Go through each of the diagnostic questions and fill-in the answer. This will provide an initial record and it will identify the areas of grip, stance, alignment, swing path and clubface position that will need improvement. Every golfer has a different swing. Your body characteristics, injuries, fitness, playing background, personality type, all influence your swing. The following questions will help you identify the unique factors causing your slice.

Do the V’s between my thumbs and forefingers point between my chin and right shoulder?

  The V on my left hand points to: ____________
  The V on my right hand points to: ____________

The V’s point between the chin and right shoulder for almost all good players. If you are tending to slice, you should experiment first with moving your left hand over a bit to the right.

Which way do my shoulders point at address?

  Left ___ Square ___ Right ___

The shoulders should be square, that is, parallel to the target line. Put a club across your upper chest to show where the shoulders are pointing. Starting with the shoulders pointing left at address is one of the major causes of the slice. Many factors such as positioning the ball too far forward in your stance or a too firm forward press can cause the shoulders to turn to the left.

Which way do my hips face at address?

  Left ___ Square ___ Right ___

The hips should also be square, that is, parallel to the target line. Put a club across the hips to indicate their alignment.

Is my stance square?

  Closed ___ Square ___ Open ___

A square stance is the least likely to cause you future problems. Take your stance then put a club down on the ground from one toe to the other.

Do I have swing keys to make sure I start my swing with positive actions and thoughts?

  Yes ___ No ___ Needs Improvement ___

Swing keys are the thoughts you think just as you begin to setup for your swing. Their purpose is to give you a consistently positive starting point for each swing. Often, we just plain forget to do the right thing.

Am I balanced at address with a normal width stance?

  Yes ___ No ___ Needs Improvement ___

Your weight should be balanced about equally left and right. The weight should be balanced between the center of your foot and the ball of your foot.

On my backswing, does my weight shift to the back foot?

  Weight shift OK ___ Weight shift needs improvement ___

On your backswing the weight should shift to the right foot.

At impact is my weight moving toward my front foot?

  Weight shift OK ___ Weight shift needs improvement ___

At impact 80 percent of your weight should have transferred to your left foot. This transfer helps develop power in the swing.

Do I make a complete follow-through and face the target?

  Complete follow-though ___ Partial follow-though ___

A full follow-though winding up with the weight on your left foot and facing the target will make it much less likely that you will develop the habit of swinging outside-to-inside.

Do I release after impact?

  Yes ___ No ___ Needs Improvement ___

After impact your hands/arms should roll over toward the left.

Do I hit the ball on or near the sweetspot?

  Estimated percentage of solid hits ______

Look at the clubface and the sole of the club for marks indicating if you are striking the ball in the center of the clubface. You can put some electrician's tape on the clubface to show where the ball is being struck. If you hit fewer than three quarters of your shots solidly, you should focus on this area.

Is the clubface square at address?

  Clubface square at address? Yes ___ No ___

You can look at the clubface at address and make sure it’s square. Be careful of the forward press. If done too hard, it can cause you to open the clubface a little and even to open your shoulders.

When I hit an iron shot which way is the divot angled?

  Divot angled to the left? Yes ___ No ___

If the divot is angled to the left, you are coming across the ball from the outside-to-inside. This will result in a slice or a pull.

What direction does the ball start out?

  Left ___ Straight ___ Right ___

If the ball starts out to the left of the target, you are surely swinging from outside-to-inside.

Does the ball generally curve a little or a lot to the right?

  Curves a little ___ Curves at lot ___

The more the ball slices, the more open your clubface is to the direction you’re swinging. If you’re hitting big slices you are probably cutting across the ball with the clubface open. Research shows that each degree the clubface is open will mean 7-8 yards of slice at 200 yards.