If you are a golfer and your ball curves sharply away from you after you hit it, that is known as a slice. While a slice can be used to your advantage in certain situations, generally speaking, it will hurt your score, as the ball will land away from the straight line you are aiming for. Usually, a slice is caused by one or more common problems.
Club Face
The ultimate cause of any slice is the club face striking the ball at an oblique angle, rather than squarely. Whatever caused the club to contact the ball in that position, the result is that the club will impart side-spin to the ball, rather than the backspin of a well-struck shot. The side-spin causes the ball to curve in the direction of the spin, which is to the right for a right-handed golfer, and to the left for a left-handed golfer. To cure your slice, you must ultimately get your club face to strike the ball squarely, and not at an angle.
Lower Body
A common cause of a slice is if your lower body moves toward the ball before your upper body. In an ideal swing, your upper and lower body are synchronized at the point of contact. If your lower body begins your swing motion before your upper body, you will tend to open your grip, which in turn opens your club face and contacts the ball at an angle, creating side-spin.
Swing Path
An "out-to-in" swing path is another common cause of a slice. If you take the club out and away from the ball during your backswing, you will naturally be pulling the club back toward your body when you strike the ball . This will result in the club face striking the ball at an angle, again imparting side-spin. With a correct swing plane, the club face will strike the ball squarely.
Grip
A so-called "weak" grip can be another root cause of your slice. In a weak grip, your hand rotates clockwise rather than remaining perpendicular to your body. As a result, you inadvertently twist the club to the right as well, which opens the club face. A weak grip may be the result of your lower body moving toward the ball before your upper body, or it may simply be a poorly aligned grip as you address the ball.
Ball Flight and Divot Pattern
Your best teachers on the golf course are your ball flight and the divots you take. If you continue to slice, your ball flight is telling you that somehow you are imparting side-spin to the ball, either through a weak grip, an out-to-in swing plane, a leading lower body or a combination of all these factors. Your divot will physically show you if you are swinging across the ball by having a diagonal pattern. If your divot is in line with your intended ball path, you may merely have the club face open at impact.
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