Most golfers who start to play with any degree of regularity soon learn about the pleasure and pain that golf brings. The pleasure comes from standing over the ball and launching that perfect shot that flies straight and far. That one shot may be the image that you keep in your mind and keeps you coming back. The pain comes from the shot that veers off course and into the rough or a hazard. One of the most common forms of mishitting the ball may be the result of a slice. That shot may appear to go straight as soon as you hit it but then sharply turns off course (right for a right-handed golfer; left for a lefty).
Proper Stance
One of the most common causes of a slice is an improper stance as you prepare to hit the ball. When you line up, your left shoulder (right-handed golfer) needs to be facing the target. Your left foot should be underneath your left shoulder. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart, and the ball should be played midway in your stance. Many golfers who slice the ball tend to open up their stance and position their front shoulder to the left of the target. This causes you to change your angle of attack when you swing, and the side spin imparted causes the ball to slice.
Grip Strength
Gripping the club too tightly or too loosely can cause significant problems with your golf game. Golfers with a weak grip almost always slice the ball. As you swing the club, the clubface is supposed to make square contact with the ball. When your grip is not strong enough, the clubhead spins in your hand as you make contact. The clubhead pushes the ball off to the side and imparts a side spin, causing a slicing action on the ball.
Outside-Inside Swing
This is probably the most common reason behind the slice when it comes to experienced golfers. Ideally, your swing will come directly through the ball and not from one side or the other. However, when you come from the outside portion of the ball and then correct the swing as you are descending into the ball, you will impart a significant side spin on the ball, and that will cause a slicing action. To combat the outside-inside swing, slow your swing down just a bit, come directly through the ball and make sure you follow through.
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