Slicing and swing problems

I too have many problems slicing. I slice the living poop out of it to the point where I have to aim 90 degrees to the left in order to compensate for the slice. Your tips are well taken and I will integrate, but do you have any more, or can you reiterate and really give it to me straight! treat me like a novice becuase I certainly play like on with that slice. thanks ! chet

OK Chet, I'll try. When the pro saw my swing he described it as a "flail" - all arms and wrists, combined with teeing the ball in the middle of my stance. My swing was all arms. He trained me that "the swing is the thing - the ball only gets in the way". And most importantly, "don't try to kill it". Easy does it at first. Keep everything smooth. Thats my swing though - "smoooth". First thing to do was to get my feet just outside of my shoulders in my stance, move the ball to just opposite of left heel (I'm right-handed) and get the correct distance from the ball all the time. He then took me through the drill of properly turning my body and keeping my hands directly in front of my breastbone or my heart at all times and losing the wrists for a while. He told me that at first all the arms go is raise the lub up and put it down again. I had been using the arms and wrists to get some power, resulting in the out-to-in (pulling the club closer to me in the swing) on the swing as well the clubhead arriving at the ball with the face open. My grip was wrong too - I was trying to hammer the ball and choking the grip. Just hold the club through the swing like it was an egg. If your club grips are in good shape the club will stay in your hands. If the club grips are slick put new ones on - its easy to do. Once I started using the right grip, swinging with the body all the way down to the soles of my feet, swinging easy and not trying to set distance records, keeping the clubhead directly ahead of me, keeping it all together and using the losing the wrists for a while the slice pretty well cleared up. Later I could add some wrist action and start working on distance. I never will get a lot of distance, as I broke my back and demolished my right shoulder 20+ years ago, which limits any attempt at muscle toning, but on a good day I can get in the mid 80s and I'm happy.
Nothing will ruin a swing more than your mind. The mind should clear of all thoughts when you swing. Use it to get you from place, but once you are set up on the ball stop thinking, take a few slow, deep breaths, concentrate on the ball, use any swing thought you have or none if you prefer, stop thinking and swing - smoothly.
Theres really a ton more that I've picked up that I haven't mentioned, like club rotation on the swing (pronation/rotation - not with the hands but from the elbows down) but right now just try to relax with the whole thing. Take each one of these items, put them on a list, and take them one at a time, hitting a large bucket of balls with each one - the process is additive. Stance first, then grip, then keeping the clubhead in front of you as you turn 90 degrees on the backswing and the forward swing, etc. And don't try them all on the same day. When you get a little tired, put the clubs up and go home. If you get tense - look what happened to Annika when she tensed up. With all that pressure who wouldn't? If you get tense on the driving range - take a break, relax for a bit, think happy thoughts. And all the way around the course think happy thoughts, enjoy the scenery, and have fun with it.
The grip and swing forums here have some good tips. Right now just try to keep everything coordinated like I described, one thing at a time,spend a lot of time on the driving range once you have it to get the body to learn the swing, a bit at a time and above all relax and enjoy it!

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Roger
"I play goof"