How to Avoid a Golf Slice
By Steve Silverman
Medium- and high-handicap golfers often think that top amateurs and professionals have perfected their golf swing and that they have figured out the game. However, the golf swing is an ever-changing and almost fluid entity and even great players make mistakes. One of the most common mistakes among golfers at all levels is the slice.
Instructions
Difficulty: Moderate
Check your stance and make sure you are addressing the ball correctly before you swing your club. Have your left shoulder face the target and make sure your left foot is directly beneath you shoulder. Bend your knees so they are flexed in an athletic position.
Check your grip strength. If you hold the club too tightly, your are likely to hook the ball from right to left. If you don't hold it with enough grip strength, your club will wobble on contact and a left to right slice is likely.
You need to square your club head to the ball at impact. During a slice, many golfers have their club angled to the right on impact and that sends the ball to the right. Golfers who take a long and sweeping swing may find that they slice the ball more often than those who come underneath the ball.
Keep your swing at a smooth and steady pace. Rushing your swing will almost always result in a swing flaw like a slice. If you rush your swing, your hands will likely get to the ball before you have done a full body turn. This will block the ball off to the right and result in a slice.
Finish your swing with a strong right hand snap. Your right hand provides the finishing touches on your swing after your hips have rotated through and cleared the hitting zone. Your left hand should help you hit the ball precisely but it is your right hand that provides the power. Finishing strong with your right hand should result in a long and straight shot. If you don't finish the swing with a strong wrist snap, your ball may veer off to the right.
Tips & Warnings
Address the target squarely before you start your swing. Your left shoulder should be facing your target directly.
About The Author
Steve Silverman is an award-winning writer, covering sports since 1980. Silverman authored The Minnesota Vikings: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly and Who's Better, Who's Best in Football -- The Top 60 Players of All-Time, among others, and placed in the Pro Football Writers of America awards three times. Silverman holds a Master of Science in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism.
