You keep slicing and pulling the ball and range work isn't helping. It's time for a gym fix

There's a reason why slices and pulls are the plague of amateur golf, and it doesn't have to do with how much time average players spend on the driving range.

Most recreational golfers struggle to initiate the downswing with their lower bodies and have an even a tougher time rotating their pelvis without their torsos coming along for the ride. Even worse, they often start the downswing with their arms while keeping their lower body relatively still. All of these faults typically lead to the golf club approaching the ball on a path that cuts across the target line from outside to in. If the clubface is relatively square to that out-to-in path, they hit a pull. If the clubface is open, which is most often the case, they hit a slice.

Mike Hansen (above), one of Golf Digest's Best Fitness Trainers in America and a Golf Digest Certified Fitness Trainer, says the issue is not getting the legs and pelvis to lead the way into the ball. "I always say, give a guy a stick and tell him to hit a ball—and he's not going to use his legs."

Considering intuition plays a huge role in this swing fault, it's understandable why higher-handicap players swing in this manner, Hansen says. However, if you're interested in correcting the problem—and perhaps even start hitting draws—a little training in the gym can go a long way. Hansen has three moves you should incorporate into your workout routine that he'll demonstrate (below). You can even do them as a pre-round warm-up if you want to get the muscles of the legs and pelvis activated before you start swinging.

Once you get a feel for how the lower body intitiates the downswing, you'll have the proper sequencing honed and be able to clear room for the club to swing on the correct in-to-out path as it approaches the ball.

Click on the video to see him demonstrate the moves. And click this link if you're interested in becoming a Golf Digest Certified Fitness Trainer.