How to Fix a Lefty Golf Slice

Watching your golf ball start left and then veer aggressively to the right into the trees is one of the most disheartening sights in golf. That lefty slice robs you of distance, sends your scores soaring, and can make you question why you even play this game. This article will break down exactly what causes the dreaded lefty slice, and more importantly, provide you with a clear, step-by-step plan to turn that weak banana ball into a powerful, straight shot or even a gentle draw.

What Actually Causes a Lefty Slice?

Before we fix the problem, we need to understand what’s actually happening. A slice is not some random, mysterious curse - it's a direct result of physics. For a left-handed golfer, a slice (a ball that curves hard from left to right) is caused by a simple combination of two things:

• The clubface is open (pointing to the right of your swing path) at the moment of impact.
• The club is traveling on an "out-to-in" path, meaning it's moving from outside the target line to inside the target line as it strikes the ball.

Imagine your club ‘wiping’ across the back of the ball from right to left. That combination of an open face and an out-to-in swing path is what imparts the ugly left-to-right sidespin that sends your ball sailing into trouble. Most Band-Aid fixes only address one of these issues, but to truly fix a slice for good, we have to tackle both the path and the face angle. We’ll a start with the foundation: your setup.

Step 1: Get Your Setup Right

An incorrect setup can doom your swing before you even start your backswing. Many golfers who slice have ingrained habits at address that make an out-to-in path almost inevitable. Let’s clean it up.

Check Your Grip (The Steering Wheel)

Your grip controls the clubface. A lot of slicers subconsciously use a "weak" grip, which naturally leaves the clubface open at impact. For a lefty, a weak grip means your hands are rotated too far to the left (counter-clockwise).

• The Left Hand (Top Hand): When you place your left hand on the club, you should be able to look down and see at least two, maybe even three, knuckles. If you only see one or none, your hand is too far underneath the club. The 'V' formed by your thumb and index finger should point toward your right shoulder or even slightly outside of it.
• The Right Hand (Bottom Hand): The right hand should cover the thumb of your left hand. The 'V' formed by your right thumb and index finger should also point toward your right shoulder. This is called a "stronger" grip, and it will help you naturally square - and even close - the clubface through impact without extra manipulation.

Fair warning: If you're used to a weak grip, this new position will feel incredibly strange. Stick with it. Hit short, easy shots at the range until it starts to feel normal. This is the steering wheel of your golf shots, and getting it right is non-negotiable.

Check Your Alignment (The GPS)

Here's a common trap for slicers: you know the ball is going to curve right, so you instinctively aim your body further and further left to compensate. This makes the problem worse! Aiming left pre-sets an out-to-in swing path. You’re essentially aiming your body down the left foul line and then cutting across the ball to try and make it go toward the center fielder.

The solution is to learn what square alignment feels like.

• Get an Alignment Stick: Place one alignment stick on the ground pointing directly at your target. Place your second alignment stick parallel to the first, a foot or so closer to you.
• Set Your Feet: Your toes should be aligned with the stick closer to you.
• Check Hips and Shoulders: Now, here’s the important part. Your hips and shoulders should also be parallel to those sticks. Most slicers open their shoulders at address, pointing them well left of a target. Get the feeling of keeping your shoulders square or even slightly "closed" (aimed a little right of the target). This will make it much easier to swing the club from the inside.

Step 2: Fix Your Swing Path (From Out-to-In to In-to-Out)

With a better setup, we can now start working on the swing path itself. Our goal is to reverse that out-to-in motion and create a feeling of swinging from the inside.

The "Swing to Right Field" Feeling

For a lefty, your main swing thought on the downswing should be to swing the club out towards “first base” or right field (from a baseball batter's perspective). You want to feel like the club is moving away from your body and out toward the right side of the fairway through impact, not cutting sharply back to the left. This will feel strange, like you're going to push the ball way right, but when paired with the stronger grip you’re now using, the clubface will rotate and square up, producing a straight shot.

Drill: The Gate Drill

This is one of the best drills to fix an out-to-in path. You can use two headcovers, two water bottles, or even two towels.

1. Set up to a ball you're going to hit.
2. Place one headcover on the ground a few inches outside the target line and a few inches ahead of your golf ball.
3. Place the second headcover a few inches inside the target line and a few inches behind your golf ball.
4. You’ve now created a “gate” that your club must swing through. To hit the ball without striking either headcover, your club must approach from the inside (missing the rear headcover) and exit on an outward path (missing the front headcover).

Start with slow, half swings. The immediate feedback is powerful. If you hit the front headcover, you're still swinging out-to-in. If you hit the one behind the ball, you're taking it back too far inside (a less common issue for slicers).

Initiate with the Lower Body

The classic out-to-in move often starts with the shoulders and arms unwinding aggressively from the top - often called coming "over the top." A powerful, in-to-out swing starts from the ground up.

At the top of your backswing, your first movement should be a slight shift of your weight onto your front foot (your right foot) and a rotation of your hips toward the target. This simple move gives your arms the time and space to 'drop' down into the correct inside path, rather than being thrown out and away from your body. Feel like your back stays facing the target for just a split second longer as your lower body begins to unwind.

Step 3: Learn to Square the Clubface

Fixing the path is a huge part of the solution, but even an in-to-out path will produce a push or a "push slice" if your clubface remains open at impact. The stronger grip helps immensely here, but we also need to learn how to properly 'release' the club.

Releasing the club simply means allowing your forearms to rotate naturally through the impact zone. Slicers often try to "hold" the face square, ironically preventing it from squaring up at all. A great feeling is to imagine your right forearm rotating to the left over your left forearm as you swing through impact. It’s not something you force, but something you allow to happen.

Drill: Split-Hand Swings

1. Take your normal address position.
2. Slide your right hand (bottom hand) down the shaft about four or five inches. There will be a gap between your hands.
3. Make some easy, hip-to-hip high practice swings.

With this split grip, you will feel much more acutely how your right hand and forearm help the club "turn over" through the impact area. It encourages the feeling of a proper release. After a few practice swings, put your hands back together and try to replicate that same sensation of rotation as you hit a ball.

Final Thoughts

Fixing a lefty golf slice comes down to breaking old habits and building a new swing based on solid fundamentals. By addressing your grip, alignment, and practicing drills that promote an in-to-out swing path, you can eliminate that frustrating left-to-right curve and replace it with a powerful, reliable ball flight.

Having a personal coach to provide objective feedback can make this process so much faster. I am excited to work on Caddie AI because our goal is to give you that expert guidance anytime you need it. You can ask for drills to fix your slice while you're at the driving range, get a personalized practice plan, or even snap a picture of a tough shot on the course to get immediate strategic advice, which helps you commit to a smarter play and hit every shot with more confidence.