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The slice is probably one of the most common swing flaws for amateurs. It is an outside-to-inside swing path that creates side spin on the golf ball.

The side spin causes the ball to cut hard to the side, making it a very frustrating day on the course. It also seems to be one of the most difficult swing flaws to fix.

There have been hundreds of so-called golf training aids that guarantee to cure your slice. And I am sure we have all bought or thought about buying one of these gadgets after a frustrating day on the course.

Some of these golf-training aids do help you to cure your slice; others do not.

In addition to golf training aids, there have been countless articles written about the golf slice.

These articles discuss the slice in-depth and oftentimes provide 'fixes' for the golf slice.

If you've been a golfer for any amount of time, I am sure you've come across at least one or two of these articles. Maybe you have even tried to implement some of the suggested fixes into your golf swing. Some of these golf swing fixes may have helped, others maybe not.

I am committed to improving your golf game. And I believe it is fundamentally a process of improving both the body and swing.

As a result, I am committed to providing you cutting-edge, researched, and PGA-Tour-proven information in the areas of golf instruction, golf fitness, and golf swing improvement.

Providing information on curing swing flaws like the slice is no different. Recently, some research from the University of North Carolina provided some interesting information on curing the slice.

A Professor from UNC and the head teaching pro from Pinehurst (venue of the 2005 US Open) performed a series of research studies on the golf swing slice.

These researchers took a group of golfers prone to slicing the golf ball through a battery of tests. These tests were to determine the best swing drills to the cure the dreaded slice.

Golf swing drills, in general, break down the golf swing into manageable parts to allow an individual to work on a specific part of the swing.

It is very difficult, as we all know, to work on 'fixing' your swing when performing a full swing. It becomes too much for the brain and body to process.

It is usually best to break down the swing into parts and implement drills that work on specific parts of the swing. This allows you to simplify the process, fix the area of the swing that needs work, and eventually bring it back into the full golf swing.

Back to the research project on the slice and the swing drills. After the process of taking these amateur golfers through this battery of swing drills, the researchers found that two swing drills were of the greatest benefit.

These two drills apparently showed the greatest effect on assisting the amateur golfer prone to slicing to fix such a problem.

The first drill that showed benefit was the 'toe-in drill.' This drill apparently placed the golfer in the correct positions during the swing to assist in curing the slice.

The second drill was the 'split hand.' This drill helped the amateur 'feel' the correct release of the club and the swing path of the club.

Again, both of these drills during this research project indicated the greatest amount of help to the amateur in the attempt to cure the slice.

What points of validity can we draw from this research project? Obviously, the 'split hand' and 'toe-in drill' are beneficial in assisting an amateur golfer with the slice.

Secondly, it probably indicated that there are many swing drills and possibly training aides that are not beneficial to amateur golfer.

This points to the idea that the amateur golfer must understand the swing in order to decipher what are the best drills for their swing.

Finally, it indicates that proper swing mechanics are necessary for fundamental success on the golf course.

Obviously, a poor golf swing will result in poor play on the golf course.

Implement this and other information provided by BioForce Golf to help you develop a better golf swing.

Sean Cochran