Slices are Okay in Pizza but NOT in Golf! Correcting Your Slice.

Slices are Okay in Pizza but NOT in Golf! Correcting Your Slice.

How many ways are there to cure your slice?

First, count all the experts and multiply that number by, oh, let's say 1.073. That's a good approximate guess of how many different ideas are out there about how to get rid of that pesky ol' slice. The "cures" for a slice are like belly buttons...everybody's got one...but, in golf, some people have more than one.

Even so, once you get past the witch doctors and the incantations, there are some fundamentals about correcting a slice on which most expert golfer can agree.

What Is a Slice?

Unlike a "hook" where the ball, assuming a right-handed golfer, curves from right to left, a slice is a ball flight that curves in the opposite direction. Left-handed golfers, just reverse the direction. Slices can have several possible causes, but the two main ones are:

1. A swing which comes from over the top so the clubhead cuts across the target line.
2. Striking the ball with an "open" clubface, producing a left-to-right spin.

At a rough downswing speed of around 100 miles per hour, with sixty rotations per second just after impact, that "english" can produce a strong, curved movement away from the target line. The initial momentum of the ball at first sends it straight, but as the ball slows, the spin induced by the hit becomes dominant.

What Causes a Slice?

One common cause for many golfers is a tendency to roll the clubface open on the backswing. A simple explanation, but there are different causes for that. One possible part of the effect could be a weak grip, causing the shaft to rotate slightly. On the other hand, however, having too strong a grip can contribute also, as it could cause excess tension in the forearms and, therefore, rotation on the downswing.

Stance also can play a part. If the stance is too open, i.e. the front foot back from the target line, the body angle is facing the hole. That tends to produce a swing which comes from the outside moving inwards, producing the spin which can cause a slice.

Even an incorrect, or difficult, ball position can contribute to the problem, particularly if it promotes a poor stance. A ball that's played too far forward forces the shoulders open. Play it too far back and the shoulders become closed.

How To Cure a Slice

Make sure your shoulders are aligned along the target line, right foot straight ahead, the left slightly flared left. Your belt buckle should be pointing straight ahead along an imaginary line passing through the ball. Increase your spine incline by bending more from the hips and jut your butt. (Imagine you are trying to sit down onto a stool that's just a little too high.)

Grip with your left hand, with your thumb along the line of the shaft. The line passing along your thumb and index finger should point toward your right eye.

Now, Check your V's.

You should be able to see the first two knuckles of your left hand and a V formed between your thumb and forefinger which should be pointing in the direction of your right shoulder.

Keep your elbow relaxed, but straight, and grip firmly but not with a death grip.

Position the ball so that it allows your shoulders to remain parallel to the target line. Depending on the length of your clubs the angle to the ball itself can vary, but you should not have to stretch uncomfortably to put the clubhead at the ball.

On your backswing, start with the club back low and slightly to the inside, while keeping the right elbow close to your side. On your downswing, you will have to divide your attention between maintaining the right elbow close your side and allowing the clubhead to swing to one o'clock.

Practice Drills for Correcting a Slice

Point the end of the club shaft towards your navel. On the backswing, keep the end pointed at your navel until the clubhead is just outside your right foot. Now complete the swing to the top and begin the downswing, bringing the end to a positions where it points away from your navel.

That tends to force the clubhead to move along the correct path.

At impact, your belt buckle should be even with the ball and most of your weight should be on your left foot. Avoid rotating your hips at the start of the downswing.

For more help on correcting your slice, you might want to check out Instant Golf Slice Cure.

You also might want to check out A Few Simple Golf Swing Drills. Now, let's go have a slice of pizza!

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