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why does golf ball slice

by Prof. Terry Kunze MD Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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10 reasons why you keep slicing the golf ball

  1. Open club face. The most common cause of a slice is an open club face. ...
  2. Thumbs too on-top of the grip. One of the more common misconceptions when it comes to a “weak” grip causing an open club face is golfers thinking their thumbs ...
  3. Arms separating from body. ...
  4. Keeping lead arm straight too long. ...
  5. Bad posture. ...
  6. Not flexible enough. ...

More items...

A slice shot is caused by a poor grip and setup, an outside-to-in downswing path and an open clubface. An outside-to-in path occurs when the golfer reaches too far on the downside, bringing the club down to the right of the ball (outside), relative to the target line.

Full Answer

Why do most beginner golfers slice the ball?

  • FAULT: YOUR INSTINCT IS TO SWING TO THE LEFT
  • FIX: LEARN WHAT AN INSIDE PATH FEELS LIKE. The golfer at top of the page—the one who sees the target to the left—tries to pull the ball and, therefore, comes ...
  • FAULT: YOUR SHOULDERS LEAD THE DOWNSWING
  • FIX: SWING YOUR ARMS PAST YOUR BODY. ...

How to cure a golf slice?

So learning how to cure a slice in golf really only requires a six simple steps:

  1. Understand What Is Causing Your Slice
  2. Keep The Club Face Square At Impact
  3. Use a Proper Grip
  4. Develop A Proper Swing To Correct Your Slice
  5. Try an Adjustable or Modified Design Driver
  6. Practice!

What causes golf ball slice?

What Causes a Golf Slice?

  • Overview. It's insidious, and it can ruin a golf score. ...
  • Improper Grip. 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.
  • Position Of The Ball. ...
  • Move Your Weight. ...
  • Your Swing. ...

Why do I thin the golf ball?

Mechanical Issues that Cause Thin Shots

  1. Picking Your Head (Eyes) Up Early. This is a swing mistake that is as old as the game itself. ...
  2. Poor Ball Position. It may be that your thin shots are the result of nothing more than bad ball position. ...
  3. Early Release. The early release in the downswing is an extremely common problem among amateur players. ...

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What causes you to slice a golf ball?

A slice happens when a sidespin is put on the ball, causing it to curve to the right for a right-handed player and to the left for a left-handed player. Sidespin to the right is caused when the clubface is open (pointed right) relative to the path the club is traveling as the club impacts the ball.

How do I stop my golf ball from slicing?

3:598:16How to: STOP slicing the golf ball | REALLY EASY TIPS - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo picture this if i draw a line going straight towards my target which is pretty much over thatMoreSo picture this if i draw a line going straight towards my target which is pretty much over that bunker a slicer will come in from the outside of that line. And then swing to the inside of that. Line.

What is the most common cause of a slice in golf?

The most common cause of a slice is an open club face. 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 club face is an incorrect grip as your hand position will directly reflect in the face.

Why do I slice the ball with my irons?

This visual challenge, called parallax, is caused by your eyes being to the side of the ball at address. Parallax makes slicers try to pull the ball to hit their target. But the more you swing left, the more likely the clubface will be open to that path at impact, which causes a slice.

Can a strong grip cause a slice?

5:017:06Strong Right Hand Grip Yet Your Slice Your Golf Shots! - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThat's going to make you you blade be more open and if your path is anything working out to in whichMoreThat's going to make you you blade be more open and if your path is anything working out to in which. So many golfers past-due. You're gonna hear slice.

How do you hold a driver not to slice?

2:2510:04IS YOUR GRIP CAUSING YOUR SLICE - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd if you if you overlook the grip then you're missing out big time because if you just positionMoreAnd if you if you overlook the grip then you're missing out big time because if you just position the hands on a in a good place on the club. It is going to make things so much easier so.

Can standing too close to the golf ball cause a slice?

Standing too close to the golf ball will result in a posture that's too upright, which could result in inconsistent shots and no control over the ball. Standing too close to the ball can result in slices and shanks, which are very common among average players.

How do you cure a slice?

3:1410:54How To Cure A Slice Fast and Easy - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipOpen that creates the spin. So what we need to do is we need to hit the ball with the face closed.MoreOpen that creates the spin. So what we need to do is we need to hit the ball with the face closed. Okay we don't want to hit it with the face just square.

Why do I slice my driver and not my irons?

The main reason that a driver will slice, but not the irons, is the length of the club. With a golf driver being longer than a golf iron, it is much harder to square the club face and release the club at the proper time. Golfers of all ability levels struggle with this concept.

How do I stop my golf slice with irons?

2:276:311 SIMPLE DRILL TO FIX YOUR SLICE AND PURE YOUR IRONS - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThe early release is when we will when we lose those or release those angles too early now thisMoreThe early release is when we will when we lose those or release those angles too early now this often causes the club to bottom out too early causes.

How do I fix a slice in my golf iron?

How To Fix Your Slice: 7 Simple Steps To Straight Golf ShotsDon't Aim Left.Position Your Golf Ball Properly in Your Setup.Take Note of Your Divots.Fix Your Grip.Keep Your Elbow Tucked During Your Backswing.Transfer Your Weight.Release the Club Prior to Impact.

Does higher loft reduce slice?

A higher driver loft can help a slice because it will help to encourage a bit more forgiveness and backspin on the driver. These features of a higher lofted driver are going to help improve a slice and straighten out overall ball flight. A slice is often caused by a bit too much side spin being applied to a golf ball.

Why do I keep slicing the golf ball?

There may be no greater power loss than a slice. The ball sometimes starts out ok and then makes this depressing curve, robbing you of all of your potential distance and power.

Why do I slice my golf club?

1. Open club face. The most common cause of a slice is an open club face. 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 club face is an incorrect grip as your hand position will directly reflect in the face. You can make this adjustment by turning one of both ...

What are the challenges of golf?

One of the great challenges when studying golf is knowing when information is correct for you. The foot positions that are great for the the tour players, might not be appropriate for anyone with flexibility limitations. A square back foot and a flared forward foot will affect the swing path and produce a slice for many golfers who have limitations.

What is the purpose of a square face golf club?

One of the great stabilizers of a square club face is to keep your underarms relatively close to your body throughout your golf swing. If on your backswing or your downswing your underarms move away from your body, it is very easy to open the face.

How to rotate back on a golf swing?

If you slice the ball try the opposite. Flare your back foot and square your forward foot. This will help increase your ability to rotate back and also slow your body rotation down on your forward swing, both helping with path and sequencing of body and arms. 1. Open club face 2. Thumbs too on-top of the grip 3.

What happens if you move your ball too far back?

Ball position that is too far back can cause a slice and/or a pop up. As your move your ball more forward it is also important that you allow your shoulders to tilt back and away from the target. Your lead shoulder should get higher and your back shoulder lower.

How does width affect golf swing?

If the lead arm stays too stiff for too long on your forward swing, this will not only hold the club face open and making the ball s lice, but also delays the release of the club face and the speed associated.

Why is my slice worse with my driver?

Riggs said that you may notice your slice might be worse with your driver because you are swinging with more speed and less loft. The same swing mistakes are probably happening with every club — driver just accentuates the error. If you are struggling with a slice, you can take solace in knowing you are not alone.

How to get your hands in a better position?

“That seam should run down the top of the handle or grip.

Why does a ball slice?

Because the ball is traveling in a curved line, it will not go as far as a ball that travels in a straight line, assuming all else is equal. The picture below helps you get a better idea of why this is: You’ll Be Less Accurate – the reason a ball begins to slice is that it has too much sidespin.

Why does my golf club slice?

Having the ball too far back in your stance can also sometimes cause a slice. That’s because the club will have less time to release before reaching the ball, resulting in a slightly open clubface at impact.

How many times should you backswing a golf swing?

It’s recommended that the speed of your swing follows a 3:1 ratio. Your backswing should take three times as long as your downswing. For that reason, I would recommend choosing a 3-syllabal word to say in your head for your backswing, and a 1-syllabal word for your downswing.

What is a push slice?

Push Slice. For a righty, a push slice starts on the right side of the target line before traveling further to the right. In this case, a double negative does not make a positive. A push slice will likely result in a lost ball or an unfavorable lie on your next shot.

What is a slice in golf?

A slice is a type of shot in golf where the ball starts on a straight line and then immediately veers off to one side. For a right-handed golfer, a slice travels from left-to-right. For a left-handed golfer, the shape is right-to-left. For the remainder of this article, I’ll refer to directions based on what a right-handed player would see as ...

How to fix a golf ball that is spinning?

How to Fix It. Set up in your stance like you’re about to hit a drive. Now, tilt your upper body so that it leans behind the golf ball. This is called the “reverse-k” position. The reverse-k position will help you stay behind the golfball and make contact on an upward angle, reducing the amount of spin on the ball.

What happens if you spin a golf ball sideways?

If it’s spinning sideways as it comes off the tee, the air will catch the dimples on the ball and cause it to drift off to the right. A High, Weak Ball Flight – another consequence of putting too much spin on the ball is that sometimes it has a tendency to rise up into the air.

How does a golf ball slice?

In simple terms, the ball will slice if the clubface is open to the club’s path at impact. 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. image: GolfTec. And the more the clubface is open ...

What is a slice in golf?

What Is A Golf Slice? A slice in golf is when the ball curves excessively to the right (right handed golfer) or to the left (left handed golfer). Note: For the rest of this guide I’m going to use right handed examples. If you’re left handed, then just reverse the instruction.

What does it mean when the ball is open shoulders?

And open shoulders means a club path to the left, which of course combined with an open clubface, leads to a slice.

How to stop shoulders from spinning out of the way?

Start your downswing with a small shift (hip bump) to the left before swinging your arms through. That will stop your shoulders from spinning out way over the swing plane, and help to neutralize your path. If you’re still out-to-in, then you should see more of a fade than a big ugly slice.

How to hit a golf ball with a headcover?

Place a headcover just behind and outside the golf ball. If you swing over the top and come out-to-in , you’ll hit the headcover. To hit the ball, you’ll have to come from the inside. There’s no other way to do it.

How to hit a golf ball in slow motion?

Take the club back on an exaggerated outside path on the backswing, then loop it down to the inside at the start of the downswing. And do it in slow motion. You can hit balls, but make sure you’re swinging no-more than 40-50%. If the ball travels 30 yards that’s absolutely fine.

What is the square part of golf?

The square part is when you hit the ball. The first two fixes are bandaids to stop you slicing. But working on your path is actively trying to improve your golf swing (with the associated benefit of eliminating your slice). Rather than focusing on the how here, I’ve found it’s best to give your brain a task.

What is the first frustration in golf?

For most new golfers, the first frustration to overcome is usually how to make consistent contact with the ball. But once that's accomplished, it usually leads to a second, sometimes life-long frustration. No matter what they do, every shot slices off to the right. And the harder they try to hit the ball straight, the worse it becomes.

What does an outside in swing do?

And an "outside-in" swing robs you not only of direction but distance as well. It's an easy fix, and will remove a lot of the inherent frustration for beginning golfers. Here's an excellent video by King describing the swing plane and what causes hooks and slices.

What Does Slicing in Golf Mean?

Slicing is a common issue amongst most golfers. However, hitting the wrong shots during a game can turn out to be annoying. If you are right-handed, you hit a slice whenever your golf shot bends far to the right. Similarly, you hit a slice when your golf shot bends far to the left if you are left-handed.

Why Does Slicing Happen in Golf?

If you are concerned about why your shots are bending to the far right or left, here are eight reasons why slicing happens in golf:

How to Fix a Slice in Golf?

Now you know why and what causes a slice in golf. Your next big question may be what to do about it. Here are six tips on how to fix slicing issues in golf.

What Causes the Slice in Golf – Final Thoughts

The answer to “What causes a slice in golf?” is pretty straightforward. Weak handgrip and posture are some of the reasons why most golfers fall victim to golf slices. Of course, you can’t become a master without passing through the learning phase.

Why Does My Golf Swing Slice Right

The bottom line is that your club face is too far right at impact compared to your swing path. As a result, a significant amount of side spin is the outcome, resulting in a shot that will curve significantly to the right. Oftentimes, the difference between the club face and the swing path can be around 7-10 degrees.

Final Thoughts

I would highly recommend checking out the Shawn Clement video below on how to hit a draw or fade. This video can help you get your swing path headed in the right direction and further dives into how your setup can be pre determined to help you shape the ball the way you desire!

Want To Take Your Game to the Next Level?

For those that are seeking ways to work on your golf game at your home, have you considered a launch monitor that can be used with something as simple as a mat and next? Or take it to the next level and build a golf simulator? Either way, if you have some extra money to go all in, a launch monitor might be just what you need.

Take Action – What You Can Do Today to Get Better

What does this mean for you? I believe in the following recipe to get better:

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