4 Ways to Stop Slicing the Ball

The dreaded slice can take the extra oomph out of your ball’s flight potential.

Here’s how it typically goes: The ball starts out okay-ish, and then makes this depressing curve that robs you of your potential distance and power. If that’s you right now, you’re not alone.

The good news is that you can fix the slice, but it starts by understanding what it is, why it happens, and what you can do to fix it.

So what is a slice?

A slice is when the ball drifts left to right (for right-handed golfers). This robs the ball of its momentum and power. There isn’t any single reason why balls drift like this, but based on ball flight dynamics, the biggest reason why balls behave like this is because the clubface is open at impact.

The trick lies in figuring out why your clubface is wide open and then fixing it.

With that said, let’s discuss 4 simple ways to fix a slice.

1. Inspect Your Equipment

Golf is tough enough without having to deal with shoddy equipment that fails to match your swing. Your equipment plays an important role in the flight dynamics of the golf ball.

Take a look at your shaft flex. If there’s too much flex, it will be more difficult to consistently square the face during impact. Most golf stores allow you to test your swing and ensure that your shafts, especially your driveshaft, don’t have as much flex.

These days, most drivers come with varying levels of clubface settings. Here’s a brief intro to selecting the perfect shaft.

• Extra Stiff – Ideal for swings of 110mph or higher
• Still flex – Works best for swings of 95 mph
• Regular flex – Optimal for swing speeds of 85-95 mph
• A or M Flex – Ideal for swing speeds of 75 mph to 85 mph

2. Adjust Your Swing setup

To stop slicing the ball, you’ll have to improve your swing path. The easiest trick in the book is to reverse your right foot back just a little bit at the address position. This gives you more wiggle room for swinging toward your target by creating an inside to outside swing path.

The grip is also just as important. Novice golfers have weak grips with thumbs down the handle. But you can improve the grip by turning your hand in the clockwise direction when gripping the club. Doing so automatically creates a more square face at impact.

Also, check the pressure of your grip. As a general rule – you want to hold on to the club tight enough to maintain optimal control, and no tighter. Here are a few problems you may encounter if you squeeze the grip during the swing:

• Loss of distance: Gripping too tightly will rob you of your clubhead speed
• Poor ball striking: Your golf swim becomes too mechanical with awkward and forced movements
• No Touch: If you use too much grip pressure, your touch will be reduced

3. Always Aim Right

Millions of golfers compensate for the left to right ball flight by aiming to the left. However, no matter how far you aim to the left, the ball stubbornly slices to the right, sometimes worse than before. If this sounds like you, there’s a solution that you probably didn’t consider before: just aim to the right silly!

This may seem counterintuitive at first, but aiming right encourages an inside out swing path. It forces you to turn through the ball, and ultimately, helps you leverage your stronger calf muscles more in your downswing. It is worth noting that it takes quite a bit of adjustment and time spent on the practice tee to get this right.

Here are a few suggestions you should be cognizant of:

1. Improve your left hand to make sure your clubface faces the target and your body is square
2. Make a full turn and turn your hands over to release your arms
3. Play the ball no farther back than your left heel

4. Square the Clubface at Impact – Consistently

Learn how to square up the clubface at impact because it can easily fix your slice. Squaring up the club is harder at higher swing speeds and longer shafts. As we mentioned earlier, your clubface is probably open at impact if you are still hitting a slice.

The trick to fixing the dreadful slice is to work on squaring up the face as early as possible.

Wrapping Up: You Can EASILY Fix Your Slice

If you’ve spent several years sending the ball to the right on every tee box, you probably think you’ll never able to ix your slice.

But that’s a myth!

You can fix your slice by improving your grip, working on your swing path, and squaring the clubface at impact. Don’t overcompensate by aiming to the left because it will just make your problems worse.

Armed with the right knowledge of slicing, you can take the right measures to fix it.

And now that you have them, it’s time to practice!