Anyone that's ever played golf has struggled with a slice at some time or another. For more golfers than not, it's a battle they endure week-in, week-out, season after season.

In this article, I'd like to outline some key steps you need to take in order to fix your golf slice once and for all (or at least make it the exception to an otherwise solid, straight-hitting golf game).

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SLICE VERSUS A PUSH-SLICE VERSUS

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Ask the majority of club-level golfers and they'll tell you a slice (for the right-handed golfer) is any shot that swerves aggressively to the right during its flight. But that's not strictly correct. A slice, by definition, MUST start left of your target and then curve back to the right to finish right of your target. If the ball starts right of your target and then curves further right again, we call that a 'push-slice'.

This might sound pedantic - after all they're both destructive shots that hurt your golf game. But its important to understand the shape of your own shots because they can have different causes, and therefore require different fixes. What I may advise to someone who slices the golf ball might actually make a push-slicer's fault even worse.

If you're reading this article, it's probably because your shots swerve violently to the right in the air. So let's determine if you are slicing or push-slicing the ball...

There are only 2 factors that affect the shape of your shots - your swing path (the line the club head travels along) and the club face angle (the direction the club face is pointing at impact).

In the past, we pros used to teach that the swing path 'sends it' and the 'club face bends it'. However, thanks to sophisticated launch monitors, we now know that the ball's starting direction is mostly down to the angle of the club face at impact. In case you've read about "new ball flight laws" and "old ball flight laws", rest assured that the guidelines below are fully up-to-date.

-- Side Note --

There are only 2 factors that affect the shape of your shots - your swing path (the line the club head travels along) and the club face angle (the direction the club face is pointing at impact). In the past, we pros used to teach that the swing path 'sends it' and the 'club face bends it'. However, thanks to sophisticated launch monitors, we now know that the ball's starting direction is mostly down to the angle of the club face at impact. In case you've read about "new ball flight laws" and "old ball flight laws", rest assured that the guidelines below are fully up-to-date.

-- Side Note --

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HOW TO DIAGNOSE YOUR FAULT

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Next time you visit the practice range, pay careful attention to the shape of your shots.

Pick out a definite target directly ahead. If you're playing off a practice range mat, let the strong, positive lines of the mat's edges determine your line.

Where do your bad shots start? Do they start left of your target and curve aggressively back to the right? Or do they start right of target before curving further and further right in the air?

BALL FLIGHT #1. Ball starts LEFT of target (or straight briefly) and curves back finishing RIGHT of target (SLICE).

This shot shape tells us that the club face must be OPEN relative to the swing path as it strikes the ball. This is the only way to put the clockwise spin on the ball that swerves it out to the right.

This ball flight also tells us that your swing path must be OUT-TO-IN. In other words, instead of swinging the club along your target line through impact, the path of the club head is travelling along a line to the left of your target. Why can we say with certainty that you have an OUT-TO-IN swing path? Because the club face must be pointing left at impact to start the ball left... so the swing path must be even further to the left in order to create the open angle of the club face at impact.

BALL FLIGHT #2. Ball starts RIGHT of target and curves further RIGHT (PUSH-SLICE).

This shot shape also tells us that the club face must be OPEN relative to the swing path as it strikes the ball.

However, it can't tell us much about your swing path. You could be swinging along an out-to-in path with a severely open club face (face points right of target at impact). You could have a perfect swing path that travels right along the target line, but with an open club face. And, potentially, you could have an in-to-out swing path (although with an in-to-out swing path AND the open club face you'd be hitting the ball way off line, very sharply out to the right).

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HOW TO FIX A SLICE

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If most of your bad shots fall under ball flight #1 above, then you need to work on building a more in-to-out swing. You also need to learn how to control the rotation of your hands and forearms so that you can square the club face at impact.

STEP 1 - Check your set up.

No doubt you've heard about the importance of good set up umpteen times before, but that doesn't make it any less critical. The very best players in the world are meticulous about checking their own set up each time they practice. So should you be. Master good posture, proper alignment, correct distance to the ball and above all, a neutral golf grip. Trying to fix other elements of your swing within the limits of a faulty set up will elicit inconsistent, short-lived results at best.

STEP 2 - Fix your swing path.

An out-to-in swing path can have a number causes. Rather than trying to address each one exhaustively, I've filmed a series of checkpoints that you can measure your swing against. These checkpoints will get your club on a good path and a good plane plane during the initial takeaway, at the half way back point and at the top of the backswing. I've done the same for the downswing.

You can see these checkpoints, along with supporting drills, here:

http://www.free-online-golf-tips.com/golf-takeaway.html

STEP 3 - Square the club face.

Any shot that carves off to the right (for the right-handed golfer) is the result of an open club face at impact. Learning to rotate your hands and forearms correctly will allow you square the club face through impact hitting the ball straight or with a soft draw. However, it's easy to over-rotate or time the rotation incorrectly resulting in a snap hook. Try this drill to help...

• Next, really exaggerate the rotation of your hands and forearms through impact. Try to get the ball turning sharply from right to left in the air. Don't worry if the ball starts and hooks left at this stage - just get a feeling for the contrast between holding the hands off (no rotation) and turning the hands over aggressively (lots of rotation). Make sure you maintain a straight or slightly in-to-out swing path (see Step 1 above) as you work with this drill.

• When you've spent some time alternating between little rotation and lots of rotation, start to gauge the right amount of rotation through 'feel'. The aim is to get the ball starting and finishing on target, or start out slightly to the right, turning back in to finish on line.

• Begin by purposefully hitting push or block shots way out to the right. Do this by feeling as though you are holding off your hands with very little rotation (like a chip shot) and how that causes the ball to start and stay right.

You'll find some more useful drills that can help you further here:

http://www.free-online-golf-tips.com/cure-a-golf-slice.html

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HOW TO FIX A PUSH-SLICE

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If most of your bad shots fall under ball flight #2 above, then you also need to learn how to control the rotation of your hands and forearms through impact.

It's also worth determining your swing path and you can do that by hitting shots off a grass practice area and checking your divots. If your divots point left of target you know you're swinging on an out-to-in line. Divots pointing right of target means you have an in-to-out swing path (a slight in-to-out swing path is not bad thing).

STEP 1 - Check your set up.

See Step 1 above for fixing a slice.

STEP 2 - Fix your swing path.

If, after hitting balls off grass, you determine your swing path is out-to-in, you can follow Step 2 for fixing a slice, above. If your swing path seems straight or slightly in-to-out then spend your time working on squaring the club face up through impact (see Step 3 below).

STEP 3 - Square the club face.

Whether your bad shots are slices or push-slices then you probably need to improve the rotation of your hands and forearms through impact. See Step 3 for fixing a slice, above.

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WHY MOST GOLFERS NEVER FIX THEIR SLICE

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One final point that I think is crucial to fixing your slice permanently...

Your current swing and set up, whatever they look like, have been ingrained through lots of repetition, possibly over many years. Unless you commit to a focused period of ingraining new habits, new sensations, you will always resort back to what feels comfortable... and you'll resort back to it quickly.

You don't have to spend hours at the range hitting buckets and buckets of balls to form new golf swing habits - in fact I strongly advise that you don't at first. Instead, keep a club or two lying around the house or office and work on fundamentals such as your grip, your posture, your takeaway and back swing if there's room. You can even practice all of the drills mentioned and linked to above in your back yard with air flow balls.

A couple of minutes at a time, 3-5 times a day, for just a few weeks can instil a new, highly-efficient, ultra-reliable golf swing that will have hitting the golf ball straighter and further than ever before. When you consider how many future years of enjoyment this game can bring you, I think it's well worth the effort.