For many golfers, a slice is one of the most common problems they face out on the course. But if you follow these simple pointers, then you will be on the path to hitting straighter shots.
A slice is a shot that sharply curves from left to right in the air once it has left the club face. This is the case for right-handed golfers, with the opposite being true for left-handers, where it flies from right to left.
Overcoming a slice can take time and practice, but in doing so, it will help you to hit the ball further, as well as straighter.
PGA Professional and head coach at Old Fold Manor Golf Club Glen Portelli gave us five tips to remedy this issue.
1. Controlling the club face and keeping it on-line
It is important to note that the ball will only start in the direction the club face (the front part of the club head that connects with the golf ball) is pointing at during impact between the ball and the club.
If your clubface is open (pointing to the right), the ball will go right, it’s as simple as that. No magic tricks.
2. Strengthen Your Grip
If you want to improve your club face position at impact, start with your grip.
If you’re slicing the driver, this is the first place to look. It may feel unusual at first, but it’s a change that often gets overlooked and can make a huge difference.
The grip is one of the most important fundamentals in golf - it’s your only connection to the club.
Try a slightly stronger grip by doing these simple tricks:
· Turn your hands a little more clockwise on the club (for right-handers), anticlockwise for left-handed golfers (rotating your hands clockwise means rotating both hands slightly to the right on the grip of the club)
· Move towards a neutral to strong position (a neutral position is where you can usually see two knuckles on your lead hand, whilst a strong grip tends to mean a golfer’s hands are rotated slightly more to the right of the golf club).
3. Learn how to hit hooks shots
One of the best ways to fix a slice is to learn the opposite.
Practice hitting hooks (when the golf ball moves from right to left in the air) and get comfortable seeing the ball curve left.
This helps train a squarer, or even closed, club face and better control of how your ball flies in the air.
Exploring the opposite shot shape is a great challenge in practice and builds real control.
4. Don’t aim left to compensate for the slice!
It’s a common mistake, but aiming left actually makes things worse.
When you aim left, the club face actually has to be even more open to hit your target. This will only add more slice spin and ultimately, that same sort of movement that you’re trying to avoid.
Instead, aim straight at your target and focus on fixing the cause of the issue with the tips we have already out lined and not compensating for it.
5. Use a simple practice game
Practice games are a great way of improving your game. Take this one to the range and make it competitive, even if you are practising by yourself.
First. you need to pick a clear target of where you are aiming to hit the ball. Then, use some sort of apparatus to check your aim. Whether this be an alignment stick or another golf club, place them on the ground in front of your feet to see where you are pointing.
Use a scoring system to make it more enjoyable. If the ball finishes left of target, award yourself one point.
If the ball finishes right of target, then take away a point.
See how many points you can build in a row.
This exercise will train both your start line and clubface control, and you’ll quickly start to eliminate your slice.
Final Thoughts
Fixing a slice comes down to improving clubface control and swing direction. Start with your grip, then build awareness of what you need to do differently and finally use purposeful practice to rectify the issues.
Stick with it and those slices will soon be a thing of the past.
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