Golf Tuition: How to Stop a Slice

That slicing golf shot that peels off to the right and lands in the trees is one of the most frustrating shots in golf, but it's also one of the most fixable. Slicing the ball isn't a sign of a bad golfer, it's just the result of a specific mismatch between your clubface and your swing path. This guide will walk you through exactly why the slice happens and give you a clear, step-by-step plan with practical drills to straighten out your ball flight for good.

Understanding Why You Slice the Golf Ball

Before we can fix it, we have to understand the root cause. A slice, that ugly left-to-right curve (for a right-handed golfer), is born from one essential combination: an open clubface at impact relative to an ‘out-to-in’ swing path. Let’s break that down in simple terms.

Imagine a line extending from your target straight back through your golf ball. This is your target line.

• An ‘out-to-in’ swing path means your club head is approaching the hall from outside this target line and swinging across it to the inside after impact. This is the classic ‘over the top’ move you may have heard about.
• An open clubface means the face of your club is pointed to the right of your swing path when it makes contact with the ball.

When you combine these two things, you’re essentially cutting across the golf ball, putting sidespin on it just like you would on a tennis ball to hit a slice serve. This spin is what makes the ball curve aggressively to the right. The biggest reason golfers develop this move is often from a well-intentioned but misguided feeling. They try to "steer" or "help" the ball towards the target, which causes them to lead with their arms and shoulders on the downswing, throwing the club out and away from their body. From this "over the top" position, a slice is almost inevitable. The good news is, by fixing a few fundamental pieces, we can get that path and clubface working together correctly.

The Foundation: Your Grip and Setup

The single biggest influence on your clubface is your grip. It’s the steering wheel for your entire golf shot. A faulty grip can have your clubface wide open before you even start your swing, forcing you to make compensations that often lead to slicing. Likewise, your setup can sabotage your swing path before a single muscle moves.

Checking Your Grip: From 'Weak' to 'Neutral-Strong'

Many slicers have what’s called a "weak" grip. This doesn't refer to grip pressure, but rather the positioning of the hands on the club. A weak grip is where the hands are rotated too far to the left (for a righty), which naturally encourages the clubface to open up during the swing.

Here’s how to build a stronger, more neutral grip that promotes a square clubface:

For Your Lead Hand (Left Hand for Righties):

1. Place your left hand on the club so you can look down and see at least two, or even two-and-a-half, knuckles on the back of your hand.
2. The ‘V’ formed between your thumb and index finger should point roughly towards your right shoulder or right ear.
3. For slicers, this will feel like your hand is turned much more 'on top' of the club than you're used to. Stick with it. This position gives you far better control over clubface rotation.

For Your Trail Hand (Right Hand for Righties):

1. Your right hand should cover your left thumb.
2. The ‘V’ formed by your right thumb and index finger should also point toward your right shoulder, mirroring your left hand.
3. The palm of your right hand should feel like it sits more on the side of the grip, not underneath it. Putting your hand too far underneath the club is another slice-inducing habit.

Holding the club this way might feel strange or uncomfortable at first, which is a good sign you’re making a real change. To get used to it, try taking practice swings at home while watching TV, simply building a new comfort level with the correct hand position.

Correcting Your Alignment and Stance

Many golfers who slice the ball subconsciously aim their body way to the left of the target, hoping to "start the ball left" so it can curve back to the fairway. The problem is, this only makes the slice worse. By aiming your shoulders and feet left, you create a direct path for the club to swing "over the top" and across the ball, further ingraining that out-to-in motion.

Instead, we need to get everything square:

• Clubface First: Always start your setup routine by aiming the clubface directly at your intermediate target (a leaf or spot a few feet in front of your ball) and your final target.
• Build Your Stance: Once the clubface is aimed, set your feet so that a line across your toes is parallel to your target line. Imagine you’re standing on railroad tracks - the ball is on the right rail, and your feet are on the left rail.
• Hips and Shoulders: Make sure your hips and shoulders are also parallel to this target line. A common fault is to open the shoulders towards the target at address. Feel like your chest is pointed squarely away from the target line.

Fixing the Swing Path: Inside-Out is the Goal

With a solid grip and setup, the next step is retraining your swing path. We need to eliminate that "over-the-top" motion and get the club approaching the ball from the inside of the target line. This will feel completely different, but it’s the key to hitting draws (a right-to-left curve) or straight shots.

The Problem: The 'Over-the-Top' Move

The over-the-top move happens in the transition, the moment between your backswing and your downswing. Slicers tend to initiate their downswing using their arms and shoulders, throwing the club out and away from their body. From here, the only way to get back to the ball is to swing across it on that destructive out-to-in path.

The correct sequence should be started from the ground up. The downswing is initiated by a slight shift of the hips toward the target, which then allows the torso, arms, and finally the club to follow. This "untangling" from the ground up drops the club onto an inside path naturally.

Drill #1: The Headcover Drill

This is a fantastic visual and physical tool to stop you from coming over the top.

1. Take your normal address to a golf ball.
2. Place a headcover (or a water bottle, or a second golf ball) on the ground about a foot outside of your golf ball and slightly behind it.
3. Your goal is to swing and hit the golf ball without hitting the headcover.
4. A slicer with an out-to-in path will almost always hit the headcover during their downswing. To avoid it, you have no choice but to drop the club into the "slot" and approach the ball from the inside.

When you first try this, start with slow, deliberate practice swings. Your goal isn't perfect shots right away, it’s reprogramming the path.

Drill #2: Right Elbow To The Body

This focuses on the feeling you want to have in your transition.

1. Take your normal address and make a backswing. Stop at the top.
2. Instead of making a full swing, just a practice feel: start your downswing by feeling your right elbow (for a righty) drop down towards your right hip.
3. It should feel like your elbow is trying to connect with your side as you turn. This simple move prevents the elbow from flying away from your body, which is what forces the club over the top.
4. From here, all you have to do is rotate your body through the shot. The club will be in the perfect position to deliver an inside blow to the golf ball.

A good swing thought for this is to feel like you’re "skipping a stone" or making an underhand throwing motion. That dropping action of the elbow is very similar.

Final Thoughts

Stopping a slice centers on correcting the fundamentals: ensuring your grip is neutral to strong and your body is aligned squarely to the target. From there, the key is to retrain your swing path from an "out-to-in" to an "in-to-out" motion, using simple drills to feel the sensation of the club dropping into the slot on the downswing rather than heaving it "over the top".

We believe these drills provide a clear path forward, but we also know how tough it can be to analyze and fix your swing on your own while you’re out on the course. We created our Caddie AI to act as that instant, on-demand coach. If you're struggling to diagnose your swing, you can simply ask it for the most common causes of a slice and get a clear explanation and a drill you can do right there on the range. It simplifies the process, giving you the clarity to focus on the one or two things that will really make a difference.