What Causes a Slice. Parallax makes slicers try to pull the ball to hit their target. So what causes severe slicing, and why does it seem to affect beginning golfers and those who play infrequently? The open club face is caused by two errors: - restricting the turn of … Watch the video below for an explanation of what a slice is and what causes it. Causes of Each Shot (For Right-Handed Golfers) If you are a left-handed golfer, then just reverse everything for your slice and hook fixes! Also, you might have a so-called “weak grip.” A weak grip means your thumbs are more on top of the club, so when you swing it, you will tend to open the club face and hit a slice. The slice is an extremely common problem for golfers, but not because it’s difficult to fix. Position Of The Ball. Get the left wrist as flat as possible at the top of the backswing. If the cause of your slice is the outside-in path of your swing, angling the logo on the golf ball so that it points outwards can serve as a helpful visual reminder to swing your club in an inside-out direction. This open club face will give you contact that isn’t square and often feels like a “side swipe.” The most common cause of … An open face at impact can come from a poor grip, improper wrist angles, and/or release pattern. 1) Open clubface at address (and therefore impact) - … This action of the club ‘cutting across’ the ball imparts a left to right spin on the ball, which quickly causes the ball to turn to the right when it gets up into the air. Or in other words, the clubface will not be perpendicular to the direction of the club at impact if the ball is to spin sideways. Keep the club in the middle of your sternum when you swing. What Causes A Slice? Precarious courses are difficult to navigate without controlling your slice. It’s an illuminating guide that explains why all the traditional advice on how to fix a slice in golf doesn’t work. When they do so, their swings have to compensate so that the resulting shots can finish close to the target. Privacy Notice / Your California Privacy Rights. Fortunately, remedies exist for even the most pronounced slices. SLICE CAUSES - Before you start trying to fix your slice you need to know what causes your slice. Another is when you complete your swing, continue by taking a step with your back foot toward the target. A slice occurs when the club approaches the golf ball with outside-to-inside motion with an open club face. It's insidious, and it can ruin a golf score. This can feel powerful but can cause bad slice on your golf shot. That will cause your club face to be open as it hits the ball. In all cases, your club face is open, not square, when you hit the ball, causing the ball to fly right. An open club face will almost always cause a slice. Slice Causes in the Backswing There are numerous backswing issues that can affect your impact position. Regardless of if your path is out to in or in to you, you can still slice the ball if your club face is open to the path. So what exactly causes a slice? In the particular case of a slice – which fea… People who slice tend to place the ball too far forward in their stances, and that causes the shoulders to open wider than normal, thus creating an outside-in pattern. This can feel powerful but can cause bad slice on your golf shot. The three major causes of a slice are as follows: An open clubface. Many golfers have looked on with disappointment, and sometimes abject horror, as their golf ball curves in the characteristic path of a slice. To correct this, turn your hands (clockwise if you are right-handed) so you see more of the knuckles of your left hand. Copyright 2020 Leaf Group Ltd. All Rights Reserved. How To Fix A Slice In Golf With A Driver. A common cause of a slice is swinging your club in an outside-in trajectory. Well, if you want to do a deep dive on this topic, you can check out our free ebook, Science of the Slice. Which means that even if your clubface is pointed left of the target line (closed) at impact, if your club is travelling on a path that’s even further left your golf ball is going to curve to the right. Especially with a driver, many amateurs and high-handicappers play the ball too far forward in their stance. Take your club to the top of your swing and look at the direction the club is pointing. A weak golf grip is almost always the first area to investigate for root causes of why you slice the golf ball. Added. One way to do this properly is to hesitate at the top of your swing, then shift your weight to your front foot before you start your downswing. Especially for recreational golfers, banana ball shots are a common occurrence. A slice problem can be a very persistent problem for many golfers, because there are many, many causes of a slice problem and a slice problem may persist if all the underlying causes are not systematically eradicated. What Causes A Slice? With the common over-the-top or outside-in slice, the path of your club from the top of the backswing to impact is causing the ball to land right. A slice describes what happens when the flight of the golf ball curves from left to right (for the right-handed golfer—the opposite for lefties). Saving. Basically, a pull slice occurs when the swing path is severely outside-to-inside, or over-the-top, with the clubface open (pointed right) relative to this path. But in the end, it always comes back to haunt you. Imagine you are holding a baby rabbit when you grip the club. Drills to Stop the Over the Top Golf Swing. Sharon Penn is a writer based in South Florida. With the common over-the-top or outside-in slice, the path of your club from the top of the backswing to impact is causing the ball to land right. The most common cause of a slice is an open club face. Technically speaking, the slice is a result of a club face that is open to the swing path. Indeed, the stance is rotated clockwise until it is closed to the target and the clubface is aimed right of the target. Added. Well, if you want to do a deep dive on this topic, you can check out our free ebook, Science of the Slice. Many players use a grip that's too weak--with the thumbs pointing straight down the handle. Bad ball position can cause slice. Two grip mistakes make a slice almost inevitable. If you move the ball farther back in your stance, your shoulders will be more in line with your target. You can swing along that path all day and IF the clubface is square to that path when the ball leaves the face then it is simply a pull. But there are steps that can be taken to correct them. Golf tips: Why you slice the ball, and how to fix it Published on Monday, May 2, 2016 For most new golfers, the first frustration to overcome is usually how to … If the golfer's head moves ahead of the ball in the direction of the target anytime during the swing, the golfer is likely to slice the golf ball because the face of the club will be open when the ball is hit. Alternatively, skip beneath the video to see the anti-slice golf drills and fixes. Especially with a driver, many amateurs and high-handicappers play the ball too far forward in their stance. Check your position at impact so your shoulders are above your knees, and your knees are above your feet. If you are still having trouble with your slice, try golf clubs that lessen the effects of your swing by shortening the shaft, adding offset and changing the loft angle. Most golfers slice, which means that the ball starts to the left of the target and finishes well to the right. There are several reasons why golfers unintentionally slice the ball. If it is pointing to the left of the target (if you're right-handed), you are swinging outside-in. For now, let’s keep it simple. An "outisde-in" stroke does NOT cause a slice. The next time you end up in the woods to the right of the pin, pay attention to the trajectory of the ball. If you have a slice you cannot control, you might not be shifting your weight properly from your back foot to your front foot when you take a full swing. Correction: To correct this, you need to position the golf ball close to your stance. The only difference is found in the stance and clubface direction. What Causes a Slice + Add to Watchlist. There's a good reason why people who slice the ball want to fix it: Because on the road you take to playing good golf, nowhere is there a slice. The dreaded golf slice – a ball that can start any direction, but curves dramatically to the right (for a right-hander) – often into the trees or out of bounds. How to Fix a Slice in Golf (4 Causes and 4 Solutions) The slice is the bane of amateur golfers. Causes of a slice . Then make your downswing, making sure its plane is inside that of your backswing. Not so weak or not so hard. In fact, it’s been estimated that up to 85% of amateur golfers regularly slice the ball. A slice is often called a “banana ball” due to its curved path. To cure a hook or slice you need to make sure your wrists are not turning before the club strikes the ball-hopefully squarely dead-on. In order for a shot to feature considerable side spin the clubface must hit the ball with an angle that doesn’t match that of the club path. Try this again, but do so hitting a ball. If the ball starts off to the right and ends up even farther to the right, you may have a “push” slice with an inside-out swing. The slice is one of the most common problems that golfers have because it is a common swing flaw to come across the ball from outside to in golf swing. The causes behind a push slice are the same as those that cause a slice, which are thoroughly explained above. Your grip should be hard enough to keep it from getting away but weak enough not to hurt it. She holds a Master of Science in Education. Shift your weight smoothly to your left foot on the downswing. As you address the ball, it's possible you are gripping the club too tightly, creating arm tension that will cause you to have an outside-in swing. Saving. Rick Shields Golf + … Copyright 2020 Leaf Group Ltd. All Rights Reserved. If your ball flies straight and then curves to the right, your club face may be open at impact, forcing the ball off course. Amateurs try all sorts of things to fix their slice; “keep your head down” Privacy Notice / Your California Privacy Rights. What Causes a Slice? How to Fix the Push Slice. A professional writer since 1981, she has created numerous materials for a Princeton advertising agency. For left-handed golfers, the ball goes to the left. GOLF HOOK SIMPLE FIX LESSON. A slice is when a player hits a ball incorrectly and it curves to the right for a right-handed golfer. He graduated from the University of Louisville. Over-rotating your shoulders or stopping the downswing rotation too soon can cause this. Keep Your Elbow Tucked During Your Backswing. People who slice tend to place the ball too far forward in their stances, and that causes the shoulders to open wider than normal, thus creating an outside-in pattern. But the more you swing left, the more likely the clubface will be open to that path at impact, which causes a slice. Follow these tips to stop the pesky slice: A drill that can correct this swing flaw is to drop your right foot back about 10 inches when you hit the ball, forcing you to swing in to out. It’s an illuminating guide that explains why all the traditional advice on how to fix a slice in golf doesn’t work. There are numerous swing movements or flaws that causes the slice. On the other hand, if the ball starts to the left and then curves right, you have a “pull” slice and your swing path could be outside-in. I am going to start off by describing golf swing errors that cause a straight slice ball flight pattern - where the problem is due to an open clubface and not due to any clubhead swingpath problem. They can happen during your address or as you swing the club. That is a function of the clubFACE. This leads to an outside-to-inside golf swing and a slice. Tension in your arms, shoulders and hands will throw off your swing. For slicing, the two basic flaws are a backswing that is going too much up (too steep), or a clockwise twisting of the shaft, or both. Techniques to Not Slice a Golf Ball Off the Tee. So what exactly causes a slice? + Add to Watchlist. A slice is a result of a swing path through impact that is moving from outside to in, or from right to left as viewed from behind the golfer. Too much cupping or even bowing can cause other issues in your swing. In very recent years, we’ve learned brand new insights about the science of the slice. King, the instructor of golf at Reynolds Kingdom of Golf at … “If you have a slice, you’re hitting the ball out-to-in,” agreed Chris Kunkel, general manager at Silverhorn Golf Club in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Cure that by taking your club to about 18 inches above the ball, then take it back from there and pay attention to the plane of your swing. Bill Herrfeldt specializes in finance, sports and the needs of retiring people, and has been published in the national edition of "Erickson Tribune," the "Washington Post" and the "Arizona Republic." Forward ball position causes the shoulders to be open to the right their. 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