (64,64,69)
- 4 career Holes-in-One and 3 career double eagles
MY PGA MENTORS:
Tom Bach – Head Professional at Sharon Woods Golf Course
George Long – Kenwood CC PGA Professional/Head Pro at The Mill Course (17 Years)
Carl Rabito – PGA Certified Master Teaching Professional (Top 100 Instructor)
Mike Bender – 2009 PGA National Teacher-of-the-Year (Top 100)
Craig Shankland – 2001 PGA National Teacher-of-the-Year (Top 100)
Jim Suttie, Ph.D - 2000 PGA National Teacher-of-the-Year (Top 100)
Bill Madonna – Bill Madonna Golf Academy (Top 100)
Andrew Park – The David Leadbetter Golf Academy
Chris Toulson – Jim McLean Golf School at Doral
As you can see, I’ve been very fortunate to have learned from some of the best PGA Professionals in the country. I feel privileged to pass on the wealth of knowledge I’ve gained from spending time with these great gentlemen.
