What *really* causes a slice?

[frpax]

So what really causes a slice?

[rossvanwyk]

In my opinion, out to in or over the top is the primary reason for a slice. Opening the club face a little can create that nicely controlled fade that can work wonders sometimes. But that ugly slice? Out to in.

[iacas]

Path way left of the clubface (for a righty).

[LankyLefty]

Out to in swing creates the classic nasty slice. In the past I've hit balls that essentially took a left turn cant really do that with an open face.

EDIT: Just wanted to add that I used to hit slices with a closed clubface meaning the clubface had nothing to do with my slice.

[Zeph]

You can hit a draw with an open clubface and a fade with an out-to-in swing path.

An open clubface to the swing path create left to right spin. If you have enough of it, you'll curve the ball enough through the air to call it a slice.

[johnthejoiner]

Originally Posted by Zeph

You can hit a draw with an open clubface and a fade with an out-to-in swing path.

An open clubface to the swing path create left to right spin. If you have enough of it, you'll curve the ball enough through the air to call it a slice.

I'm going to take my life in my hands here and say, you cannot play a draw with an open club face with any thing that resembles a golf swing

[iacas]

Originally Posted by johnthejoiner

I'm going to take my life in my hands here and say, you cannot play a draw with an open club face with any thing that resembles a golf swing

Open to the target, yes, you can. That's what he means. Every good draw is hit with a face "open" to the target, and if the person's stance is relatively "parallel left" of the target line, the clubface is "open" to that too.

I'm changing how I say this particular thing though. I'm using right and left for the clubface (assuming righties). Face is right of target (open to target and likely stance), closed to path.

[Harmonious]

Originally Posted by johnthejoiner

I'm going to take my life in my hands here and say, you cannot play a draw with an open club face with any thing that resembles a golf swing

I got your back, John.

To hopefully reduce the confusion as to what the clubface is open to:

Open to swingpath = fade/slice.

Open to target = draw or fade, depending on swingpath.

Sorry, Zeph; there's no way to draw a ball with the clubface open to the swingpath. Maybe open to the original target line, whatever that may be, but not open to the swingpath.

[Zeph]

Originally Posted by Harmonious

Sorry, Zeph; there's no way to draw a ball with the clubface open to the swingpath. Maybe open to the original target line, whatever that may be, but not open to the swingpath.

Never said it was open to the path.

[Harmonious]

Originally Posted by Zeph

Never said it was open to the path.

From your earlier post:

"You can hit a draw with an open clubface ..."

Then, it would be important for you to distinguish between path and target in your original response. Lots of new people here who would have interpreted your first post to mean open to the path.

[Zeph]

That was the whole idea since the OP never specified what the clubface was open to. Makes people think.

[Harmonious]

Originally Posted by iacas

Open to the target, yes, you can. That's what he means. Every good draw is hit with a face "open" to the target, and if the person's stance is relatively "parallel left" of the target line, the clubface is "open" to that too.

I'm changing how I say this particular thing though. I'm using right and left for the clubface (assuming righties). Face is right of target (open to target and likely stance), closed to path.

I think this will go a long way toward eliminating the confusion that always seem to pop up (maybe only to me, but I think to others as well) when discussing an "open" clubface.  Most everywhere else in my experience, an open or closed clubface was always in relation to the swingpath, or to the attempted swingpath. Your new explanation will clear things up.  Thanks.

[mobosecomin]

What really causes a slice? Obviously both open club face and swing path. I though the question was what most commonly causes a slice. To which I would answer 90+ shooters both with swing path being the main culprit and below 90 players open club face being the major problem.

[awmgolfer]

For me it was an out-to-in swing path. As soon as I understood how to fix it my slice went away immediately. At the end of last season my short game was all that was keeping me in the low 80's because I was slicing my driver badly around 170 yards at most. I spent all winter reading and doing some drills and with a little pre-season work with our pro my slice is gone and now I'm hitting around 250 yards, feels great.

[MiniBlueDragon]

My normal shot shape is a soft draw (club face open to target but closed to path)

When I slice it's purely because I try to "give it some" and use my upper body to swing rather than hips. My left shoulder dips, my hips stay centered throughout the downswing and it causes an out-to-in swing. That coupled with my club face being open causes all kinds of hurt to occur.

[jshots]

A fade is caused by a ball that is spinning clockwise which can be caused by either of the above (for a righty).

Whatever the path of your swing is at impact, a perpendicular clubface will cause the ball to go straight in that direction.

SO if your swing path is straight down your target line at impact, but the face of the club is open, you will impart clockwise spin causing a fade or slice.

In the other case, if your face is square to the target line at impact but your swing path is from outside to in, then relative to your swing path at impact the clubface is open which results in the same spin as the first case. One difference you may notice with this though is your ball will start left and then go right while in the other case your ball will start straight and then go right.

[bunkerputt]

Uncoiling the shoulders from the top of the swing causes most slices.  I sit and watch people on a number of ranges and, if I'm lucky, one at most at any given moment knows how to sequence the swing properly from the top.  The rest of them just unwind the shoulders from the top and cast the club.  The shoulders then pull the hips into the finish and they usually pose for the cameras at that point.......  huge left-to-right movement, drive lands 180 or so.