When we discuss the causes of a golf slice, we will focus on the interaction between the golf club and the golf ball since this interaction is ultimately what affects the trajectory of the golf ball. While body mechanics determine how this interaction takes place, body mechanics are a secondary cause. We will first focus on the primary cause in this article.
What causes a golf slice?
Well the answer is quite simple. In fact, the simple concept described below will help explain the most common trajectories, including draws, hooks, fades and slices.
1. All golf shots that curve (from left-to-right, right-to-left, regardless of severity) are caused by lateral, or side, spin applied to the golf ball at impact. Specifically, a golf ball that has a clockwise lateral spin will curve from left-to-right. Accordingly, counter clockwise spin will cause a ball to curve from right-to-left.
2. The next question, thus, is what causes the golf ball to spin. This, again, is relatively simple. Spin is entirely a function of two factors: the club face direction at impact relative to the trajectory of the club face through the ball at impact.
As such, a shot that curves from right-to-left is the result of the a club face that is open relative to the the trajectory of the club face through impact. Simple enough.
Note that we have not yet discussed the target line as we are only discussing spin thus far. So long as the club face at impact is square, i.e. perpendicular, to the trajectory of the club face through the ball at impact, the ball will not curve. It may travel to the left or right of the target line, but it will not curve. These types of trajectories are called pushes (for shots to the right) and pulls (for shots to the left). These types of shots are the result of a club face trajectory that is not parallel to the target line. This is beyond the scope of this particular discussion, but ultimately, the vast majority of golf shots can be boiled down to a combination of spin and trajectory.