Network Learning the Sequel: Revenge of the Slice

My journey to hit my driver straight has me feeling like I’m going backwards. After my first week of digital-only instruction, I was still hitting the ball to the right. You can see it for yourself below.

However, I found The Complete Fix Your Slice Guide playlist by Rick Shiels on YouTube breaking down the reasons for hitting a slice. The main culprits are an open clubface and a swing path that moves out-to-in. He demonstrates how these cause the ball to veer to the right in this video. The first step seemed simple, but I had a hard time wrapping my head around it. In order to stop hitting to the right, I needed to hit left. I decided it would be a good idea to practice the mechanics first before going out to see my results at the driving range.

In my mind, I was fixing one flaw by implementing another that would need to spend even more time trying to correct. It seems counterintuitive, but hitting it left means my clubface is in line with my swing path, eliminating the spin that causes the slice flight pattern to occur. Once I got to the driving range to test it out, I was in for a welcome surprise.

Now that I am hitting to the left, the next step is to fix my swing path and see if they culminate in a straight shot. It seems that instead of trying to fix everything at once, I had to start from the basics and rework everything from step one. This makes me think of what Bransford et al. (2000) spoke about, where finding out the background knowledge and the roots of my problem allow me to establish a better understanding of my golf swing as a whole.

References: Banko, N. (2023, June 1). Driver swing [Video].

Banko, N. (2023, June 15). Golf hook [Video].

Banko, N. (2023, June 18). Practice session [Video].

Bransford, J.D., Brown, A.L., & Cocking, R.R. (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind,

experience, and school. National Academy Press. http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?isbn=0309070368. Shiels, R. (2018, March 5). The complete fix your slice guide. [Playlist]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQq9ncQUrwk&list=PLKnkfgDBi62lTGPqEciFLZixkaagTOd39&pp=iAQB Shiels, R. (2018, March 5). The complete fix your slice guide - overview. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQq9ncQUrwk&list=PLKnkfgDBi62lTGPqEciFLZixkaagTOd39&index=1