Welcome to Play Smart on GOLF.com, your go-to column for game improvement tips to becoming a smarter, better golfer. Whether you’ve just started golfing or have been at it for a while, you might know the frustration of that common beginner’s foe: the slice.
For some reason, when we pick up our clubs and begin swinging, we often come over the top with an open clubface, leading to those wild, banana-shaped slices. Not only are those shots painful to watch, but they also severely cut down on your distance. While you can choose to play a controlled fade or cut as your usual shot, a slice doesn’t offer that kind of flexibility.
Thankfully, fixing a slice isn’t as daunting as it might seem. The trick is to bring your swing path closer to a neutral line and refine your clubface control. To address the former, let’s learn from the approach taken by two-time major champion Xander Schauffele.
### Xander’s Technique to Tackle a Slice
Xander Schauffele, a seasoned PGA Tour professional, certainly doesn’t battle slices like a casual golfer might. Nevertheless, the drill he demonstrates can be highly applicable to players of all levels.
In a video shared by Callaway Golf on X, Schauffele uses a simple yet effective drill: placing a bucket of range balls close to his target line, right in his club’s path during the swing. The objective is straightforward—steer clear of the bucket.
Placing the bucket inside his intended target line, Schauffele ensures his swing path doesn’t veer too much from out-to-in. Successfully avoiding the bucket indicates he’s swinging from the inside and not falling into the habit of coming over the top.
For those dealing with slices, this drill is a fantastic exercise to try. Start slow to avoid injuries in case you do hit the bucket, and then gradually build up to your full swing speed. This will help ingrain the feel of an inside swing path and help eliminate that persistent over-the-top move.
Once you’ve mastered this, your next focus should be on perfecting your clubface position, but we’ll save that for another day. Give this drill a try and say goodbye to ugly slices!
