Slicing is something that we all have come across at one time or another. In this section, I shall outline the main causes for this and give you some drills so you can eradicate that weak, heartbreaking slice.

Many of the things you will learn in this chapter will not sound too complex and you may have come accross them before, but as you look at all the pros, you will notice whatever their size, they will all obey these simple rules;

Alignment

As you setup to the ball, you should imagine your toes touching on the lines of a railway track, with the ball on the line opposite to you. The key is in the parallel lines, your feet hips and shoulders should all be parallel to the railway track line, in some cases your shoulders may be allowed to even fall slightly closed.

I see many amatuers have a good solid swing with lots of elastic energy wound up but fail to project the ball their desired distance because of a left to right fade on the ball. this fade will lose the players dramatic distance, when if they would just close their shoulder the ball would fly in a right to left draw, giving player much more satisfaction and alot more distance.

You should also check your ball position, it should be in line with your inner heel (when using the driver). Many amatuers place the ball too far forward, this causes the shoulders to open thus causing an out to in swing and enevitably a slice.

A regularly asked question is 'how do i hit the ball further?' the answer is to hit straighter so that the strikes are better and therefore the confidence will rise.

Grip

The grip is one of the most important foundations of the game and it is essential to get it right from the start.

Another cause of slicing lies in the grip, slicing is caused when the grip is in a weak position. ie when the angle between your thumb and fore finger on your right hand points to near the chin. The desired angle should point towards the right shoulder.

This also works the same for people with a hook in their swing, with their grip in a very strong position. this would mean that all important angle between the thumb and forefinger points below the shoulder.

Here are some simpler things to get you started but their are many other factors which affect the flight of the ball and i promise to give you more information each week

Hope that helps! Aaron