Many amateur golfers have what is known as a slice, and it makes them perform poorly at times. A slice is what happens when the ball takes a huge left-to-right curve across the target line and it can be caused by a variety of factors.
In this post, we’ll take a look at what causes a slice in golf and how to fix it once and for all!
Here's What We'll Cover
What is a slice in golf?
A slice is a type of golf shot that curves the same way as a fade, but it curves a lot more and it’s harder to control. While a slice is played intentionally at times, it’s more commonly the result of a mishit!
For righties, a slice will start left and curve to the right; for lefties, a slice will start right and curve to the left.
It can either start aimed to the left of the target and take a sharp turn back towards the target, or it can start aimed at the target and take a wide turn to the right of where you wanted the ball to go.
What causes a slice?
A slice happens due to strong sidespin on the ball, causing it to curve drastically to the right or left depending on if you’re a righty or lefty, respectively.
Here are the most common causes for slicing the ball.
Weak Club Grip
If you’re slicing the ball often, you probably have a weak club grip. This means you’re gripping the ball primarily with your palms, instead of your fingers.
When you have a strong grip on the club, you should see three fingers on your front hand which will help keep the clubface closed at impact.
Outside-In Swing Path
Having a swing path that starts wide (outside) and closes narrow (inside) at impact is going to cause you to slice the ball often.
To avoid this, you want to stay on an even swing path throughout your entire backswing and follow-through.
Open Club Face
Another common reason for slicing the ball is having an open club face at impact. If you have an open club face, the loft will increase and cause the ball to spin right and out of control.
How to stop slicing the golf ball
Hold a strong club grip
To stop slicing the ball, you’ll want a strong club grip. This means gripping the club primarily with your fingers, not your palms.
When you have a strong grip on the club, you should see three fingers on your front hand when looking down which will help keep the clubface closed at impact.
Have an inside-out swing path
For your backswing, you’ll want to start narrow (inside) and end wide (outside) to stop slicing the golf ball.
Keep your swing path as even as possible during the backswing and follow-through to avoid slicing the ball.
Close your club face
If you’re still slicing the golf ball, you’ll want to close your club face slightly when addressing the ball.
This is a quick fix for golfers who slice consistently, and you should work on the rest of your swing to avoid slices instead.
How to intentionally slice the golf ball
If you’re looking to intentionally slice the golf ball, you’ll want to do the following:
- Line up your shot about 25-30 yards to the left of the desired target, depending on how much of a slice you’re looking to get.
- Have a standard ball position, centered for shorter irons, 3/4 of the way up your stance for longer irons, and inside your left foot for drivers.
- Move your left foot back away from the ball, about 6 inches further back than your back foot.
- Open your club face slightly to create more spin on your shot.
- Take an aggressive, outside-to-in swing path and make contact with the ball.
What’s the opposite of a slice?
Since a shot is only considered a hook if it curves to the right (for righties), what happens if you hit the ball to the left?
It would be called a draw for a slight turn, and a hook for a sharper turn.
If you want to see a detailed comparison between a hook and slice, check this post out.
Final thoughts
Hitting a slice is something every golfer goes through at some point.
While it’s more common in beginners than other golfers, it’s still a difficult issue to solve for golfers of any caliber.
But hopefully, with the help of this article, you’ll be able to get a driving range session in and get rid of your slice once and for all.
