How to Fix a Pull Slice in Golf

A pull slice is one of the most frustrating shots in golf, sending your ball starting left of the target only to watch it curve weakly back to the right. It feels powerless, looks ugly, and wrecks your scorecard. This guide will walk you through, step-by-step, not only why this ball flight happens but the concrete, feel-based drills to eliminate it from your game for good.

What a Pull Slice Really Is (And Why You Hit It)

That banana-shaped shot that starts left and then peels off to the right isn't just one problem - it's two problems happening in a single swing. To fix it, you need to understand both parts:

1. The "Pull": This is your initial ball direction. It happens because your club is swinging "out-to-in" across the ball at impact. Imagine standing on a dinner plate, your target is at 12 o'clock. An "out-to-in" path means the club travels from 1 o'clock, across the center, and finishes toward 7 o'clock. This path cuts across the ball and sends it flying left of your target line.
2. The "Slice": This is the spin that makes the ball curve. For a right-handed player, a slice is left-to-right sidespin. This happens because your clubface is open relative to the out-to-in swing path you just made. So, while your path is sending the ball left, the angled clubface is imparting spin that makes it bend back to the right.

The number one culprit behind this destructive combination is a move Gallaher's on every social media feed: the dreaded "over-the-top" swing. It’s an almost instinctual urge to hit the ball hard from the top, causing your upper body - shoulders and arms - to lurch forward and throw the club outside the correct swing plane. We'll show you how to fix that for good.

Your Three-Step Plan to Eliminate the Pull Slice

Fixing a swing fault is about addressing the root causes, not just patching the symptoms. We’ll start with the fundamentals a your grip and setup - because they set the stage for your entire swing. Then we will move on to the main event: re-routing your swing path.

Step 1: Check Your Grip - The Steering Wheel of Your Swing

Your grip has a massive influence on the clubface. If the clubface is the reason your ball is slicing, your grip is almost certainly contributing. A "weak" grip, where your hands are rotated too far to the left (for a right-handed golfer), makes it very difficult to square the clubface at impact. It naturally wants to stay open.

The Two-Knuckle Checkpoint:

• Take your normal stance with your lead hand (left hand for righties) on the club.
• Look down. You should clearly be able to see the knuckles on your index and middle fingers. If you only see one knuckle or even none, your grip is likely too weak.
• The "V" formed by your thumb and index finger should point toward your trail shoulder (your right shoulder for a righty). If it's pointing more at your chin or left shoulder, it’s too weak.

To Make it Stronger: Simply rotate your lead hand slightly to the right on the grip until those two knuckles are visible. It will feel strange at first - that's normal! A correct golf grip feels odd because we don't hold anything else like it. The point is not to feel comfortable initially, but to give yourself a mechanical advantage to deliver a square clubface.

Step 2: Correct Your Setup and Alignment

Golfer psychology is funny. When we see the ball slicing right, our instinct is to aim further left to compensate. You might think, "If it's going to curve right, I'll just start it way left." Unfortunately, this is one of the worst things you can do. By opening your shoulders and feet to aim left, you are actively encouraging an out-to-in swing path, adding fuel to the pull-slice fire.

The Two-Stick Alignment Drill:

1. Grab two alignment sticks (or two golf clubs).
2. Place the first stick on the ground, pointing directly at your target. This is your ball-to-target line.
3. Place the second stick parallel to the first, just inside the golf ball. Your feet should be set up parallel to this second stick. Your hips and shoulders should also be parallel to it.

This simple check provides an undeniable visual for whether you're aimed correctly. Often, pull-slice-sufferers will find their body is aimed far left of the target, forcing them into a chopping, over-the-top motion just to get the club back to the ball. Squaring up your entire body - feet, hips, and shoulders - to your target line is a non-negotiable step in creating an efficient, repeatable swing.

Step 3: Fix Your Swing Path & Kill the "Over-the-Top"

With a solid grip and square setup, it’s time to tackle the swing itself. The over-the-top move happens in the transition, the moment the backswing finishes and the downswing begins. Instead of the lower body initiating the turn, the upper body rushes, throwing the arms and club "over" the ideal swing plane and causing that out-to-in path.

The goal is to shallow the club, allowing it to drop slightly behind you and approach the ball from the inside.

Drill 1: The Headcover Blocker

This is a classic for a reason - it gives you instant, physical feedback.

• Address a ball as you normally would.
• Place a spare headcover (or a rolled-up towel) on the ground about a foot outside of your golf ball and slightly behind it.
• Your task is simple: hit the golf ball without hitting the headcover.
• If you swing over the top, your out-to-in path will cause you to hit the headcover on the way down. To avoid it, you have no choice but to drop the club into the "slot" and approach the ball from an inside path. This drill forces the feeling of an in-to-out swing.

Drill 2: The Pump Drill for Proper Sequencing

This drill trains the correct downswing sequence, teaching your lower body to lead the way.

• Take your normal backswing and pause at the top for one second.
• From the top, initiate a small downswing motion by shifting your weight to your lead foot and turning your hips slightly, allowing your hands to drop just to about waist height. This is "Pump 1."
• Return to the top of your backswing. Repeat the move. "Pump 2."
• Return to the top again. "Pump 3."
• On the third pump, continue the motion all the way through to impact and finish your swing.

This slow-motion repetition ingrains the feeling of the lower body pulling the arms and club through, rather than the upper body throwing them. It replaces the rushed, anxious energy of an over-the-top lunge with a powerful, connected unwinding from the ground up.

Drill 3: The Trail-Arm Tuck

A huge part of coming over the top is letting your trail elbow (right elbow for a righty) fly away from your body at the start of the downswing. Keeping it connected promotes that desirable inside path.

• Place a small towel or an empty golf glove under your trail armpit.
• Take slow, three-quarter practice swings. Your goal is to keep the towel pinned under your arm throughout the backswing and, most importantly, into the downswing.
• As you begin your downswing, you should feel that trail elbow driving down toward your right hip, keeping the towel in place. You will feel how this keeps the club "behind" you instead of being cast out in front.
• You can even hit soft shots with this drill once you get the hang of it. It’s a powerful feel for staying connected.

Final Thoughts

Stopping a pull slice comes down to fixing two things: a swing path that moves out-to-in and a clubface that's open to that path. By strengthening your grip, squaring your alignment, and using drills to re-route your swing from the inside, you are attacking every single element of this shot-destroying ball flight. Be patient, focus on the feeling of these new movements, and you will replace that weak fade with a powerful, repeatable golf shot.

As you work on these swing changes, knowing whether you're on the right track can be difficult. If you find yourself on the course slipping into old habits, or if you're facing a tough shot and not sure how to apply these new thoughts, our app, Caddie AI, offers real-time, on-demand support. You can get instant strategy for any hole or even snap a photo of a tricky lie to ask how best to play it. It's like having a personal coach right in your pocket, ready to provide clarity and remove the guesswork, so you can play with more confidence as you improve.