Are you struggling with slicing? Then don’t worry, many golfers do suffer from this challenge but the following article is the key to curing your slice problem.
But to tackle this challenge, you must first understand its cause and the reason.
In most cases, it might be simple habits you are used to.
Therefore, let’s look at the following article and learn the simple drills that will help you stop your slicing problem and take great shots. Also, it covers the major causes as well as habits that are promoting this problem.
How to Stop Slicing the Golf Ball for Better Golf?
Overall, the best way to stop slicing the golf ball is to perform repetitive but effective drills that will iron out the slicing problems that cause you to hit the ball off target. These drills are labeled as Backward Loop-Swing, Lift and Turn, Arm Swing and Turn and Release.
We have a simple but detailed explanation for all these drills below but let’s first take a look at why you might be slicing the ball off the tee.
What Causes a Slice of the Tee?
A slicing drive occurs when the shot from the golf club travels off-course rather than to the intended target. This is often a common challenge among many golfers, whether professional or newbies.
It can sometimes be annoying and frustrating enough for golfers to leave their drivers behind.
Common Causes
To most newbies in golfing, their first major challenge is often direct hitting on the ball in a consistent manner.
However, in almost all cases, they often succeed and master it. later on, they are faced with a second challenge which is often harder to succeed past it without assistance, and this is a golf slice.
Irrespective of what they try, every shot slices to the left or right, depending on their point of taking a shot.
Forget challenges like three-putts, tops, and chunks; slicing is quite common and aggravating. But all that is about change.
The effective way to solve a challenge is by knowing the primary causes.
It often occurs involuntarily and results in the off-target shot. To be precise, two significant causes occur while striking the golf ball. The primary causes include:
Open-club-face slicing occurs when the golf is struck according to ball motion laws.
Therefore, a shot through either means will cause sidespin on the ball, directing it away from the target.
Other causes include:
Poor Grip
An open clubface is inevitable when you have a weak grip, and this often results in butter fade. However, if the fade turns into a slice, a change of grip is necessary.
Shot Alignment
Some golfers, at times, aim towards the left to avoid slicing; while it might seem like a great solution, it’s not. Rather than directing the shot to the target, this often results in more slicing and frustration.
Active Upper Body
An active upper body is a common challenge for many golfers. Rather than relying on the combined power of hips turning, shoulder, hands, and arm turning to make a shot on target, they often turn the upper body alone.
An active upper body will tend to promote golf shots with an open clubface. This results in slicing that’s common among many amateurs.
The leading cause of this may be an incorrect alignment of your backswing, inflexibility, or fast transition.
Backswing Issues
There are many backswing challenges with a negative effect on impact position.
When it comes to slicing, two primary flaws include a steep backswing that extends too high as well as a clockwise twist.
If you experience a backswing that extends way up and minimal around, the chances are your club will hit the ball at a steep angle.
To make things simpler, a sharp swing towards the ground.
Why am I slicing the Ball to the Right or the Left?
Slicing the ball to the right or left occurs due to the impact position that results in slicing. For instance, when you take a shot, and right slicing occurs, it means the ball is spinning from left to right direction in the air.
And for this to happen, the ball spin must be clockwise.
Therefore, for a clockwise spin to take place when taking a shot, you must have swung the club towards the left as the face of your club is slightly pointing on the right side.
This is what happens for slicing to occur as the ball curves in the air. To confirm this, take a look at the divot. While striking, the divot from the slice is in the left, and the balls end up in the right direction.
This can be termed a classic slice.
An important point to note is that slicing differs across players depending on whether they are right or left-handed.
Practice Drills to Help Cut Down on Slicing
Eliminating your slice problem is a significant cause for celebration – you will be free of frustrations from hitting the ball away from the target, lower scores, and more fairway shots.
It’s true to say that almost all slices arise from a clubface swing while it’s pointing to the right side of the clubhead target line during a strike.
However, the primary cause might be due to your clubface or even both combined, but with practical drill training, all your swings will be better to obtain the best repeatable swing that suits your style.
The following are the quickest means to stop golf slicing and play a consistent game.
Practice each technique separately to ensure you have a good grasp of curing the slice problem.
It will take you less than 6 minutes to grasp and play professionally without slicing.
1. Get a Suitable Driver that Works for You
Many golfers with slicing problems often have similar issues.
The majority of them use a driver with minimal loft. Before implementing the following practices, evaluate your pieces of equipment fast.
Therefore, you can opt for the recent drivers which are adjustable and allow you to boost your loft by moving the weight to the head of the heel of the club-head.
Alternatively, you can swing the driver at a 10/11 degrees angle rather than 9 degrees. This is because you will hold it more open until you strike the ball.
But if you want more lofts, release your hands while making the swing and turn a ten-point five to a nine driver.
2. Handgrip
A wrong handgrip will inevitably result in a slice. Slicing the golf ball will be unavoidable when using a loose or weak grip while your thump is pointing down the handle.
You need to put more effort into your hands and have a firm grip, hands away from the target and each palm lying parallel to one another.
This means if you are to draw a line directly from your thumb base, it should head straight to your right side collar.
However, avoid excessive force on gripping as it will make it hard to release your hands during impact. A solid but soft grip will be perfect.
3. Fix your Slice with Repetitive Drills
By now, you’ve mastered a proper grip as well as the choice of the club.
It’s time to learn how to make a great swing with your driver. Everyone has a precise looping technique. Before hitting the ball in this drill, set aside your technique and try something new.
In this case, to make a correct swing shape, you must begin by making a simple swing of a clockwise circle according to your standing posture.
Do a couple of swings in this drill and practice making a circle with the driver. For a better understanding, let’s do this in a step-by-step routine:
1st Step: Backward Loop-Swing
Confirm your equipment and then your grip. Set the ball in the correct position and stand in a hitting posture.
Rather than positioning the club head at the base of the ball on the hitting side, place it at the front instead.
Then swing the driver making a circle slowly as your hands swing the club on the target direction.
When taking a shot, the club will drop naturally toward the shallow plane as it comes closer to the ball. At the same time, your hands will automatically begin to roll over or release.
2nd Step: Lift and Turn
First, ensure you loop from the ball front as you move toward your normal address position.
Swing the club clockwise; ensure your shoulder turns and feel the club weight.
You will include a body turn when exercising the drill in this step.
After that, swing it above the ball. You will form half loops in a clockwise direction from a point above the head and descend towards the ball. This will maintain the club on the right inside path.
3rd step: Arm Swing
A significant challenge is when your shoulders are the lead of your downswing.
The trouble comes in when you instinctively try clubface squaring through shoulder twisting in the line of the target. Keep in mind; use your arms, not the body in face squaring.
To set still your upper body, position your chest as if facing the ball during impact while releasing the clubface past you.
As the legendary Jack Nicklaus stated, “it feels like my shirt’s buttons are facing the golf ball when I am hitting it.”
4th Step: Turn and Release
In this last step, you should test what you’ve learned earlier. In other words, you will be hitting the actual ball rather than trying out swings.
Begin by lifting your club to a 2/3rd backswing posture. Meanwhile, your left hand should be facing your chest, then make a swing but this time hitting the ball.
This drill works for anyone as long as you practice it slowly and get to understand it. Within six minutes, you can make professional shots, whether a newbie or a usual golfer. What’s more, it’s an excellent remedy for your slicing challenge.
Final Remarks on Fixing Golf Ball Slicing
As mentioned earlier, figuring out how to stop slicing the ball is annoying and frustrating at the same time.
However, don’t let it be a habit. You can change your fate and have the best shot on the course, choose the correct playing equipment and apply the above drill to tune your expertise from slicing to perfect shots.
If this challenge has persisted for a while, understand that you can fix it with the proper techniques.
You need to learn the above swinging technique and figure out your shortcomings while taking shots.
But when you master the technique, it will be much easier to hit the ball along the target line and much further than before.