Most golfers know, when you can’t keep your driver from slicing, it’s hard to shoot a decent score. Every hole becomes a recovery mission, and that can get old fast—real fast.
You might know that an open clubface is what causes the slice, but you might not know how to fix it or, even better, head it off before it happens. With some help from Kathy Hart Wood, one of Golf Digest’s Best Teachers in New Jersey, you can get back to bombing your driver down the middle.
According to Wood, one of the biggest keys to straightening out your drives is a good release, which allows the clubface to square up through impact. With Wood’s simple drill, you’ll develop a proper release. All you need is your driver and a few range balls to get started.
First, take some half-swings, focusing on rotating your forearms as the club moves through the bottom of the swing. Make sure that you’re not using your hands to rotate the clubface. “If you do it with your hands, the face is going to shut too quickly.” Wood explains. The feel is that your forearms are crossing over through impact—trail arm over lead arm.
Next, hit some balls with those half-swings, trying to start the ball to the right and curve it back toward the middle of the range. Wood says to hit as many balls as it takes for the motion to feel natural. “Then, make some bigger swings and see if you can transfer it to a full swing,” she says.
Learn how to correct your biggest misses with Kathy Hart Wood’s new Golf Digest Schools series “Score Savers.” In this three-part video program, you’ll learn the keys for controlled drives, better ball-striking and a sharp short game. Stop making the same mistakes every time you play and develop a more consistent game.
“Score Savers” is one of more than 80 long-form video programs available through Golf Digest Schools. Take your game to the next level with instruction from the top teaching professionals in golf—and the best players on tour. Become a well-rounded golfer with better swing technique, smarter practice, golf-specific workouts, and more. And with the new Golf Digest Schools app, you can bring it all with you anywhere you go. Demand excellence from your golf game with Golf Digest Schools, a revolutionary experience in golf instruction. Click here to check out our premium instruction video hub for free: Golf Digest All Access, a new way to improve.