Slice
A stroke that imparts backspin or sidespin — and, in golf, an unintended shot that curves sharply away from the player.
Definition
In racket sports a slice is an open-faced stroke drawn under and across the ball to impart backspin, often with sidespin. In tennis the sliced backhand or forehand skids low and stays short, useful for approach shots, defensive returns, and changing pace; in table tennis a slice or chop produces heavy backspin. The low, skidding bounce forces opponents to lift the ball.
In golf the word usually names a fault, not a chosen shot: for a right-handed player a slice curves hard to the right, caused by an open clubface relative to the swing path imparting sidespin. Skilled players can also hit a controlled slice, or fade, on purpose. Because the same word means an intended shot in tennis and a mishit in golf, the sport context matters.
Meaning by sport
This term is used differently across sports:
- Tennis
- An intentional open-faced stroke imparting backspin that skids low and stays short.
- Golf
- Usually a fault — a shot curving sharply away from the player (rightwards for a right-hander) from sidespin; a controlled version is a fade.
- Table Tennis
- A chopping stroke that imparts heavy backspin, forcing a lifted return.
Where you’ll hear “slice”
Sports that use this term:
Tennis
A singles or doubles racquet sport that blends agility, strategy and stamina on court.
Golf
A precision target sport played across an outdoor course, blending skill, strategy and a long walk in the open air.
Table Tennis
A fast, low-impact indoor racquet sport that sharpens reflexes and is easy to start.
Padel
A sociable, doubles-first racquet sport played in an enclosed court where the walls stay in play.
How it connects
The meaning-bearing relationships that place Slice in the wider knowledge graph — each one with the reason it exists.
Commonly confused with
Close enough to be mixed up — the distinction is worth knowing.
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Equipment
Techniques
- Golf Full SwingThe complete rotational swing used for tee shots and longer approach shots, from setup through backswing to a balanced finish.
- Spin in table tennisWhy table tennis is a spin sport before it is a speed sport — how topspin, backspin and sidespin change a ball's flight and its bounce off an opponent's bat.
- Flat, slice and kick servesThe three serves and what actually separates them — the contact point on the ball and the toss that makes it possible — plus what each one does to the ball after it bounces.
- The slice in tennisThe underspin stroke that changes a rally's height and pace — how slice keeps the ball low, when it is defensive and when it is an attack, and what it does on different surfaces.
- Padel BandejaA controlled overhead shot in padel, hit with slice and moderate pace to keep the player at the net without over-committing.
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How this page is maintained
- Content type
- Term
- Provenance
- Tier A — evergreen educational
- Verified external sources
- 0
- Content updated
- 2026-09-01
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