When it comes to golf and its techniques, there’s a lot you need to understand. Slicing the ball is one of those techniques that can be hard to grasp at first. After all, not many people find themselves slicing the ball when they first pick up a club.
Luckily for you, this article will go into full detail about how to control a slice in golf so that it doesn’t have as much of an impact on your game moving forward.
Addressing the ball can be one of the most challenging aspects of the game for new players or those just getting back into it after taking some time away from the course. Even pro-level golfers still find it challenging from time to time!
But with practice and these tips, you’ll work on identifying what’s causing you to slice the ball and figure out how to fix it. Let’s get started!
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Slice Golf, Contol Cut for Lower Golf Scores, Benefits of Golf Fade
A golfer who slices, cuts, or fades might not like the way they play golf and would give anything to hit the ball withdraw, but being able to predict the flight of golf shots is the quickest way to lower scores.
It is commendable for any golfer to want to improve their ball striking. Taking lessons to control a slice would be recommended by any pro, but trying to turn a slice into a draw is a long and sometimes painful experience.
Sometimes it is much better to keep with the left-to-right shot but learn to control it.
The Advantages of a Slice
Slicing might reduce the distance the ball goes, and the quality of a cut shot may irritate the golfer, but there are distinct advantages to predicting the ball’s flight.
If the slice is fairly consistent and usually comes back onto the fairway, it’s better than aiming down the middle and not being sure whether you will hit a draw or a cut.
Most of the best-scoring professionals have eventually gravitated toward fading the ball. Under pressure, it is easier to hold the blade open through the ball rather than having to control the amount the hands release the club.
Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods have all favored the fade shot when needing to hit a pressure shot.
The problem for most slicers is the stigma associated with a left-to-right shot. But forget how it looks and feels. If you want to score lower, don’t abandon the slice lightly.
Rather, learn to control it. Predicting the flight of your shots is a massive weapon in your golfing armory.
How to Control a Slice
The slice is a common issue among golfers, but it can be fixed with a few simple adjustments. Turning your shoulders back and feeling the clubhead’s weight will help keep it on the shallower plane you’ve established.
Swinging over the ball with an outside-in trajectory is the most common cause of slicing, so simply positioning your feet in a way that points to the left of the target can help correct this. Improving your grip, left wrist position, and release will also help to control your slice.
Use a strong grip
It’s no secret that a strong grip is essential for a good round of golf. You may not realize that correcting your grip can also help you control your slice. Shifting one or both hands may be the answer for golfers who use strong grips but still slice the ball.
An offset club face or an adjustable weighting system on your driver can also help correct the problem.
Place the ball further back in your stance
When you place the ball back in your stance, you can create a more downward angle of attack. This helps promote better shots from poor lies, making it easier to compress the ball upon impact.
Moving the ball back in your stance also creates more spin and a lower ball flight. However, it is important not to place the ball too far back in your stance, as this can make it difficult to control the shot.
We recommend that for each club length you go down, you should place the ball one ball distance back in your stance. This will help ensure you can maintain control over your shots while benefiting from the additional spin and lower ball flight.
Create a pronounced angle in your backswing
One main reason golfers slice the ball is that they don’t create a pronounced angle in their backswing. This can be easily fixed by keeping your left wrist flat and your right elbow folding.
This will create a more acute angle between your club and the ball, which will help you hit it straighter. Additionally, make sure to hold the angle of the club on the downswing as long as possible. This will ensure that you have a consistent swing and will help you avoid slicing the ball.
Shift your weight to your front foot on the downswing
One of the most important aspects of the golf swing is the weight shift. Transferring your weight from your back foot to your front foot on the downswing is crucial for generating power and speed. If you don’t shift your weight correctly, you’ll likely miss or hit the ball weakly.
Fortunately, you can do a few things to ensure that you make a proper weight transfer on the downswing.
- First, make sure that your weight is evenly distributed at the address. This will help you maintain balance throughout the swing.
- Second, as you start the downswing, focus on transferring your weight onto your front foot. The correct pressure will raise the heel of your shoe off the ground and help you generate more power.
- Finally, make sure to follow through with your swing. This will ensure that all your energy is transferred into hitting the ball. By following these simple tips, you can master the weight transfer and hit powerful shots with ease.
Don’t try to hit the ball too hard
Most golfers only try to hit the ball straight; to do so, they must swing hard. This, however, is not the best way to hit the ball. Instead, golfers should focus on swinging through and relaxing their swings.
Swinging hard usually means rushing the swing from start to finish, putting in a lot of effort without getting much in the way of results. This can also interfere with a smooth golf swing. So next time you’re at the range, remember to take your time and relax your swings for better results.
Follow through with your swing
When it comes to improving your golf game, there are many different techniques that you can try. However, one of the most important things to focus on is your follow-through. Often, a slice can be caused by not properly following through with your swing.
This is because if you don’t follow through, the club will tend to close too soon, which will cause the ball to veer off to the right. To fix this issue, make sure that you focus on your follow-through and ensure that you swing all the way through.
Additionally, you can try using an object to help guide your swing path and keep you from slicing the ball. By following these tips, you can drastically improve your golf game and finally eliminate that pesky slice.
Use a club with more loft
To control your slice, you should use a club with more loft. By placing more weight in the heel section of the club, you’ll naturally encourage the toe to release, which will help reduce the amount of side spin on your shots. Additionally, the softer tip shaft will help promote a draw bias, making it easier for you to square up the club face at impact.
Check your grip and stance regularly
One of the most common problems in golf is slicing the ball. This happens when the ball hits the ground too far to the right of the target (for a right-handed golfer). A few things can cause this, but the most common is an open stance and an outside-in swing path combined with a weak grip. The good news is that there are some simple fixes for this problem.
The first step is to check your grip. Ensure that you are not holding the club too tightly and that your thumb is in line with the shaft (not wrapped around it). You may also want to try rotating your lead hand clockwise so that you can see more knuckles. This will help to prevent you from opening the clubface too much.
The second step is to check your stance. If you find that you are standing too far away from the ball or your feet are pointing too much to the left, then adjust
Practice regularly
One of the best ways to control a slice in golf is to practice regularly. This will help you get a feel for the correct swing and ensure your muscle memory is trained to perform the correct movements. In addition, using training aids and taking lessons from a professional can also help eliminate a slice.
- Always make sure you swing to a full finish. Quitting on the shot will make the body stop turning, and the hands will likely hit the ball. This will mean the occasional shot flies left and stay there. Swing to a finish every time for a controlled flight.
- Strengthen up your grip a fraction by turning both hands to the right. This will help modify the slice to a controllable fade.
- Tee the ball higher on tee shots when hitting a driver. This will prevent a golfer from getting too steep and stop the huge cuts.
- If you ever have your clubs re-gripped, put them on a few degrees to the right so your hands feel more comfortable with a stronger grip.
- Take an extra club when the wind is from the left or the breeze is against it. This will minimize the negative cut spin.
Learn to Like Your Slice
Lee Trevino became one of the greatest long-game players in history because of the predictable flight of his fade. Hogan was known for his power fade. Nicklaus used to detest hitting the ball right to left.
Learn to like your fade – a predictable flight is a great asset for lower scores.
