How to Fix a Slice in Golf

A slice can be one of the most frustrating parts of golf. You've set up your shot perfectly, know exactly how far and where you want the ball to go, plant your feet and square your shoulders, swing and watch the ball travelling and then quickly fade off in the rough.

A simple fact of the matter is that all golfers at some stage will struggle with a slice. Whether its because of incorrect grip on the club, poor weight transfer through their swing or simply failing to understand the relationship between the club face and the golf ball. Luckily there are a few simple fixes that any golfer can implement to quickly get their shots back on line.

One of the biggest causes of a slice is the club coming from an outside to in swing path. This means that from the beginning of the swing the club face starts outside the line of the ball. As the club face makes contact with the ball it meets it at an angle, transferring large amounts of side spin onto the golf ball. Thanks to the Magnus effect this side spin puts pressure on the ball and causes it to quickly fade off line.

A quick fix to this outside in swing path is to change the position of the ball off the tee, specifically farther back in your stance. If the ball is too far forward it can cause a golfer to reach on their drive and make and uncomfortable contact with the ball.

The optimal place for the ball for a right handed golfer, is just inline with the inside of your left heel or for a lefty, just inside the heel of your right foot. You'll find that the ball is in a much more natural position for your swing that will match a straighter swing path.

This correct positioning of the body leads into the most important point in fixing your slice which is the position of the face of the club to the ball. This needs to be as flat and in line as possible to transfer as much energy as possible in a straight line into the ball. Remember an angled club face puts spin on the ball which is the cause of all slices.

The easiest and and fastest fix for for a flat club face is a golfers grip, a common fault of golfers is that their left hand (assuming right handed) is weak and underneath the grip of the club. This causes the club to present to the ball with an open face. The fix for this is to change the left hand to either a neutral or even strong grip on the club shaft, this will ensure that the club face will meet the ball in line with the direction of the shot you are trying to take.

The final issue with a slice can come down to equipment. Clubs, balls and all sorts of accessories all impact on the flight of the ball. Driver technology has come a long way in supporting a golfers drive and can drastically help supplement a golfers swing.

Yet one of the greatest effects on a slice is the golf ball itself. Some of the best golf balls for a slice have design elements baked into them to limit how much spin gets put onto the ball. Things such as dimples, ball construction and materials all have an input into how much a golf ball spins. An important consideration when purchasing a golf ball for lower spin is that sometimes the top of the range models aren't always the best option. These balls are designed for the pros who at times actually want to use this spin to their advantage.

Although the slice can be an extremely frustrating part of golf, with a few small and easy tweaks to your swing and a few buckets of balls at the range, any golfer is quickly able to get their slice under control and their shots back on the fairway.