Here’s some good news for those golfers plagued by an intractable golf slice. It’s estimated that more than 80% of amateur golfers suffer from the same problem. But there’s bad news as well. Just like you, most of the golfers seem to be completely clueless as how to fix this rather recurrent problem. You’ve tried everything from golfing lessons, training aids and a host of drills, but the problem seems to come back like a rash. Well, there’s absolutely no reason to be miffed, as there’s a perfectly logical solution to this rather common problem.

Understanding the golf slice

Before you begin to correct your omnipresent slice, it’s important to understand the Einstein of it. I mean, what does the term golf slice mean? This is caused when a spin is created on the golf ball as the club face comes in to contact with the golf ball from beyond the target line. Does that sound like some unintelligible cryptic terminology that only the experts can comprehend? Let make things simpler. Let’s just say that it is more of a physical problem rather than a mechanical one. So it all boils down to the fact that the upper part of your body moves faster than the lower part, thus creating discrepancies in your swing and giving rise to the dreaded golf slice.

Tackle it on a war footing

Having understood the meaning of golf slice, the next step is to tackle this problem that seems to have stymied your progress. Working on your flexibility will certainly do you a world of good. This will ensure that both the upper and lower parts of your body work in perfect harmony and you’re able to add tremendous distance to your drives. Improving your rotational strength is another weapon in your armory that’s sure to put an end to it rather fast. Apart from this, here are the other improvements that’ll help you get rid of the slice:

* Check your grip: A comfortable yet effective grip forms the basis for the perfect swing. Make sure your grip is perfect.

* Stance: A host of problems in the swing arise primarily because of a faulty stance. Make sure the ball, your hips, shoulders and feet are in perfect position before taking the shot.

* Alignment: The correct alignment of shoulders is the most important component of a faultless swing. Remember, the swing will always follow the alignment of your shoulders. Correct this and you’re sure to be bang on target.

* Slice angle: Once you have a better understanding of the angle at which your club face opens up during the swing, your shots will undergo a sea change.

* Practice inside-to-outside swing: Just like all sports, practice is the key in golf too. So don’t give up.

* Hit a straight shot: Try and standardize the way you hit your shots and you’ll find that you’re hitting the ball a lot straighter.

Above all, it’s important to relax and enjoy the game. In time, you’ll find that you’ve been able to fix your golf slice without much ado.

By: Yoga Priyakara

About the Author:

The two dreaded words that every amateur golfer fears, the
Hook and Slice.

The thing is low handicap and pro golfers use these
two shots to steer their way out of trouble.

The pro’s will hit a hook spin shot or Draw the ball to provide
a shot that can hold straight in a left to right wind and when
it hits the fairway it will roll for ages on the grass due to
the type of spin imparted on the ball.

The slice spin shot or Fade is used to hold a ball straight in
a right to left wind and this shot will land and check
quite quickly on the green.

For the high handicapper these shots are big mistakes.

In this article I will give you some tips to cure your slice.

The slice is a very common mistake that 90% of amateurs have
to live with. Every golfer has experienced this shot.

The slice is so common that every magazine will have an article
on the subject.

So what causes the slice?

It is caused by an out to in swing path and the club face is
open at impact with the ball.

The big mistake that most high handicap players make to try and
stop their slice is that they aim their body to the left of the
target hoping that the ball will land on target.

What they fail to realize is that they are lining themselves
up for an even bigger slice shot.

A Big mistake.

Before anyone can hit a perfectly straight shot you need to
line yourself up square to the target line. A handy way is to
lay a golf club on the ground aimed at the flag. Set yourself
up with your toes against the club and your shoulders and hips
in line with the target.

The next thing to do is lay a club on the ground behind the
ball as you are looking at it. It should also be lined up to the
flag and parallel with the club laid down at your toes.

As you start your golf swing downwards, aim to strike the
actual ball, but also try to keep the club traveling along
the line of the club laid on the ground. This is done to try and
keep the swing on a straight path.

By: Alistair Thomson

About the Author:

Struggling with a slice on the golf course can be one of the most frustrating experiences. This is such a common thing that golfers struggle with that several books and training videos have been made just to address the golf slice. Golf slicers are desperate for information and most are willing to try almost anything in hopes of hitting the golf ball straight. I used to struggle with a slice myself and found a drill that fixed my slice once and for all.

I must admit I was more than skeptical of this routine when it was first introduced to me. I had bought videos, paid for lessons from a professional and listed to every golf buddy I had trying to correct my slice. I had gotten to the point of trying to play the slice by lining up to allow for it on a hole. It didn’t matter what I tried, it just seemed to get worse and I would pray to hook the ball just one time.

I played a pickup round with a group of guys one day and one of them told me he could cure my slice with a lawn mower tire. I literally laughed out loud thinking he was just making fun of me. He explained the exercise in detail as we drove to over the next few holes. I wasn’t sure if he was just making it up as he went or if he was serious, but like I said, I was desperate and willing to try anything. Below is the drill that will cure your slice. I encourage you to give it a try, regardless of how crazy you think it sounds.

What is needed to do the exercise?

A old smaller tire such as a four wheeler or lawn mower tire. I found an old lawn mower tire at the local tire shop they were going to throw away, but any old tire will work. The main reason I recommend a smaller tire is so you can easily store it away when you are not using it.

An old club – I would strongly recommend using one of your old clubs that you no longer use. The reason for this is obvious. You are going to be hitting the tire and you don’t want to take the chance of bending the shaft on your good clubs

Doing the exercise?

I selected my back yard to do this exercise because that is where my practice net is and out of site of anyone. I sure didn’t want to end up on you tube or be the talk of the neighborhood.

Place the tire at the distance where the golf ball would typically be.

With the old iron, being to take normal golf swings striking the old tire. Your golf swing will obviously stop when it hits the tire and depending on the size and weight of the tire, you may need to adjust the tire’s distance after you hit it.

Repeat this exercise for 10 – 15 minutes or so, then go to your practice net and hit balls for about the same time.

Rinse and repeat this process for about one hour

What is this exercise doing?

This is very simple, but in case you were like me and could not figure out what is going on here. By hitting the tire you are forcing your club head to be square at impact. You will probably notice the club will seem to be twisting when you first start the exercise, but after some time that twisting feeling we start to go away. This is great because that means you are getting your club head square at impact.

The reason you go back and forth between your practice net and the tire is getting for muscle memory. After hitting the tire and it forcing your swing to be square, you will begin to make solid impact with the ball.

How long does it take to cure the slice?

This obviously depends on how far your club head is off square at impact. If you do not have a very bad slice at all, it will not take very much practice to get your shot straightened out. I had a pretty bad slice that I had been playing with for years.

After three times of this exercise I started noticing a considerable difference in my ball flight path. I had turned my slice into a fade that I could easily work with, but I wanted the slice completely gone so I kept going.

It took me three weeks to completely rid my slice from my came. Obviously, I still slice the ball sometimes when I just hit a bad shot, but that is not the norm. The only bad thing that has been a result of this exercise is it is hard for me to fade the ball now. I can hit a draw all day long, sometimes a hook by accident.

In summation, I encourage you to give this a try if you struggle with a slice. I know it sounds crazy, but it works really well. If I cured my slice with it anyone can.

By: Josh Bryant

About the Author:

A good golf swing requires a lot of work especially if you are a natural slicer. Probably more golfers have a problem with controlling their slice than any other golf swing problem. If you read any of the many golf magazines or visit golf websites you will quickly notice that a lot of articles and advice concerns correcting slice problems. Unfortunately there are many different expert opinions and methods that in some cases are opposite in application. This leads many golfers to confusion and many times frustration. Some golfers never develop a good golf swing and thereby give up the game all together.

Good golf swing instruction tips used to reduce or cure your slice include proper grip, release positions, club offset , right elbow placement, keeping the left wrist flat, proper take away, swing tempo and many more tips and theories. All are put forth by various instructors and golf professionals in an effort to cure your slice and give you a good golf swing. The question is which method or combination of tips that will work for you. In addition there are many e-books found on the internet that you can read to find the right tip that will decrease you slice and increase your draw.

Golf instruction by a teaching professional is probably the most effective way of correcting your slice problems. The golf instructor will observe you as you make your swing using both irons and woods. Many times you will be video taped during this process. After careful analysis your instructor will begin to correct the flaws in your swing one by one. He will prescribe exercises that will correct these problems areas. In addition he may suggest that you use various golf swing aids to help you develop a good golf swing. Your teaching professional will also examine your equipment to determine if you need to make some changes. These changes may include shaft material and flex as well as any club head offset that your clubs may have. Most pros have available several types of clubs that have various features that will help you develop a good golf swing. More than likely it will take time for you to eliminate your slice and develop a good draw on your drive and long irons. Using a teaching pro will cost you a significant amount of money but if are able to permanently correct your slice it may be worthwhile. Think about all the money you will save on lost balls and the associated embarrassment being the tall grass looking for your ball while your partners impatiently wait for you on the fairway.

Most likely you will always have to practice the fundamentals you learned from your pro to continue your golf slice correction [http://www.good-golf-swing.com/sliceproblem.html]. You play golf because it is supposed to be a fun endeavor. Playing poorly will increase the chances that you will eventually give up the game of golf altogether. Removing your slice from your game will certainly go a long way to making the game more enjoyable and will eventually give you the good golf swing that you need to play well.

By: Jim Kesel

About the Author:

The golf slice is a massive impediment to any golfer who wishes to be the best player that they can be. Because in every round with every club you are losing massive amounts of distance and you are only scratching the surface of how good you can be.

To put the problem in context, lets say that you are capable of hitting a 5 wood 200 yards if you hit a straight shot. If you slice with the same club, all things being equal, your ball will only travel around 180 yards.

But if you draw the ball, and all other conditions are equal, the ball will travel around 220 yards because of the topspin that you will impart on the ball which will result in serious yardage when your ball hits the ground.

So you can see from this example that if you can turn a slice into a draw, you will gain 40 yards with your 5 wood.

And this effect will translate into every club you hit in your bag. Could you play golf with those extra yards?

You bet you could.

To cure a slice you will need to first ascertain precisely what is causing your slice..is it an open clubface through impact? Is it a cutting across action as a result of an out to in swing? Is it because your backswing is too steep?

Or is it a combination of these things?

To cure a slice you will need to study some decent teaching sources either in books or DVDs. You could visit your local golf professional but the danger here is a placebo effect which has you back in your old groove after leaving your pro..without any real reference for you to ‘self correct’ with a thorough understanding of what your major fault is which causes you to slice.

By: Terry Gorry

About the Author:

The slice is the most common fault in golf and in this article I plan to explore what causes a golf slice and how to cure it.

The slice is an uncontrolled shot that causes the ball to curve off to the right of the ball-to-target line, causing a loss of both direction and distance.

Most slices are the result of an unintentional out-to-in swing path, though other faults may also produce slicing. Whatever the swing path, the clubface always moves across the ball from far right to near left (right handed players). This causes the ball to spin in a clockwise direction, which moves the ball from left to right as it flies through the air.

Faults that lead to a slice occur at either the address position or during the swing itself.

Possible Causes During Set-up.

Bad Grip.

A club that is held too tightly creates tension in the arms and can cause the player to have an out-to-in swing. Try to relax your grip by imagining you are holding a little bird. You don’t want to squeeze it to death but at the same time you don’t want it to escape.

Having a “weak grip”. A weak grip tends to cause an open clubface at address. If this is your problem try turning both hands clockwise on the club.

Alignment.

May be open, which promotes slicing, or closed, which promotes an over the top swing. Align your feet and shoulders so that they are parallel to the ball to target line.

Ball Position.

Do not place the ball too far forward, this is a common fault which causes the shoulders to open and promotes an outside-to-in swing path.

Move the ball back in your stance, but still forward of center, so that when you set the club down your shoulders are parallel with the ball-to-target line.

Clubface angle.

An open clubface at address will cause the ball to slice. Ensure that your clubface is aligned square to the ball-to target line.

Possible Cause During The Swing.

Poor weight transfer.

If you are not transferring your weight from your back foot to the front (target) your clubface will be open through impact.

Use the famous Gary Player “down the fairway” drill, where you play your shot and take a step forward on your follow through and walk after the ball.

Another drill is the stepping drill whereby you grossly exaggerate your weight transfer by lifting your front leg on the backswing, shifting all your weight on to the back foot and then stepping on the front foot and lifting the back foot on the downswing and follow through. Try it, it works.

Also very effective is to swing with your eyes close and concentrate on the weight shift. Do not worry about the ball when using this drill.

Club follows an out-to-in path (points to left of target at top of back swing).

With your club in this position you will have an out-to-in swing path.

Use the following drill to cure this. Address the ball as normal and then raise the club about 18 inches above the ball so it is hovering directly above it. Make a backswing that is not pulled quickly inside. Note the angle of the plane going back. Now make a forward swing in which the plane is under or shallower than the backswing plane. A “back – under, back – under” routine. Lower the club to the ball and repeat.

Upper body tension.

This is probably caused by gripping the club too tight. See above for holding a bird. Also relax the tension in the arms.

I trust that this article has helped you understand what causes a golf slice and how to cure it. It won’t happen overnight but if you practice the above drills you will soon find yourself playing golf without slicing.

By: Lawrence Bredenkamp

About the Author:

Nobody likes to slice the golf ball as it results in both loss of distance and accuracy which in turn costs you strokes on the golf course. The way to get rid of that nasty slice is not really difficult but will require you to analyze your current swing and fix some of those mechanical errors that are causing the slice. Here are a few tips that can help you hit straighter shots more often:

Tip 1: Keep the right hand passive (right handed players)

Many players in their efforts to hit the ball far use their dominant right hand to try to muscle the club through the hitting zone. The problem with this strategy is that it usually results in poor shots since using the right hand tends to cause a problem known as casting.

Casting is simply releasing the club too early which result in an outside to in club path that imparts slice spin on the golf ball. One good way to eliminate this is to focus instead on pulling the club with your left hand on the downswing. This will help to almost naturally cause the clubhead to move in an inside to out swing path which is ideal for straight golf shots.

Tip 2: Use less wrists during the swing

It is best to avoid using the wrist too much during the golf swing. Think of your wrists as simply a support mechanism. Focus on making good shoulder turns and hip movements that produce an inside to out swing path. Using the wrists too much during the downswing will cause the club to usually release early which results in loss of power and slices.

Tip 3: Move the hips laterally rather than turning them during the downswing

Turning the hips too much on the downswing can cause a slice shot since it throws the club head to an outside to in path. Your hips should slide slightly towards the target through impact so avoid turning them too early. The hips should turn after impact when the momentum of the follow through naturally causes them to rotate.

Tip 4: Keep the head down through impact

This is a common tip given to all new players but it is important nonetheless. Raising the head up too early can cause the club to come from the outside and cause a slice shot. Make sure your head stays down through impact and comes up naturally with the right shoulder as the follow through completes.

Tip 5: Be sure the club is square at the address position

If the club head is open (pointing to the right of the target) at address then this will cause slice spin. Check the club head during address and make sure that it is facing the target.

Tip 6: Slow down your tempo

Tempo is unique to every player. Some players will naturally have a fast tempo and others a slower one. However, if you are always slicing the ball then try to slow down your tempo slightly especially on the downswing. Swinging too fast can throw off your mechanics in many areas that can result in slices so slow things up a little to help in your efforts to hit the ball straighter. Try some of these tips to help you reduce slicing the golf ball and shoot lower golf scores.

By: Marla Paulsone

About the Author:

Every golfer knows the feeling of completely slicing their drive into the trees, bushes or anywhere, but the fairway. It is inevitable, it will happen to you sooner or later, even the pros suffer from a case of the shanks or bad slices from time to time.

Although at the time of the nasty golf slice you don’t have any no idea what went wrong with your swing because you just swung the golf like you did every time, there is always a cause and it can be a number of things.

A lot of golfers have things that they do when they swing that is unique or odd which they have become accustom to. Some golfers twist their wrists a certain way, some don’t interlock their hands on the club and other just look funky when they swing. What ever it is, if it was working at one time or another you are doing something right, but there are a few things that may be the cause of your slice.

First of all most golfers totally miss the importance of good hip rotation in their golf swing, without good hip rotation your swing will never result in a maximum amount of yards in your drive. Secondly it could be your follow through, golfers without the right follow through will always a little off target. Lastly keeping your eyes on the ball. It sounds really simple, but if you lose eye contact with the ball during your swing you will almost certainly develop and ugly slice in your golf swing.

By: Ryan Stains

About the Author:

There are a number of theories as to why a golf ball is sliced, but the most common reasoning is that the ball is struck from the outside to the inside of the target line. Although rather uncommon, it is possible for you to strike the ball from the inside to the outside. This can really be troubling, as it will slice the ball from the right to the left.

Another golf slice tip to help eliminate this frustrating habit is to loosen your grip. Sometimes if your grip is too tight, it makes it difficult for your hands to rotate at impact. This is a simple solution, but many times your grip is combined with another problem as well. If your shoulders aren’t turning and your weight doesn’t shift to the right at the top of the swing for right handed golfers and to the left for left handed golfers, your body will be ahead of the ball. This will cause your club to open at impact and slice the ball.

One way that many people try to compensate for their slicing difficulty is by adjusting the way they line up. For instance, if you are hooking it from left to right, some people will purposely aim further to the left with the hope of ending up in the middle of the fairway. The problem with this is that you are relying on your shot slicing every time and are adjusting to an already annoying problem. To fix a problem with another problem is setting you up for trouble.

The best golf slice tip that I can give you is to practice your stance and the way you shift your weight. The more practice you do on driving ranges and on the golf course, the better chance you will have of correcting your slice. If you can overcome the slice and begin putting the ball on the fairway more, your score will drop a drastic amount. It is frustrating because your slice won’t cure overnight, but with determination and patience you will overcome this nuisance of a problem.

By: Josh Spaulding

About the Author:

If you’re a golfer, then you most likely are interested in how to correct a slice. This is a big issue for most golfers and one that may take some time to learn how to overcome this problem but with some helpful golf tips, it’s entirely possible. You may want to invest in some golfing instructions to aid you in curing golf slice. This is one of the best ways to help you. When you get some one on one instruction from a professional, you’ll be much better equipped to cure golf slice much easier.

This is one of most common problems a golfer may face and it will take some time and dedication to cure it, but it’s entirely possible to do with the right instruction. However, it’s possible for you to become a much better player on your own, you just know how to practice some great techniques.

Listed below are some great tips to help you learn how to correct a slice:

Proper stance – This is extremely important to a golfer and should be taken very seriously. A proper stance should be about as wide as your shoulders. Make sure your shoulders are aligned properly, then point your right foot straight ahead, and your left foot slightly to the left. You should keep your elbows as natural as possible to have the best stance you possibly can. Proper golf grip – This is very important to your game and you should grip the club with your left hand and put your thumb along the shaft. This will give you the best way to improve your game and make you a much better player. People often overlook just how much effect this does have on golf slicing. This is a very common problem especially for right hand golfers because they tend to put too strong of a grip on the club. Correct golf swing mechanics – This is something that can also be a great help in correcting your golf slicing. The best way to make certain you have the best swing is start it with your hands and immediately follow it with your arm and shoulders, all in one motion. This will go a long ways in aiding your game. In order to know how to correct a slice, you must know the proper golfing techniques. That’s where it all begins. If you start to stray from any of the above proper methods, you can easily get off track with your golf slice. So, make certain that you follow the above advice and put it to use as much as you can, because practice makes perfect!

By: Gerald Spotts

About the Author: