If you have ever taken a golf lesson or watched instruction online, you have likely heard of the famous Hank Haney slice fix. As Tiger Woods' former coach, Haney has helped thousands of golfers cure their slices. His core philosophy is simple: close the clubface relative to your swing path first, and then correct the swing path second.
Most golfers slice because their clubface is open at impact. To compensate, they pull their swing path farther and farther to the left (for right-handed players), creating an extreme out-to-in swing path. This only worsens the slice, adding clockwise side-spin.
Hank Haney's approach flips this pattern:
1. Close the Face First: Change your grip to a stronger position (rotating both hands to the right) and feel your wrists rotate closed during the takeaway.
2. Fix the Swing Path Second: Once you start hitting hooks (draws that curve left), your brain will naturally allow your hands to swing outward toward the right (an inside-out path) because it no longer fears the ball going right.
By focusing on face-angle control first, you build the confidence needed to flatten your swing plane and sweep the ball cleanly.