Glossary: Slice

The slice, a shot that starts straight and bends to the right for a right-handed golfer or to the left for a southpaw, may also be referenced as a “banana ball” (an extreme slice) or a “cut” (an intentional slice).

The word slice has ancient origins, but according to one etymology source dates back to 1886 as a golf and tennis term, one that describes the result of a swing that resembles a knife slicing a cut.

One might want to make this sort of swing to bend a shot around some trees. Otherwise the most common swing flaw is at fault: a right-to-left (or left-to-right for lefties) swing arc combined with an open face at impact.

Cures range from grip adjustment to stance to swing fundamentals. They do not include aiming more left – with a slice, that’s the equivalent of trying to offset the calories in one slice of cheesecake by eating a second.

This article first appeared in the July 2011 edition of GottaGoGolf Magazine.