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Corridor of Fame teacher Butch Harmon — and his remedy for a slice

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Butch Harmon, Tommy Fleetwood

Butch Harmon and professional Tommy Fleetwood ultimately yr’s Masters.

Getty Photos

For those who’re hitting the ball proper, Butch Harmon says, attempt to hit it left. 

And vice versa. 

“I’m an ideal believer — and I realized this from my dad — in opposites,” he mentioned. 

Harmon, a GOLF Prime 100 Academics corridor of famer, was speaking on a lately recorded episode of A New Breed of Golf on SiriusXM, and the topic was a much-discussed one: Easy methods to repair a slice. After his preliminary opposites thought, Harmon dove into what that appears like. 

There are just a few steps, mentioned Tiger Woods’ one-time coach: 

— Use a stronger grip.   

“So in case you’re a slicer,” Harmon mentioned on the present, “usually you’ve obtained the clubface open an excessive amount of, you’re a bit excessive, your path is a bit out to in, except you’re hitting a giant push from beneath. So I might actually take a look at an individual’s grip, I might strengthen their grip, get the highest hand — which for me, being right-handed, left hand about two or three knuckles and the proper hand underneath.”

— Use a extra closed setup. 

— “Allow them to exit round their physique as a lot as they will,” Harmon mentioned on the present, “to attempt to get the clubface closed coming in.”

Harmon additionally mentioned he has two coaching units. The primary is a membership that’s a pair ft lengthy — which may intensify to a participant the motion of the membership face. 

“I’ve a membership that’s about … simply so long as a grip, and I take advantage of that quite a bit in reference to point out individuals what their grip does to regulate the membership face,” he mentioned on the present hosted by Michael Breed, a GOLF Prime 100 Trainer lifetime achievement recipient. “And whenever you get your palms this far on the membership face, you may actually see it. And I clarify to them, you’re coming in an excessive amount of this fashion. If we get this left hand over and proper hand underneath, this toe goes to get in there extra. After which if we get you coming a bit extra from the within, you will get that membership releasing.”

Harmon’s different transfer is to have a participant swing in sluggish movement. 

“And I movie it,” Harmon mentioned on the present. “As a result of in sluggish movement, you may make your physique just about do no matter you need. And I’ll have them hit balls for possibly 5 or 10 minutes, on a tee, with, say, a 6- or 7-iron, in sluggish movement, stronger grip, a bit bit extra of a closed stance, really feel such as you’re hitting the within of the ball, not the skin of the ball, which is what you do whenever you include the over-the-top swing. 

“And two issues occur: No. 1, they will really feel the method, they will really feel what they’re making an attempt to do; however No. 2, they’re amazed at how far they hit it with what they assume is a slow-motion swing.”

Editor’s word: To take heed to A New Breed of Golf, please click on right here. [A SiriusXM subscription is needed.] 

Editor’s word two: Lately, three-time main winner Padraig Harrington additionally vouched for making an attempt to hook as a way to repair a slice, and that story might be learn by clicking right here or scrolling under. 

***

Hook, Padraig Harrington says. 

And hook and hook and hook some extra. 

“The largest hook you may, like 20, 30, 40 yards of a hook, the worst-looking shot,” he says. 

And that’s how amateurs can appropriate a slice, he believes. 

And that’s how amateurs can even perceive clubface management. 

And that’s how amateurs can even study this: 

“There isn’t any golf swing that stays the identical,” Harrington mentioned. 

He was speaking throughout a lately launched episode of “The Tough Minimize Golf Podcast” — which you’ll take heed to in full right here — and the slice topic is a well-liked one. Proper-handed amateurs ship it proper typically (and lefties left). Amateurs additionally analysis the remedy for it as if it had been a illness. Simply Google “the right way to repair a slice” and prepare to scroll and scroll. 

Harrington’s thought, although, is considerably easy. 

Go left in case you’re a righty. Go proper in case you’re a lefty. 

“So most amateurs, say in case you’re hitting a slice, they assume, nicely, I wish to learn to hit this lovely, straight or say a 5-yard draw,” Harrington mentioned on the podcast. “Effectively, really, in case you’ve obtained a slice and also you wish to do away with it, you’ve obtained to remain on the vary and hit the largest hook you may, like 20, 30, 40 yards of a hook, the worst-looking shot. And also you’ve obtained to maintain hitting that for some time.”

Over time, although, Harrington mentioned, the gamers will begin to hook the ball, which then requires vary work in the other way. On the vary, the golfer ought to purposely attempt to slice the ball. 

There are a pair of penalties. 

Harrington thinks the participant will study clubface management. Notably, at a distinct level within the episode, he famous that understanding that is a matter for “individuals who strike the ball badly.” 

“So for many amateurs,” Harrington mentioned on the podcast, “they’d be higher off going to the vary and hitting a giant hook and a giant slice and the entire opposites each second shot, after which at the least they’ll perceive. And what shut face is and an open face. And as they get higher, they will scale back how a lot they’re doing it. Whereas most individuals are going from a giant slice to making an attempt to get sq. face. And sadly, most amateurs have no idea what a sq. face is. So that they have some likelihood to know what a shut face and an open face is, however they’ve little or no likelihood to know what a sq. face is. 

“So that you study by doing the extremes.”

And ultimately the ball will go left. Or proper. 

However simply don’t count on issues to remain that method, Harrington mentioned. 

Golf, proper?

“It’s [the swing] by no means going to remain the identical,” Harrington mentioned on the podcast. “Don’t consider it ever will. It all the time — all the time in golf, you go from one to the opposite and also you overdo it a bit bit. OK, now cease that, return, and hopefully the higher you get, the much less that strikes, that it’s solely a slight fraction of motion, however it should by no means keep the identical for the remainder of your life. 

“There isn’t any golf swing that stays the identical.”

Nick Piastowski

Nick Piastowski

Golf.com Editor

Nick Piastowski is a Senior Editor at Golf.com and Golf Journal. In his position, he’s liable for enhancing, writing and creating tales throughout the golf house. And when he’s not writing about methods to hit the golf ball farther and straighter, the Milwaukee native might be enjoying the sport, hitting the ball left, proper and quick, and consuming a chilly beer to clean away his rating. You possibly can attain out to him about any of those subjects — his tales, his sport or his beers — at nick.piastowski@golf.com.



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