19th Hole Golf T-Shirt
$27.95 – $31.95FacebookTweetPinLinkedInEmailPrintThe funny Here For the 19th Hole unisex soft-style t-shirt puts a new spin on casual comfort for golfers and as a gift for golf lovers. .: Made with 100% ring-spun cotton, a lightweight fabric (4.5 oz/yd² (153 g/m²)), this unisex t-shirt feels like a bliss to wear all year round. .: The classic fit […]
Arnold Parred Here Golf T-Shirt
$27.95 – $31.95FacebookTweetPinLinkedInEmailPrint The funny unisex Arnold Parred Here soft-style t-shirt puts a new spin on casual comfort for golfers and as a gift for golf lovers. .: Made with 100% ring-spun cotton, a lightweight fabric (4.5 oz/yd² (153 g/m²)), this unisex t-shirt feels like a bliss to wear all year round. .: The classic fit with […]
Augusta Golf T-Shirt
$27.95 – $31.95FacebookTweetPinLinkedInEmailPrint The funny Unisex Rose Napped at Augusta soft-style t-shirt puts a new spin on casual comfort for golfers and as a gift for golf lovers. .: Made with 100% ring-spun cotton, a lightweight fabric (4.5 oz/yd² (153 g/m²)), this unisex t-shirt feels like a bliss to wear all year round. .: The classic fit […]
Bad Lies Golf T-Shirt
$27.95 – $31.95FacebookTweetPinLinkedInEmailPrint The funny Unisex Bad Lies Have Been Told soft-style t-shirt puts a new spin on casual comfort for golfers and as a gift for golf lovers. .: Made with 100% ring-spun cotton, a lightweight fabric (4.5 oz/yd² (153 g/m²)), this unisex t-shirt feels like a bliss to wear all year round. .: The classic […]
Nothing hurts scoring more than an uncontrollable slice off the tee. Since ball construction affects shot shaping and curvature, many golfers believe softer golf balls promote slicing. Is this really true?
Let’s examine what causes slicing, how ball compression and cover hardness influence flight, and whether softer golf balls do tend to slice more.
What Causes a Slice?
First, it helps to review what causes a sliced golf shot in general. Slices occur when the clubface is open relative to the target line at impact. This imparts counter-clockwise sidespin on the ball, sending it veering right (for righties).
Common swing flaws that cause slices include:
- Over the top swing path across the ball from outside-in.
- Scooping or flipping the wrists through impact.
- Releasing the club too early.
- Striking the ball on the heel of the clubface.
- Grip and alignment issues.
While equipment like balls can impact flight, the swing itself is the ultimate cause of slicing. So if you battle a habitual slice, lessons, and practice will help more than different balls.
How Ball Construction Impacts Shots
The compression, cover material, core design, and dimples of a golf ball do influence performance, including ball flight laws. Here are some general effects of ball construction:
- Softer compression – Generates less driver distance but more iron control and wedge spin.
- Harder covers – Produce lower spin rates on all full shots.
- Advanced cores – Optimize energy transfer for speed and low drag.
- Dimple patterns – Sustain velocity for carry distance and stability.
Better players tend to prefer softer-feeling balls for scoring control, while weaker players opt for distance balls. But designing gear to fix swing flaws is less effective than proper technique.
Do Softer Balls Promote Slicing?
With softer balls generating more iron and wedge spin, a common belief is that they will also accentuate sidespin – worsening slices. But when we look closer, that isn’t necessarily the case.
While softer compression helps improve wedge control, driver slices are not dramatically affected. The primary factors influencing sidespin off the tee are club delivery and strike.
For most average golfers, switching to a firmer driver ball actually reduces distance without providing significant slice reduction. That’s because controlling the face and path remain paramount.
In fact, some instructors believe softer balls teach better swing mechanics. The lack of feedback with hard balls makes it harder to develop proper strikes.
Firm vs. Soft Ball Flight Characteristics
To illustrate that ball hardness alone doesn’t exacerbate slicing, let’s compare a firm 2-piece ball and a soft 3-piece model:
Firm ball
- Launches higher with less spin off the driver for distance.
- Feels hard with less greenside spin and control.
- Doesn’t guarantee straighter flight – still slices from poor strikes.
Soft ball
- Doesn’t spin excessively more off the driver.
- Spins and stops more with scoring irons and wedges.
- Provides a better feel around the greens but doesn’t slice more.
The key takeaway is that while firmer and softer balls do perform differently, controlling the face and path through impact has a far greater effect on shot shape and slicing.
Additional Factors Influencing Fade and Draw
Besides technique and mechanics, some other factors also impact how much balls draw or fade:
- Clubhead design affects gear effect and face closure.
- Shaft flex influences swing plane and delivery.
- Lie angle and strike location change curve and sidespin.
- Equipment setup like loft and weighting tweaks shot shaping.
- Environmental factors like wind and humidity alter curves.
So equipment does matter, but the swing and your impact remain the ultimate determinants of ball flight – not ball softness alone.
Focus on Swing Technique, Not the Ball
In summary, while softer golf balls provide more short-game control for better players, they do not inherently exacerbate slicing issues.
Firmer distance balls mask mishits but still, fly off-line with poor delivery. Softer balls provide better feedback.
Rather than assuming equipment changes will straighten your shots, the key is getting fit for a properly aligned driver and learning better swing technique through lessons, training aids, and practice drills.
If you do struggle with a slice, try a quality lesson package first. Then get fit for clubs optimized to your swing before experimenting with different balls. With improved fundamentals and smarter gear, you can control your ball flight with any type of ball.
19th Hole Golf T-Shirt
$27.95 – $31.95FacebookTweetPinLinkedInEmailPrint The funny Here For the 19th Hole unisex soft-style t-shirt puts a new spin on casual comfort for golfers and as a gift for golf lovers. .: Made with 100% ring-spun cotton, a lightweight fabric (4.5 oz/yd² (153 g/m²)), this unisex t-shirt feels like a bliss to wear all year round. .: The classic […]
Arnold Parred Here Golf T-Shirt
$27.95 – $31.95FacebookTweetPinLinkedInEmailPrint The funny unisex Arnold Parred Here soft-style t-shirt puts a new spin on casual comfort for golfers and as a gift for golf lovers. .: Made with 100% ring-spun cotton, a lightweight fabric (4.5 oz/yd² (153 g/m²)), this unisex t-shirt feels like a bliss to wear all year round. .: The classic fit with […]
Augusta Golf T-Shirt
$27.95 – $31.95FacebookTweetPinLinkedInEmailPrint The funny Unisex Rose Napped at Augusta soft-style t-shirt puts a new spin on casual comfort for golfers and as a gift for golf lovers. .: Made with 100% ring-spun cotton, a lightweight fabric (4.5 oz/yd² (153 g/m²)), this unisex t-shirt feels like a bliss to wear all year round. .: The classic fit […]
Bad Lies Golf T-Shirt
$27.95 – $31.95FacebookTweetPinLinkedInEmailPrint The funny Unisex Bad Lies Have Been Told soft-style t-shirt puts a new spin on casual comfort for golfers and as a gift for golf lovers. .: Made with 100% ring-spun cotton, a lightweight fabric (4.5 oz/yd² (153 g/m²)), this unisex t-shirt feels like a bliss to wear all year round. .: The classic […]
