Have you ever asked yourself, “Why do I slice the ball?” If so, you are not alone. Over 90% of club golfers suffer from this problem.

First off you need to know what causes a slice. I don’t want to get too technical here as this article is supposed to give you a few simple tips on how to avoid or reduce your slice. Two things have to be present to create a slice. First, you must have an out-to-in swing path; in other words, your club face is cutting across the ball causing it spin sideways. Second, you must have an open club face. Both of these factors must be present to create a slice.

If you have an out-to-in swing path with a closed club face the result will be a pull shot, whereas a square club face with the same swing path will result in a fade. These are all very different shots and beyond the scope of this article.

Your slice can be caused by a number of things. The most common is the grip, followed by alignment and then the takeaway. 

And the biggest fault of all is trying to hit the ball too hard, causing a casting effect at the top of the swing. Try using a three quarter backswing to overcome the tendency to try and hit the ball too hard.

These are by no means the only causes of a slice, but they are the most common.

A slice can be further exaggerated by the ball you use; this is a common fault of a lot of average club players. We all see the pros using a particular golf ball and figure that the same or similar ball will also be good for our games. This is not necessarily true.

Golf ball technology has become a science in itself ,and the top players rely heavily on the performance of a golf ball for control. This control usually takes the form of spin, so you will find that most pros use balls, like the Titleist Pro V1, that are made specifically to generate a high rate of spin.

Now let’s get back to our slice problem. We’ve already seen that by swinging from out-to-in we are cutting across the face of the ball causing it to spin from left to right (for right handed golfers). Now add to this a ball that is designed for increased spin and you will realize that you are compounding the problem. Far better then to use a golf ball that has low spin tendencies. These low spin balls also tend to roll a lot further, so they should also contribute to greater distance. The down side to these balls is control around the green, but for the average golfer this will not yet be a problem.

Now that you understand why you slice a ball, you need to know what to do about it.

First off, change your ball — this is the easiest adjustment to make.

Then you need to learn the correct grip to avoid a slice and, most importantly, square your club face up at address. If you can do this but cannot stop the out-to-in swing path, you will end up a with a very manageable and acceptable fade. A lot of pros actually prefer the fade as it gives them greater control.

When practicing these things, you need to exaggerate them. By this I mean don’t just square your club face up but actually go further and close it. As you improve you will find that you’ll get it into a square position quite naturally.

Getting your swing path to go from out-to-in to an in-to-out swing path is a little more tricky and takes a lot of practice. The best way to do this is at ultra slow speed, over and over and over again. Training your big muscles so that the movement is embedded and when done at normal speed falls naturally onto plane.

I hope that has answered your question, “Why do I slice the ball?” And I sincerely hope that it will go some way towards making this wonderful game more enjoyable for you.

Lawrence Bredenkamp is a qualified EGTF golf coach and takes great pleasure in helping people improve their game. Visit his site, Play The Lie, for more information on how to improve your golf swing and lower your scores. Sign up for his free 6-week tutorial designed to reduce your golf handicap by 15%.

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If you have seen Tin Cup, a popular movie starring Kevin Costner, you should understand how important the 7-Iron is to the game. To the golf player, the 7-Iron is often thought of as the perfect golf club.

With only a 7-Iron and a putter, a golfer could shoot par on nearly any golf course. Now, using a 7-Iron as a golf drive will not result in drives of 300 yards, but long drives are not what the 7-Iron was designed to do. However, depending on the golfer’s strength, a quality shot with a 7-Iron can still go anywhere from 175 to 225 yards.

Following the drive using a 7-Iron, the golfer then makes the approach shot. Depending on the hole’s length, the golfer may want a full swing or cut the swing somewhat to adjust for the distance the ball will travel. This, again, depends on the distance desired in combination with current weather conditions which may require the golfer to put the ball either behind or in front of his or her stance. Depending on the stance, this move will either keep the ball low or give it slightly more loft.

As the golfer comes onto the green, s/he can use the 7-Iron as a wedge to chip the ball onto the green and can also flip the ball onto the green by closing the stance and hitting the ball in the back of the stance. The golfer will, of course, want to shorten the swing. Otherwise, s/he will fly the green, resulting in a lost stroke and possibly a lost ball.

Once the ball is chipped back onto the green, there is really little use left for the 7-Iron unless the golfer wants to use it as a putter. In fact, this was done in Tin Cup, but certainly isn’t advisable for the average player.

On short, par 3 holes, the 7-Iron is ideal and often the best choice. S/he can tee the ball up and hit it from the front or back of the stance. Depending on the hole’s length, the ball can be teed up higher for less distance but more loft. Yes, it can feel somewhat awkward for both feet to be in front of the golf ball. But, this allows the ball to be hit with more control and higher while also preventing the golfer from having too much swing, and flying the green.

The truth is, a nicely hit 7-Iron is beautiful to watch as the ball soars through the air in a majestic arc following the intended flight path. It lands gently on the turf and brings the golfer a big smile and one step closer to a great end result to the game!

Ray Walberg is a technical writer and writer of Alicante Golf, covering golf courses in and golf trips to Alicante, Spain.

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By Martin Vousden

PREVIOUSLY: Sportsmanship

We should: Have understanding, sympathy and encouragement for all club employees, whether they be the secretary, pro, greenskeeper, catering or other staff. We should realize that they have particular skills, knowledge and abilities that we do not possess, and look for ways in which we can help them in running the club.

We do: Join the greens committee and, solely on the basis that we have a lawn so we know what we’re talking about, presume to lecture the course superintendent (who only went to college for three years to study agronomy, topography, meteorology and several other “ologies”) on the best way to restore the 12th green to its former glory. And if he or she doesn’t listen, we make the secretary’s life a misery by demanding that the superintendent be sacked.

NEXT: Strategy

Martin Vousden is a freelance golf writer, a former editor of Today’s Golfer and launch editor of Golf Buyer and Swing magazines. His book, With Friends Like These; A Selective History of the Ryder Cup, was published in 2006 by Time Warner. He edits the RareBirdie.com website.

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By Martin Vousden

PREVIOUSLY: Pace of Play

We should: Repair pitch marks, replace divots and rake bunkers. Talk quietly, call others through as soon as it becomes apparent that we need to search for a ball, and put all our rubbish into one of the on-course bins, or our bag, until we can dispose of it later. In addition, we should dress sensibly and in accordance with the club’s dress code.

We do: Turn up in an old pair of gardening trousers and a T-shirt bearing the legend, “Where’s the first tee and what’s the course record?” We repair pitch marks and so on only if someone else is watching and, if we can get away with it, toss our empty drinks cans into the nearest bush (well, someone must because every time I have to search for a ball on my home course the woods and foliage are full of empty cans and cigarette packets). Oh, and it’s a point of honor to never, ever call another group through unless you happen to know that the club captain, president or secretary is among them.

NEXT: Behavior

Martin Vousden is a freelance golf writer, a former editor of Today’s Golfer and launch editor of Golf Buyer and Swing magazines. His book, With Friends Like These; A Selective History of the Ryder Cup, was published in 2006 by Time Warner. He edits the RareBirdie.com website.

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