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Slice (correction of…) Driver Beginner / Intermediate ⏱ 4 min 🇫🇷 Video in French

Slice: Are you gripping the club too tightly? Let your hands rotate.

Do you grip the club too tightly to keep the clubface square at impact? That’s often what causes it to open up. In this excerpt from his 2024 Top 10, Simon Camirand demonstrates a quick test to help you find the right amount of pressure that allows your hands to rotate.

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Simon Camirand
Simon Camirand · his YouTube channelFree lesson selected by Fred P.
Schedule · Step 3 of 7Fix Your Slice in 7 StepsValid when: On a half-swing, the ball goes straight or slightly to the left.
Step 4 →

To be continued

12 minSame problemAn Open Clubface at Impact: A Lesson from Hank HaneyHank Haney · Beginner / Intermediate14 minNext Level UpWeak Grip and Slices: The Domino Effect with the DriverGuillaume Biaugeaud · Intermediate5 minFrom the same proSeated Torso Rotation: Simon Camirand's StretchSimon Camirand · Beginner / Intermediate / Seniors

What the lesson shows

According to Simon Camirand, the vast majority of slices are caused by a a wound that won't close: At impact, she’s still looking to the right because her hands aren’t rotating. The reason is paradoxical. By trying so hard to hit a straight shot, one support the club to control the clubface through impact, and you stop your hands from rotating: it feels like you're coming through straight, but the clubface remains slightly open.

That doesn't mean, however, that we should run the club with an iron fist: we're looking for a in-between. Here’s a test: with the club in front of you, swing it from one shoulder to the other. If your hands rotate easily, the grip pressure is probably just right. If you try to keep the clubface square, your hands will lock up, and you’re guaranteed to slice the ball. Then try to replicate that same feeling when hitting the ball.

The Exercise, Step by Step

  1. Hold the club straight out in front of you.
  2. Move from one shoulder to the other, letting your hands rotate.
  3. If it turns easily, your pressure is probably just right.
  4. Try the movement again, trying to keep your face straight: feel your hands lock together.
  5. Hold onto that initial feeling and hit the balls while letting your hands rotate.

Key Takeaways

Most slices result from a clubface that doesn't close at impact.
Trying to keep your face straight causes you to grip the club too tightly.
A grip that's too tight restricts hand rotation.
The right amount of pressure is a balance: you feel the club’s presence without suffocating it.
The hands should be able to rotate naturally through the ball.

Mistakes to Avoid

  • Grip the club firmly to control the clubface through impact.
  • Try to keep your face square to the ball.
  • On the other hand, holding the club so loosely that only gravity keeps it moving.

Driving Range Mode

Keep it in plain sight, on the rug.

  1. Checking from one shoulder to the other before the first few balls
  2. Hands that move freely through the ball
  3. Then the same feeling with the ball

Your Questions

How can I tell if I'm gripping the club too tightly?

Try Simon Camirand's test: hold the club in front of you and move it from shoulder to shoulder. If your hands rotate easily, the grip is right; if they get stuck, you're gripping too tightly.

Should you hold the club very lightly?

No. You need to feel like you're holding the club; it's not just gravity that makes it move. He recommends a middle ground.

Why does trying to keep your face square cause a slice?

By holding it firmly, you prevent your hands from rotating. You think you're hitting the ball straight, but the clubface is still pointing slightly outward.

Learn More

All “Slice” videos →Find the lesson that's right for you An Open Clubface at Impact: A Lesson from Hank HaneyClose the face before the ball by rotating the back of your left hand, with a flatter swing directed to the right: a live lesson with a beginner. Weak Grip and Slices: The Domino Effect with the DriverA grip that's too loose triggers a chain of errors (open shoulders, locked hips, poorly positioned right elbow) that are corrected in order, from the grip to the finish. Simon CamirandAll of his lessons

Video posted on YouTube by its creator (Simon Camirand). Best Golf Tips selects and summarizes the best free lessons without hosting them.

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