How to Stop Cutting Across the Golf Ball

That frustrating, weak shot that sails off to the right (for a right-handed golfer) and robs you of distance almost always comes from one common flaw: cutting across the golf ball. It’s an incredibly frequent miss, but the good news is that it’s fixable. This tutorial will break down exactly why you cut across the ball and give you simple, actionable drills to straighten out your ball flight, add power, and build a swing you can trust.

What "Cutting Across the Ball" Actually Means

Before we can fix the problem, we need to understand it. When a coach says you're "cutting across" the ball, they're talking about your swing path. For a powerful, straight shot, you want the clubhead to travel from inside the target line, to the ball, and then back to the inside after impact. This is called an "in-to-out" or "in-to-square-to-in" swing path.

A cut, or slice, happens because of the opposite: an out-to-in swing path. This means that during your downswing, the clubhead approaches the ball from outside the target line and then moves across it to the inside after impact. It’s a glancing blow, not a solid, compressive strike. Think of it like trying to slice a thin piece of tomato - you cut across it. When you hit a golf ball this way, you impart sidespin that causes the ball to curve to the right.

This out-to-in motion is almost always caused by a very common sequence flaw we call coming "over the top."

The Main Culprit: The "Over-the-Top" Downswing

So, where does that out-to-in path come from? In 9 out of 10 cases, it begins right at the transition from backswing to downswing. Most amateur golfers, in an effort to generate power, initiate the downswing with their upper body. They instinctively think that hitting the ball hard means using their hands, arms, and shoulders first.

What happens when you do this? As you get to the top of your backswing, your right shoulder (for right-handers) will lunge forward towards the ball. This aggressive upper-body move forces the club out of its proper plane, pushing it "over the top" of the ideal path. From this position, the only way to get the club back to the ball is to swing down on a steep, out-to-in path. The result? A weak cut or a big slice. It’s a desperate athletic move, but it’s completely wrecking your impact.

To stop cutting the ball, you must learn to reroute the club from the inside. The feeling you want is the opposite: you want your arms and the club to feel like they are dropping down behind you as your lower body begins to unwind.

Drill: The Headcover Guard Rail

This is one of the most effective drills for fixing an over-the-top move and developing the feel of an inside path. It provides instant feedback without you even having to think too much.

• Setup: Place your ball on the ground as you normally would. Now, take a spare headcover (or an empty range basket) and place it on the ground about 6-8 inches outside of your golf ball and about 6 inches behind it. It should sit just outside your target line.
• The Goal: Your mission is simple: swing and hit the golf ball without hitting the headcover.
• The Feedback: If you make your usual over-the-top, out-to-in swing, you will inevitably hit the headcover on your downswing. The obstacle 'guards' the outside path, forcing you to find a different route to the ball.
• The Feeling: To avoid the headcover, you’ll have to let your arms drop more vertically as you start the downswing, allowing the club to approach the ball from the inside. You’ll feel the club approach the ball from behind you, rather than out in front of you. Start with slow, half-swings, just chipping shots away, to feel the club swinging under the invisible barrier. As you get more comfortable, you can build up to fuller, faster swings. This drill single-handedly re-patterns your swing path. Spend a full practice session with this guard rail in place, and your body will start to understand the new-and-improved path.

The Second Key: Controlling the Clubface

Changing your path is a giant leap forward, but it’s only half the equation. It's possible to swing from the inside and still slice the ball if your clubface is open at impact. In fact, if you fix your path to be in-to-out but leave the face wide open, you might hit an even bigger slice (what we call a "push-slice").

The clubface is the steering wheel of your shot. Your swing path determines the starting curve, but the orientation of the face at the moment of impact largely dictates the ball's initial direction. For a straight shot, you need an inside path and a square clubface at impact.

What causes an open clubface? More often than not, it traces back to your grip - the only connection you have to the club.

Fixing Your Grip for a Square Face

Many slicers have what instructors call a "weak" grip. This doesn't refer to grip pressure, but to how the hands are positioned on the club. A weak grip is one where the hands are rotated too far to the left (for a right-handed player) on the handle. This position makes it very difficult to square the clubface at impact, your hands will naturally want to return to their starting position, leaving the face open.

Here’s how to check for a more "neutral" grip that promotes a square face:

1. The Top Hand (Left Hand for Righties): When you place your left hand on the club, you should be able to look down and comfortably see at least two knuckles on the back of your hand. If you can only see one (or none), your hand is too far under the grip (too weak).
2. The "V" Check: The "V" formed by your thumb and index finger on your top hand should point somewhere between your right ear and your right shoulder. If it's pointing at your chin, your grip is too weak.
3. The Bottom Hand (Right Hand for Righties): The right hand should sit on the club so its palm essentially mirrors the angle of the clubface. It shouldn't be too far underneath the club. It should cover the thumb of your top hand. The "V" on this hand should also point toward your right shoulder.

Making a grip change will feel bizarre at first. It will take hundreds of reps for it to feel natural, but it is one of the most important fundamenals you can work on. Stick with it.

The Engine: Driving the Swing with Your Body

You can know all about paths and faces, but if you don't use your body correctly, your old slicing motion will always creep back in when you try to hit the ball with any speed. Why? Because an upper-body dominant swing is often a compensation for a lower body that isn't doing its job.

A powerful, on-plane golf swing is not initiated by the arms, but from the ground up. The correct downswing sequence is:

1. Hips begin to rotate open toward the target.
2. Torso and shoulders follow the hips.
3. Arms and club are the last parts of the chain to fire.

This sequence creates lag and allows the club to naturally drop into "the slot" on an inside path. A slicer’s sequence is the exact opposite: shoulders and arms first, with the hips stalling. This lack of rotation leaves no room for the arms to drop, forcing them to come over the top.

Drill: The Step-Through Sequence

This drill is fantastic for feeling the proper lower-body-led sequence.

• Address the ball normally: But instead of having your feet shoulder-width apart, bring your right foot (for right-handers) back so it's next to your left foot. You'll feel a bit like you're getting ready for a Happy Gilmore swing.
• The Backswing: As you start your backswing, take a natural step to the right with your right foot, planting it in its normal, shoulder-width position.
• The "Step": As you reach the top of your backswing, initiate the downswing by taking a step forward with your left foot, planting it toward the target.
• The Swing: Allow your arms to follow this forward momentum, swinging through to a full finish.

You cannot come over the top while doing this drill. The act of stepping forward forces your lower body to lead the sequence, leaving an enormous amount of space for your arms to sweep the club down and through from the inside. It makes the correct sequence feel obvious and athletic. After a few of these, go back to a normal stance and try to replicate that same feeling of your lower body leading the charge.

Final Thoughts

Fixing your cut isn't magic, it’s a mater of systematically addressing the root causes. By retraining your swing to come from the inside, ensuring your grip encourages a square face, and learning to power the swing with your body, you can transform that weak slice into a powerful, confident draw.

Putting these pieces together takes committed practice, but getting targeted, specific feedback on what you’re doing is what turns effort into real improvement. To support you on this, we've built Caddie AI to act as your personal, on-demand golf expert. If you’re at the range trying the headcover drill, you can film your swing and ask our AI Coach to analyze your swing path. It can tell you in seconds if you’re still coming over the top. Or, if you're on the course stuck with a tricky lie that often leads to a slice, you can snap a photo and get instant advice on the smartest way to play the shot, helping you avoid the big mistakes and build confidence right where you need it most.