The Plane Truth (part 6) - In three balls you could cure your slice

A lot of people go their entire life either slicing or hooking the ball and they never really figure out the reason why. There is an inherent fault in their technique (i.e. their swing is too steep and usually too narrow) which they basically try to work around – but they are always wary of it putting in an appearance during a round of golf.

Now, in my experience, if we can get a player to change a fundamental character of their technique (either shallowing the swing if it is too steep, or steepening it if it's too shallow – basically using the +/– system devised by Jim Hardy) we can change the ball flight very quickly. There are only so many permutations that go on between the golf club and the golf ball – and once you understand that you are quickly on track to make real improvement.

The steep, out-to-in swing that you see me demonstrating above is probably the most common fault in golf. It's the primary cause of the slice.And logic tells me that if a player is coming in to the ball too steeply and from outside the ball-to-target line, I need to focus on getting him to swing more from the inside, hitting more level to the ground. Typically, the slicer will have his arms too much in front of the body and come down to impact too steeply. So, to cure the problem I would immediately look to get their arms working around their body – that way I know that I can get them swinging the clubhead into the ball from the inside.

If this is a familiar fault, I urge you to pick up a club and rehearse the rounded type of backswing you see here (above right). I want you to feel that the upper part of your left bicep remains in contact with your chest as you make that rotary backswing move.As a result, your left arm will be in tune with your shoulder plane – one of the basic characteristics of the 'One Plane' golf swing.

The Bucket Drill (right) will further help to reinforce the feeling of swinging to the inside and thus ridding yourself of too upright an arm-swing. In a short time you replace that with amore rotary and compact One-Plane backswing. As you become used to swinging your arms and club more around your body so you will find that you approach the ball from the inside and can enjoy the sensation of accelerating the clubhead into the back of the ball.

More satisfying still, you replace that weak, cutty slice with a penetrating draw-shape off the tee.

THE BUCKET DRILL

Here’s a simple exercise I want you to try if you feel you may be a candidate for the One Plane style swing– i.e. you feel that you could be comfortable swinging your arms more around your body. Take a bucket, and hold it so that it is inclined as per the shaft of your driver at the set-up. Now, from that starting point I want you to swing your arms and the bucket as far behind you as possible – but with the opening remaining in that same plane. Return to the starting position and repeat this exercise a number of times – like all good drills this one exaggerates the movement, and with repetition it will help you to make a good One-Plane backswing when you go in search of the same sensations with a club in your hands.