Isn’t the slice one of the most maddening aspects of the game of golf?

How in the hell are we ever supposed to lower our scores if the ball is always rolling sideways across the fairway? There’s nothing more disheartening to really make solid contact, only to see that sudden, mid-air curve grab hold of your golf ball.

Obviously, since slicing the ball is so common, there are lots of aids and instruction on how to prevent it. There are special tees, and special clubs…instructional videos and books.

The list is large for sure. But each and every one of these methods is attempting to accomplish the same thing, which is change the spin that you put on the ball when you hit it. Vicious, sideways spin equals a slice…forward spin or ‘overspin’ equals a nice straight shot down the middle.

As we’ve discovered, there are many ways to try and accomplish this, all with varying degrees of success. The anti-slice technique I like to use is a nice short backswing, followed by a bottom hand wrist roll through impact.

To simplify…I make sure my backswing isn’t wrapping around my head in some huge, arcing motion. Consciously keep it shorter and you’ll have much better control of your clubs.

Then, just as I’m making contact with the ball, I roll my bottom hand over the top, so that the palm of the bottom hand is facing the ground.

You’ll have to mess around with the timing to get it right, but it will put overspin on the ball and will stop you from slicing the ball all over the golf course. Good Luck!

By: Richard Styles

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If you are thinking about taking up golf, but you are unsure where to start, then you need to get some advice or you might head down the wrong path. Too many beginners have no idea where to start and that is why these beginner golf tips have been compiled for you. These tips come from a graduate of the Golf Academy of America, which some believe holds more value than a PGA member. Here are the tips you are after and make sure you pay close attention.

1. Do not skip right to the full swing.

Golf is a very difficult game and even the best players struggle sometimes. This can make it very frustrating and it will only become harder to learn if you go right into trying to learn the full swing. The biggest mistake that beginners make is they go to a range, with a buddy or a few clubs, and they try to hit the ball. This is not the proper way to learn golf as a beginner. This will only make you more frustrated and make you want to play golf less.

2. Start with putting, chipping, and pitching.

This is the most important of all the beginner golf tips and you need to pay very close attention. The stroke that is used in putting is the most basic and shortest stroke in golf. All other strokes are built upon this one stroke. The chip shot is much like a putt, but with an iron and is a bit longer of a stroke. The we have the pitch shot, which is about a half swing and is basically the bottom part of the full swing. If you can use this one of the beginner golf tips and learn these three shots it will make learning the full swing much easier.

3. The next big Mistake – Getting a lesson from a PGA professional.

Another mistake that many beginning golfers make is they purchase and take one lesson from a PGA professional. There is nothing wrong with getting a lesson and taking a lesson, but as a beginner you need a series of lessons that is designed specifically for you. This is very important because if you only take one lesson, then you will learn very little. If you can find a PGA professional that has a series of lessons already in place for the beginning golfer, then you will be better off. They will probably start with the shots that were mentioned above and also teach you some of the basic rules and the etiquette of the game.

4. Patience.

Learning how to play golf is like learning how to walk for the first time. Some of those that are already somewhat athletic will pick up a club and be able to at least get the ball airborne right off the bat, but they will have very little control over it. Others will not even be able to hit the ball. However, if you can be patient and take between 6 and 12 lessons before you expect to be able to consistently hit a golf ball, then you will see some pretty amazing results.

By: B. R. Ehinger

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There has never been a really good golfer with a bad short game. But there are some mediocre players that are above average golfers because they have a strong short game. It’s all about getting the ball in the hole. You can hit a 300 yard drive, knock your second shot on the green, and leave with a bogey 5. And you can hit a poor drive to the right, a weak second shot 30 yards short, and pitch and putt for a par 4. It’s all about how many strokes it takes you to hole out, not about how far you hit your drive or how much spin you put on your iron shot.

The shots you play from 100 yards and less make up the short game. It’s chipping, pitching, and sand bunker play. It’s the putts you take to hole out. The short game is the scoring zone. In an 18 hole round of golf, over 50% of your strokes are short game shots. That’s why you can really lower your scores if you diligently practice your short game.

If 50% of your strokes are short game shots, you need to practice that aspect of your game at least 50% of the time. But that’s not the case for the average golfer, who gets to the range and starts smashing the driver. There’s something challenging and rewarding about hitting a long, straight drive down the center of the practice range. There’s something boring about hitting putts until your back gets sore. But, that 300 yard drive counts the same as a 3 foot putt. And, in 18 holes, you might hit 36 putts but only 14 drivers. So where should you put your practice focus?

You can’t hit drivers in your backyard or living room. But you can chip and putt. You can chip a few balls while you’re out grilling, and you can stroke a few putts while you’re watching TV. If you’ll spend half of your practice time hitting shots from 100 yards and less, your scores will come tumbling down.

By: Gary Jack Palmer

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When you’ve given as many golf lessons as I have, it doesn’t take much thought to figure out that slicing is golf’s most common swing error. In fact, many weekend players who attend my golf instructions sessions for the first time slice, with both men and women slicing about the same amount. And they all want to know one thing when they first come to me: How do I cure my slice?

Curing your slice isn’t easy, especially if you’ve had it for a long time. You’ve ingrained the swing fault in your muscle memory and making changes to it will feel uncomfortable and strange. But the benefits of slicing less far outweigh the costs. Hitting straighter shots more consistently not only keeps you on the fairway, it also cuts strokes from your golf handicap because it produces better approach shots.

Causes Of A Slice The causes for a slice are well documented in magazines and often discussed in golf lessons. Four things trigger a slice:

1. Upper body turns too soon

2. Hands are too high at impact

3. Upper body outraces the club on the downswing

4. Grip end gets too far in front of the clubhead at impact.

These errors leave the clubface open at impact-a major swing error. How major? Recent research by one club manufacturer indicates that a club with an S flex shaft with 9.3 degrees of loft and the face open at impact about 2 degrees results in a shot that finishes 16 degrees off the target line. Obviously, you must get the clubface square at impact to hit the ball straight.

Slices and Cures Let’s look at the four most common types of slice and consider four drills you can practice to help cure your slice. Your divots will tell you what kind of slice you have.

1. Opening Up Too Soon (The Pull Slice) This is perhaps the second most common slice type. Its generated by your right shoulder moving out and over on the downswing, causing the clubface to come into the ball on an outside-in swing path. Your hands sensing that the club is coming from the outside hold the clubface open to the path, resulting in a pull slice. With iron shots your divot points left of target.

Drill: Hit practice balls with your back foot moved back a few inches from the target line and your heel down. Swing the club back making a full shoulder turn. The idea is to feel as if you’re swinging the club primarily with your arms and shoulders through impact. Let your body respond to the swinging of the arms and the releasing of the clubhead.

2. Handle Too High At Impact If your hands are too high at impact just before and through the ball, you’ll cause the clubhead to get stuck behind you. Often this happens because the golfer tries to clear the hips too fast or doesn’t trust the loft of the club to get the ball airborne. Whatever the cause, you end up with a slice. There’s little or not divot with irons.

Drill: Take your normal address position. Have a friend hold a club so the grip hovers just above your hands. As you swing back and through your friend should keep his club’s grip end steady. Concentrate on letting your hand pass just under his club.

3. Body Outraces Club (The Push Slice) With the push slice your ball starts to the right of your target, then goes even farther right. Usually this means that your body outraces the clubhead. Some people call this a lunge. To compensate some people try flipping the club through the ball with their hands in an effort to square the clubface to the ball.

Drill: Use your driver or fairway wood. Tee the ball up. Take your address as you normally would but with your left leg positioned slightly inside the ball. Now stand only on your front foot. Swing the club back and through and try hitting the ball. Alternate hitting five balls on one leg, then with your normal swing. 4. Handle Too Far Ahead Of Ball Getting the handle too far ahead of the clubhead is probably the most common cause of a slice. The primary problem is back of forearms rotation. If you make a strong strike of the ball and it starts straight down the target line before curving to the right. With your irons the divot would be square to the target line.

Starting with knockdown pitches, rotate your left forearm (right-handers) during the swing so your left hand knuckles face the ground just after impact, with the clubface turning down. Let your right hand come off the club. Once you get the hang of this, use other clubs. This drill increases clubhead speed and squares the clubface for a straighter shot.

Keep in mind as you practice these drills that you may not want to turn your slice into a draw. Hitting a fade has its advantages, too. The key, regardless of the type of shot you develop, is hitting a dependable, more consistent shot that keeps you out of trouble and gives you control of the where the ball lands. The type of shot will cut strokes from both your scores and your golf handicap.

By: Jack Moorehouse

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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

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Do you know how to create the proper golf swing grip? The grip that you have on your club while swinging plays a big part in how you will carry out your swing. The relationship between how you place your hands on the club and where the ball will go when you hit is direct. It’s important that to be the best golfer you can be you learn to have the proper grip on your clubs.

If you are serious about improving your golf swing grip, you will take the proper steps to learn to improve. A major part of the golf swing is the grip. Hold it too loosely and your club will go flying through the air; hold it too tightly and this too will affect your swing. You need to have a firm grip that allows you proper control over your swing but without being too tight. You want to have a neutral grip on your club.

So what are some things you should remember when it comes to improving your golf swing grip? First, you need to make sure the grips on your clubs are new and cleaned. When they get old or when they are dirty, sweaty or slippery, it will affect how you grip the club. Old or slick grips usually cause you to hold onto the club too tightly, creating a lot of tension in your arms and shoulders, which will cause a short, quick swing.

Another mistake people make with their golf swing grip is gripping the club while the head lies on the ground. When you do this, the club is positioned in the palm of your hand instead of in your fingers so you have a weaker grip.

Remember that when you take the time to improve your golf swing grip [http://www.golf-swing-1.info], your swing will improve which leads to better golfing and lower golf scores and that’s something to get excited about!

By: Ben Shar

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Correcting a golf slice is the fastest way to shave strokes off of your golf game. Slicing a golf ball is one of the most common errors that an average player makes.

Some golfers remain frustrated for years because they never find out why they are slicing a golf ball. But if you are ever going to become a good golfer, correcting a golf slice is a must. These simple tips will show you how to cure golf slices just by practicing some basic golf swing tips and instructions.

Proper Golf Stance

A proper golf stance should be about as wide as your shoulders. Make sure your shoulders are aligned at your target. Point your right foot straight ahead and point your left foot slightly to the left. Keep your elbows as natural as possible to maintain a proper golf stance.

Even minor adjustments to your stance can make major changes in where your golf ball will end up. Practice the proper golf stance at the driving range and make small adjustments until you get the results you are looking for.

Proper Golf Club Grip

Another common way of correcting a golf slice is adjusting your hands for a proper golf club grip. Grip the golf club with your left hand and put your thumb along the shaft.

The line between your thumb and index finger should be pointing toward your right eye. Wrap your right hand over your left and rest your left thumb into your right palm.

A common mistake most right handed golfers make is gripping the club too tight with the right hand causing the ball to hook towards the left. But the opposite is true with a slice. A weak grip creates an open club face causing your ball to slice to the right.

The best way of correcting a golf slice caused by your grip is roll your hands back so that your non dominant back hand faces the target and your dominant back hand faces the opposite direction.

Practice the proper golf club grip at the driving range to determine if this is what’s causing you to slice the ball. Take your time and make small adjustments to your grip. Even though a proper golf club grip seems simple, it is one of the most common ways of correcting a golf slice.

Correct Golf Swing Mechanics

Correct golf swing mechanics is another cure for correcting a golf slice. A proper golf backswing starts with your hands, is immediately followed by your arms and shoulders all in one smooth motion.

A proper golf downswing begins with your hips, keeping your eyes on the ball and your head behind the ball as you follow through. Once you practice the correct golf swing mechanics, you’ll be amazed at how quick you will lower your golf score.

Becoming a good golfer is a matter of practicing and playing on a regular basis while developing good habits. Small changes can often make a big difference in your score. Once you practice correcting a golf slice you’ll soon be hearing, “great shot!”

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By: Gary Gresham

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Countless golfers spend years in frustration trying to overcome golf slice and consequently cut several strokes from their scorecards. However, if they only take the time and effort learning how to fix a golf slice, they will be able to solve the problem and greatly improve their game play. In order to become a better golfer, you must learn how to fix a golf slice. Here are some tips and techniques you can try to cure your slicing problem.

1. Get a Good Grip

If you know how to grip the golf club correctly, you can fix golf slice quickly and easily. The right grip is to hold the club with your left hand and thumb aligned with the shaft. It should be aligned in such a way that they point towards your right eye. Then enfold your right hand over your left and make sure your right palm rests squarely on top of your left thumb.

A common problem with golf grips is holding the club too tightly with your right hand. This will make you hook the ball when you swing. However, a weak grip will almost always cause you to slice because it keeps the clubface open. So to eliminate slice, you should develop a balanced grip.

The best way to do this is by devoting a lot of time and effort by practicing on the driving range. Practice a new golf grip and see if it fixes your slicing problem. Continue making small adjustments to your grip until you find the right grip to fix your slice.

2. Keep a Good Stance

By having a good stance, your problems with slice are virtually half-solved. A good stance in golf means that your feet are spread out approximately as wide as your shoulders. Make sure too that your shoulders are lined up with your target. To find out if you are indeed aligned with your target, here’s a quick tip: lay your golf club down on the grass against your toes and see if it is aiming directly at your target. If it isn’t simply make adjustments until you are lined up properly.

Keep your elbows and upper body relaxed and comfortable but alert. Just remember that even the slightest movement can make a big difference in where your ball can end up. For best results, it is recommended that you dedicate time and effort to practice your stance on the golf course. Your dedication and determination will surely and eventually pay off with excellent results.

3. Develop a Good Swing Mechanic

Another tip on how to fix a golf slice is by correcting your golf swing mechanic. A good backswing starts with your hands, and then the arms and shoulders follow in one smooth motion. Meanwhile, a good downswing involves turning your hips while keeping a keen eye on the golf ball. Also, as you get to your follow through, make sure that your head is behind the ball.

These are the three important techniques you must develop and perfect to be able to fix a golf slice correctly. With practice and dedication, you will be able to eliminate golf slice and improve your game play in no time at all.

By: Tim Lee

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So, whether you have just taken up the game of golf or have been playing for years, breaking 80 in golf is the biggest challenge. You want to learn how to break 80 in golf and can’t seem to beat that magic number?

The almighty slice or 3-putt seems to ruin your chances everytime. Or, you haven’t even broken 90 yet, so you wonder how you are going to knock off another 10+ strokes? Read more to learn.

The first time I did it was on a decent course. It was a sunny day and I was 15 years old. Now I was no Tiger Woods, but I did learn how to break 80 in golf that day.

I had just 3 putted the par 3 17th hole and was very aggravated as we get when we make a stupid mistake. This put me having to birdie the final hole to break 80 for the first time.

I took a deep breath and visualized the shot. My dive was perfectly down the left side of the fairway setting up a nice second shot to the green. With a 9 iron out and about 160 yards away (I tend to hit the ball long), I again visualized what I wanted.

I am not the strongest putter in the world, but I knew if I could get it within 10 feet I’d have a legitimate shot. My turn arrives and I step up and do my waggle/routine. A smooth swing and the ball sailed perfectly towards the hole.

I am watching, hoping, and waiting to see what happens next. The ball lands and I feel I am close enough to make birdie for a 79. All of a sudden the ball disappears into the hole! Holy Cow! I had to run to the green just to make sure. Not only did I discover how to break 80 in golf that day, but I also discovered how to make an eagle for the first time!
So, what are my tips for learning how to break 80 in golf?

**Practice. You can easily shave strokes off your game by practicing. But, it has to been perfect practice. If you don’t know how to correct your slice or chip the ball near the hole, then you won’t be able to fix it with practice. So what do you do? You watch others. Watch videos, read magazines and books, or even hire someone. I never had to hire a coach and I learned by watching and reading then going out and doing.

**Golf is a mental game more than anything. Tony Robbins once showed someone how to break 80 in golf just by utilizing the thing between your ears. Your body listens to your brain and if you focus on visualization and knowing what you want the ball to do before you do it, you’ll have a much better chance of making that happen.

**You must be able to play the short game. I never would’ve broken 80 if I had not learned how to putt and chip well. I still don’t do well in the sand, so I stay away from it. Going back to mental, if I land in the sand, my mind is already saying bogey or worse.

**The clubs are important. You can’t begin to tell me that if you aren’t comfortable with your clubs you can still shoot a great round. Maybe today I can go out and still do well with old, hard to hit clubs, but I would rather take the oversize drivers, state of the art irons and balls, and give myself a better chance of breaking 80. The type doesn’t matter. It is how they feel in your hands that make the difference.

**Have Fun. You will never learn how to break 80 in golf if you get frustrated and treat every shot like it is your chance to win The Masters. Everyone has a bad round and things just don’t go our way on the course from time to time. At that point, just relax, have some fun, and make the rest of the round as best you can – trust me, throwing clubs in the woods doesn’t help.

It took me 5 years to learn how to break 80 in golf. It all started with what was inside of me. Everyone has the ability to shave a ton of strokes off their game, but without some practice both physically and mentally, it will never happen. If you are happy shooting 3-digit scores, then keep at it, but if you want to compete with the big boys, then get to work.

By: Joe Collinsworth

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Like many weight-loss diets, many people think golf training aids and golf books are too good to be true. Many of the ads for golf training aids come along with hefty claims such as being able to knock ten strokes off of your game or by cutting you handicap in half. You have learned that if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. So which training aids or golf books will help you improve your game? Below is a training aid and a golf book that you can use in unison to improve your putting indoors or out.

1. The Putting Arc Deluxe

The Putting Arc Deluxe works because this putting aid is based upon natural body movement. This body movement can be quickly learned and repeated. With regular use, the results can be seen in a short period of time. The putter head travels in a perfect circle (radius R). The projection of this circle on the ground is an ellipse in the shape of The Putting Arc Deluxe. The putter is always on plane and the intersection of this plane with the ground is a straight line, the ball/target line. With the Putting Arc Deluxe, the club face is always square to the above plane. In addition, it is only square to the ball target line at the center line of the Putting Arc. You are learning an inside to square to inside putting stroke. In this perfect putting stroke, there is only one moving part. The hands, arms and shoulders rotate as one unit and no manipulation of the hands or arms are required to follow the correct path with a correct clubface.

2. The Art of Putting by Stan Utley

In The Art of Putting, Stan Utley’s golf book outlines his putting fundamentals for players of all levels, from beginners to very skilled. Stan Utley’s easy to understand method will allow you to develop a repeatable stroke. Utley introduces you to the fundamentals of the proper grip, posture, alignment, and stroke. The Art of Putting will give you guidelines for finding the correct putter for you and the type of stroke you have. In addition, how a putt should sound and how to read greens properly. No matter what your current skill level is, Stan Utley keeps his theories easy to read and to implement for all players from beginners to skilled players. Everyone can enjoy this easy read.

By: Brad Myers

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