The slice shot is something which has surely annoyed every person who has picked up a golf club.
This shot starts off by travelling straight and then swings a lot from left to right for a right-handed player and right to left for a left-handed player. When aiming at a target area, a slice will take the ball away from that target and often into the rough or some form of hazard.
Today, we have some great tips to help prevent the slice shot and will be using a right-handed player in all the examples but just reverse the instructions for left handed players.
Many amateur players who slice the ball will attempt to fix it by adjusting their aim. This usually means aiming way to the left of the target area off the tee with a driver or when using a mid to long range iron.
However, what happens if you make a great contact with the ball? It will not slice and you will hit your shot directly away from the target. The slice also takes a lot of distance off your shot which means you are losing crucial yards every time you hit the ball.
So, whatever you do, do not try and compensate for the slice shot by aiming to the left of the target, in the long run it will not work.
Instead, try checking your alignment before you play the shot and make sure your shoulders and body are aiming at the target. The easiest way to do this is to ask a friend to look for you when you take your stance. If you are playing or practicing alone, hold your golf club across your thighs with the butt of the club pointing towards the target. Then move it to your shoulders and do the same thing.
Make small adjustments until you are aligned correctly.
Once you have a good alignment in place, there are several other things you can check and adjust, which may be causing you to slice the golf ball.
Check your stance because if it is too narrow, this can lead to you relying too much on your arms during the swing.
Your grip may also be causing you to slice the ball. If your hands are twisted too far around to the left (a weak grip) the club face will naturally start to open as you complete your swing.
The club face may also be open before you begin the back swing or may open as part of your swing.
You can see yourself by looking if the club face is open before the swing commences. However, it is more difficult to check it during the swing itself and at impact. The best thing to do is try and film your swing and check the club head in slow motion.
If you think your swing path may be the reason for creating a slice shot then you should practice hitting shots with the ball above your feet. Doing this will help you to swing across the correct target line.
