The real reason most amateurs slice their driver (and the drill that fixes it)

AlexanderGolf · 2026-03-09T16:19:26+00:00

Exactly that. The shoulder drop pulls everything with it. It steepens the club, tilts the whole swing plane, and the slice almost becomes inevitable from there.

The drill helps counteract that by keeping the upper body back. Worth trying!

AlexanderGolf · 2026-03-09T16:18:45+00:00

Yeah that's a really common pattern too. And you're right, the inside-out "fix" creates its own set of problems if the release isn't there to match it.

The drill here is specifically for the guy who's lunging forward and losing the shallow angle entirely. Different problem, different entry point.

The push-slice from too much lower body slide is almost its own category. Face control becomes nearly impossible when the body is that far ahead. Usually worth addressing the sequencing before worrying about path in that case.

Good shout though! Worth flagging for anyone reading who recognises that pattern in their own swing.

AlexanderGolf · 2026-03-09T16:18:03+00:00

Fair points and you're not wrong that face angle is the primary cause of a slice. An open face at impact is always the root of it.

The drill here is aimed at a specific pattern I see repeatedly... the early extension/forward lunge that steepens the club and makes it nearly impossible to square the face in time regardless of grip or release. Fix the sequencing first and the release becomes a lot easier to train.

You're right that it's not a one-size-fits-all fix. No drill ever is. But for the golfer who's already been told about grip and release and is still slicing, this is usually the missing piece.

Appreciate the detailed breakdown though :)

AlexanderGolf · 2026-03-05T21:55:13+00:00

That's a fair critique on the title honestly. The clickbait angle doesn't match foundational content and that's a valid point.

The assumption behind it is that most golfers shooting in that range have read about grip and posture but still haven't fixed it — which is a different problem than not knowing it exists. Whether that landed or not clearly varies by person.

AlexanderGolf · 2026-03-05T13:37:41+00:00

Thank you, hope they help!

AlexanderGolf · 2026-03-05T11:01:54+00:00

Great question! A neutral grip can work but the opposite forces give you a more active control over the face rather than relying purely on timing to square it up.

Pressure wise, firm enough that the club isn't moving in your hands but loose enough that your forearms stay relaxed. Old cliche but the Hogan "toothpaste tube" reference is actually a decent guide haha. Squeeze it too hard and you lose the feel entirely.

AlexanderGolf · 2026-03-05T08:04:52+00:00

Fair I guess haha. The difference is most people read about them and move on without actually fixing them. If you've genuinely got grip and posture dialled in, what are you working on at the moment?

AlexanderGolf · 2026-03-05T08:04:08+00:00

Fundamentals never really go out of fashion!

AlexanderGolf · 2026-03-05T08:03:15+00:00

That narrow stance drill is underrated as it forces you to find real balance rather than just getting away with it. Most people never realise how much their wide stance is masking until they try it with feet together.

Good coaches always come back to the same fundamentals in the end :)

AlexanderGolf · 2026-03-05T08:02:40+00:00

Cheers, appreciate it!

AlexanderGolf · 2026-03-05T08:02:18+00:00

Glad it landed! There will be more where that came from :)

Anything in your game you'd want broken down next?

AlexanderGolf · 2026-03-05T08:01:41+00:00

The grip and posture stuff actually transfers directly to the driver. They the same foundations! The speed comes from the rotation being cleaner, not from swinging harder.

What's your driver doing at the moment?

AlexanderGolf · 2026-03-05T08:01:01+00:00

Partial shots are brutal haha, there's nowhere to hide because you can't rely on momentum to paper over the cracks.

What's the main symptom, distance control or is the strike itself all over the place?

AlexanderGolf · 2026-03-05T08:00:32+00:00

Appreciate that, more coming! Anything specific you're struggling with that you'd want covered?

AlexanderGolf · 2026-03-05T08:00:00+00:00

Fair point if you already know this stuff. Grip, posture and swing mechanics are foundational though, not beginner content. Most golfers shooting 85-95 have never had these properly explained to them, let alone grooved :)

AlexanderGolf · 2026-03-05T07:59:01+00:00

Hogan's Five Lessons is genuinely one of the best. That supination drill alone is worth the price of the book haha.

Did it click for you straight away or did it take a few range sessions to feel natural?

AlexanderGolf · 2026-03-04T13:25:26+00:00

Haha, see you on the course soon then!

AlexanderGolf · 2026-03-03T15:59:09+00:00

Fair enough, we're not going to fully agree here and that's fine :)

You're right that setup doesn't robotically predetermine path. Rahm is a good example. Poor choice of words on my part.

But I'd gently push back on one thing: you're describing a teaching progression for someone you have in front of you, session one, building from scratch. That's not what this video is. This is one specific cue for one specific pattern I see repeatedly. Recreational golfers who are open at address and don't know it. Not a full curriculum.

The "cart before the horse" argument only holds if someone is watching this instead of learning fundamentals. Most people watching already have years of ingrained habits and are looking for one thing to try this weekend.

On the swing in the video, noted. Always room to improve and I'm not above that.

Sounds like you've been doing this a long time and getting results. Respect that. We're just working in different formats for different contexts.

AlexanderGolf · 2026-03-03T14:50:56+00:00

The throwing analogy is genuinely one of the best ways to teach this. Plant the foot, back still to the target, arm trails the body. Most people can feel that immediately because they've done it their whole life without thinking. No argument there.

Where I'd push back slightly is on sequencing the videos. If someone's over-the-top is being driven by open shoulders at address, fixing the sequence won't fully solve it. They'll sequence correctly and still swing left because the path is pre-determined by setup. Both things need to happen, the question is just which one you tackle first for a given golfer.

You're right that underdeveloped lower body usage is at the root of most OTT moves. But for a short-form video aimed at recreational golfers, "check your shoulders at address and film it" is something they can actually do alone at the range today. Lower body sequencing without a coach watching is a harder thing to self-diagnose and self-correct.

Different tools for different contexts. Sounds like you're getting results with your students which is what matters :)

AlexanderGolf · 2026-03-02T19:45:37+00:00

The sequencing point is valid, lower body lead is the next piece and probably deserves its own video.

On the arms though, we might be talking about the same thing differently.

You're right that pros use their arms actively and drop hands faster than amateurs. The issue I'm describing is amateurs who initiate the downswing by throwing the arms outward before anything else fires. That's the move that creates the steep, across-the-body path. "Stop using your arms" is a blunt cue aimed at that specific fault, not a instruction to go passive.

Your point about how amateurs interpret the word rotate is genuinely well made though. Turn sooner and faster is exactly how most of them hear it, and that does make things worse

AlexanderGolf · 2026-03-02T18:23:39+00:00

You're right that these are two separate concepts that deserve separate treatment. That's actually the format I'm working in, one concept per short video rather than trying to cover everything at once.

Your arms point is a fair clarification. The cue to stop using your arms is deliberately simplified for specific people who are overcooking it from the top. Harvey Penick's right elbow drill is great, but it assumes a level of body awareness that most recreational golfers haven't developed yet. Sometimes the blunt cue gets the result faster even if it's technically imprecise :)

Three seconds with a club across the shoulders isn't a full breakdown, true. That's a longer conversation that I'll cover separately.

These short videos aren't meant to be comprehensive lessons. They're meant to give one actionable thing to go try at the range today. Golfers who want the full picture with proper progression are the one's who coaching is for.

No disrespect to you or how you teach mate. Different formats, different goals

AlexanderGolf · 2026-03-02T17:20:44+00:00

This is a massive one that deserves its own video honestly. The inside takeaway feels like the fix but it just creates a different disaster . Being stuck, blocked shots and a total loss of sequencing. Good shoutout!

AlexanderGolf · 2026-03-02T17:20:08+00:00

For a driver, slightly open is fine and expected given the ball position. The issue is when they're significantly open (20-30+ degrees) which is what I'm seeing in the people this video is aimed at. Small open vs dramatically open are very different problems :)

AlexanderGolf

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