Why Does Your Golf Ball Slice?

By Mark Pearson – PMG Academies & GOLFiN Indoor Performance Centre, Knaresborough

If you’ve ever watched your ball start straight… then peel off hard to the right (for a right-handed golfer), you’re not alone.

The slice is the most common fault in golf.

But here’s the truth most golfers never get told:

A slice isn’t random. It’s data.

1. Face to Path — The Real Cause

The biggest factor in a slice is Face to Path.

This is simply:

• Where the clubface is pointing to the right at impact vs

• The direction the club is travelling (club path)

  
  

The golden rule:

👉 The face controls start direction👉 The path controls curve

So when you slice it:

• Clubface is open to the right of the path

• Ball starts slightly right…

• Then curves further right

  
  

Example:

• Path = -4° (out to in)

• Face = +2° (even more right)

➡️ That difference creates spin that curves the ball right.

2. Centredness of Strike — The Hidden Killer

Even if your face and path are decent…

👉 Where you strike the ball on the clubface can still create a slice.

Heel strike = Slice spin

• Striking the ball out of the heel

• Creates gear effect

• Adds right spin (for right-handers)

So you might think:

“My swing feels good… why is it still slicing?”

Because:👉 Strike location matters as much as swing direction

3. The Problem — You Can’t See This Yourself

Here’s where most golfers struggle:

• You can’t see face angle

• You can’t measure path

• You can’t detect strike patterns consistently

So what happens?

👉 You guess👉 You try random fixes👉 You make it worse

4. How to Actually Fix It (Properly)

The only way to fix a slice properly is through measured feedback.

At PMG & GOLFiN, we use:

• TrackMan data

  • Face angle

  • Club path

  • Face to path

  • Strike location

• Video from two angles

  • Face-on

  • Down-the-line

• AI analysis tools

  • Highlight patterns instantly

  • Remove the guesswork

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5. The Smarter Way to Improve — Shot Analysis Session

This isn’t a lesson.

👉 It’s the smartest practice session in golf.

The GOLFiN Shot Analysis Session:

• Hit shots in a premium indoor environment

• Every swing recorded (video + data)

• TrackMan AI highlights your patterns

• Full report of your session

• Clear understanding of:

  • Why you slice

  • What causes it

  • What actually needs to change

No confusion. No guesswork.

Final Thought

A slice is a relationship problem between:

• Face

• Path

• Strike

Understand those three…

And you don’t just fix your slice —you start to control your golf ball.

If you want to finally understand your ball flight:

Book a GOLFiN Shot Analysis Session today.