Don't Fix What Isn't Straight

 

Do you have a subscription to Golf Digest? I’ve had one for about 10 years, and it’s an excellent resource for any golfer. But have you noticed that many of the articles are usually about one thing? Articles like “Stop Your Slice,” “Slice No More,” or “Hit Your Straightest Drives Ever” fill issues dating back to my high school days. When I was teaching, I received questions about one topic more than any other: “How do I stop slicing the ball off the tee?” It’s a fair question; you might be struggling with the same problem. I have certainly struggled with a slice from time to time, so let me give you my golden advice, and feel free to distribute this gem wherever you like: don’t fix what isn’t straight. 

What in the world do I mean? When I would tell my students not to fix what isn’t straight, they often gave me quizzical looks similar to the one you might have right now. Don’t worry, I’ll explain. Think about a paper clip (hear me out). A paper clip is curved into the rounded shape we see when we buy it, but have you ever tried to straighten out a paper clip? Sure, you might be able to make it reasonably straight, but there are still little bends that you can't straighten out perfectly. Once that little piece of metal is bent, it can never be perfectly straightened again. Now apply this concept to your golf swing. Instead of spending countless hours frustrating yourself on the range and the course, or adopting a dozen swing changes that you never really master, why not just accept your natural ball flight? 

Bubba Watson is an extreme case to make this point, but he is an excellent example of what I'm talking about. Bubba knows that he naturally hits a slice. Bubba also knows it isn't worth the effort and the headache trying to fix and straighten that slice. He simply aims way off to the right (he’s left-handed) and swings as hard as he can. Bubba may hit a big slice, but he hits fairways pretty regularly, and things have worked out pretty well for him over his career so far, in case you didn’t know. A couple of Masters wins,  over 10 total PGA Tour victories, and a solid start to his LIV Golf career all while slicing his way around golf courses every week isn’t too bad. 

As I said, Bubba Watson might be an extreme example, but he makes my point. Nearly every tour pro moves the ball off the tee. Hardly any hit it perfectly straight. Technically speaking, it is next to impossible to hit a driver with no movement anyway. Your driver is the longest club in your bag, so it is moving the fastest of any club you swing. High speeds and higher levels of spin make it incredibly difficult to control, no matter what level of player you are. So stop worrying about hitting the ball perfectly straight. Embrace your natural ball flight and learn to control it, that’s how you can start to hit more fairways and have more fun!