Kyle Voska Golf

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!

August 24, 2011 - Posted by Kyle Voska | Slicers Corner | bad grip causes a slice, slice cure, slice fix