According to the author of the Golf Digest book "Cure Your Slice Forever", the slice is the most frequent and destructive tendency for most golfers. Even with all the modern technology available today there is no magic bullet for curing it. There are, however, some fairly simple setup and swing changes that you can use to fix your slice and the use of proper clubs may also help.
Causes of Slicing
The cause of a slice is the face of the club being open at impact. A misalignment of only 1.5 degrees from square can cause the ball to curve a full 70 feet off line. There can be several causes of the open club face that produces a slice's severe side spin. Among them are an improper grip, poor setup, and flawed swing mechanics. Swinging too hard or too fast often contributes to the problem, as does trying to force the ball the other direction -- to the left for a right-handed golfer.
Diagnosis
There are three varieties of slices and the specific ball flight can help diagnose the problems that cause them. A ball that starts out straight and curves to the right is simply the result of an open club face. One that starts further left and ends up right indicates that the face is open but the swing path is also from outside to in. This combination makes the slice worse. A path that is 5 degrees off straight can add another 30 feet to the curve of the slice. A ball that starts to the right is a push or a push-slice and it is caused by an inside-to-out swing path without sufficient release of the hands.
Cures
You must start out with the proper setup and grip. The setup should include mostly level shoulders to allow for a full turn and weight shift on the backswing and downswing. Your feet and shoulders should point toward the target, not in a direction to fight the slice. Your grip must be capable of returning the club to a square position at impact. The club should approach the ball along a path that is closer to your body, i.e "inside," the imaginary straight line that extends from the intended target through the ball. A smooth swing tempo is also important to help square the club at impact.
Clubs that Help
Clubs are now available with closed face angles that may help fight a tendency to slice. Irons with more hosel offset -- the distance between where the shaft connects to the clubhead and the leading edge of the face -- allow you an extra split second to square the face which also helps. Shorter shafts on drivers and fairway woods may help you square the face with these clubs.
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