This story is for you if...
• You slice the ball more often than you hit it straight.
• You're prone to hit pop-ups off the tee.
Try This!
Make practice backswings with your wristwatch on your left wrist. Before you start, slide a pen under the face so that the cap end reaches the middle of the back of your left hand. As you swing to the top, can you feel the cap dig into the back of your left hand? If so, you've discovered the cause of your slice.
What It Does
The pen drill tells you if you're cupping your left wrist. A cupped left wrist causes your clubface to rotate wide open at the top. Unless you make a serious compensating move, the face will stay open on your downswing.
How to Straighten Out Your Slice
Continue to practice your backswing with the pen under your watch until you can bring the club to the top without the pen jamming into your hand. Keep your left wrist perfectly flat. A flat left wrist means that your clubface is square at the top, which increases the chance of it being square at impact.
Watch Out!
If you start hooking the ball after performing the pen drill, you'll know that you've overcooked the idea of a flat left wrist by bowing it. You want your left wrist flat, not bent in either direction.
