How to Hit a Drive With an Open Club Face

Slicing, or producing a shot that curves drastically from left to right, is perhaps the most common error in amateur golfers. While a slice is typically not a desired shot path, slicing may be advantageous on holes that dogleg right, or when you need to curve your shot around an obstacle. All slices result from hitting the ball with an open club face. Hitting the ball with an open club face, however, does not necessarily result in a poo shot. To learn to hit drives with an open club face, simply learn what causes a slice and try to replicate these movements in your swing.

Instructions

    • 1

      Open the club face. Probably the simplest way to produce an open club face is to rotate the club to the right several degrees and then assume your normal grip. When you strike the ball, the face should be open and the ball should curve to the right.

    • 2

      Open your stance. Line up your left foot slightly left of parallel to the target, while your right foot remains parallel. Similarly, align your shoulders slightly left of parallel to the target while your hips remain parallel. This stance forces your hips and shoulders to clear very early in the swing, causing the club face to open. An open stance is one of the most common causes of slicing.

    • 3

      Assume a weak grip. A grip in which both your left thumb points straight down the line of the shaft is considered neutral. A weak grip is one in which your left thumb is aligned left of the center line of the shaft. Because the club face tends to line up directly with your left thumb at impact, the club face is slightly open when you hit the ball with this grip.

    • 4

      Swing with an outside-in path. During your backswing, take the club head away from your body. Once your complete your backswing and begin your downswing, take the club head back inside toward your body as you strike the ball. This outside-in path causes you to cut across the ball with a slightly open club face and produce a left-to-right shot.