Watching your golf ball start right and curve even further right is one of the most frustrating feelings in the game. That banana ball, otherwise known as a slice, can turn a promising round into a long day of frustration. The good news is that you don't have to live with it. This guide is going to break down exactly why your ball is going right and give you a clear, step-by-step plan - from your grip to your swing - to straighten out your shots for good.
Before we can fix the problem, we need to understand what’s causing it. For right-handed golfers, a ball that flies right is usually one of two shots: the Push or the Slice. While they look similar, they have different causes rooted in a simple physics relationship between your club path and club face.
For the vast majority of amateur golfers fighting the rights, the slice is the main enemy. The rest of this guide is going to focus on fixing the core components that lead to that over-the-top, slicing motion and the open clubface that goes with it.
Think of your grip as the steering wheel for your golf club. Because your hands are your only connection to the club, how you hold it has a massive influence on where the clubface is pointing at impact. An improper grip is often the first domino to fall in creating a slice.
The most common grip fault for slicers is a "weak" grip. In golf terms, "weak" doesn't mean your grip pressure. It refers to the position of your hands on the club. A weak grip is one where the hands are rotated too far to the left (for a right-handed player).
Set up to the ball and look down at your lead hand (your left hand for a righty). How many knuckles can you see?
For your trail hand (right hand), it should fit comfortably on the side of the grip, with the "V" apor on that hand also pointing towards your right shoulder. This more "neutral-to-strong" hand position makes it much easier to naturally square the clubface at impact without any extra manipulation.
Moving to a stronger grip will feel extremely strange at first, which is completely normal. Stick with it at the range, and you’ll soon find it much harder to leave the clubface open.
Your golf swing starts before you even take the club back. A poor setup can doom your shot from the beginning, often forcing you into positions that promote a slice. Here are the three most important areas to check.
This is a trap many slicers fall into. Because you know the ball is going to curve right, you start aiming your body far to the left of the target to compensate. The problem is, this actually makes your slice worse. When your body is aimed left but you need to hit the ball toward the target (which is to your right), the only way to do that is to swing across your body line from outside-to-in - the very definition of a slice swing.
The Fix: Use an alignment stick or a second golf club on the ground. Place one stick on the ground pointing at your target (your ball-to-target line). Then, place a second stick parallel to the first, just inside the ball, representing where your feet should be aimed. Your feet, hips, and shoulders should all be parallel to the target line, not pointing at the target itself. This concept is just like standing on a set of railroad tracks.
Where the ball is in relation to your feet also plays a big role. A common fault is playing the ball too far forward in the stance, especially with a driver. When the ball is too far forward, your body has already fully rotated open by the time you reach the ball, leaving the clubface lagging behind and pointing right.
A Simple Guide:
To hit powerful, straigt shots, you need to rotaur body. A slouched or overly rigid posture restricts your ability to turn properly. This forces your arms tod take over, leading to an over-the-top move.
The Fix: Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Bend forward from your hips (not your waist), pushing your rear end back until your arms can hang naturally and comfortably beneath your shoulders. There should be a slight flex in your knees. You should feel relaxed but athletic, ready to turn, not chop.
Alright, this is the main event. Correcting your grip and setup are incredibly important, but the slice won’t truly disappear until you fix the swing path. The "over-the-top" motion is the ultimate slice killer.
So, what is it? It’s when the first move in your downswing is to throw the club *outside* or *away* from your body, causing the club to travel on an steep, out-to-in path through the ball. It almost always happens because a player initiates the downswing with their arms and shoulders instead of their lower body.
The goal is to reverse this sequence. We want the downswing to start from the ground up, with the club dropping to the *inside* and approaching the ball from a shallower angle. This is what the pros refer to when they talk about "staying connected" or "swinging from the inside."
Knowing you need to swing from the inside is one thing, actually doing it is another. The feeling is completely foreign to a lifelong slicer. The following drills are designed to help you feel the correct motion and retrain your swing path.
This is a classic for a reason - it gives you instant, undeniable feedback.
An over-the-top swing is often powered by a massive lunge with the upper body. This drill removes that lunge and forces you to stay balanced.
Eliminating that shot to the right really comes down to mastering a few fundamentals. It's about ensuring your grip isn't working against you, building an athletic and aligned setup, and, most importantly, learning to swing the club from the inside out instead of from the outside in. Be patient, commit to the changes, and use the drills to build the right feelings.
Of course, it’s not always easy to diagnose your own swing or know the right strategic play when you're on the course. Taking newfound swing thoughts into the heat of a round can feel overwhelming. That’s why we designed Caddie AI. If you find yourself in a tricky spot due to a bad lie in the rough or you’re unsure how to approach a hole because you're worried about missing right, you can describe the situation or even snap a photo of your ball, and get instant, smart advice on the best way to play the shot with confidence.
Thinking about hosting a golf tournament fundraiser is the first swing, executing it successfully is what gets the ball in the hole. This guide will walk you through the entire process, step-by-step, from laying the initial groundwork months in advance to watching your happy golfers tee off. We’ll cover everything from securing sponsors and setting your budget to planning the on-course fun that makes an event unforgettable.
A golf handicap does more than just give you bragging rights (or a reason to demand strokes from your friends) - it’s the game’s great equalizer and the single best way to track your improvement. This guide breaks down what a handicap is, how the supportive math behind a handicap index a is, and exactly how you can get one for yourself. We’ll look at everything from Course Rating to Adjusted Gross Score, helping you feel confident both on the course and in the clubhouse.
The compression of a Pinnacle Rush golf ball is one of its most defining features, engineered specifically to help a huge swath of golfers get more distance and enjoyment from their game. We'll break down exactly what its low compression means, who it's for, and how you can use that knowledge to shoot lower scores.
Figuring out which spikes go into your new (or old) pair of Puma golf shoes can feel like a puzzle, but it’s much simpler than you think. The key isn't the brand of the shoe, but the type of receptacle system they use. This guide will walk you through exactly how to identify your Puma's spike system, choose the perfect replacements for your game, and change them out like a pro.
The Golf Genius app is one of the best tools for managing and participating in competitive golf events, but figuring it out for the first time can feel like reading a new set of greens. This guide cuts through the confusion and shows you exactly how to use the app as a player. We’ll cover everything from logging into your tournament and entering scores to checking the live leaderboard so you can enjoy the competition without any tech headaches.
Walking onto the first tee with sweaty palms, worried you’ll be a good partner to paly wtih...or even asked back again ...We’ve all been there - trust me! The real trick of feeling confortable... is about how you handle you’re ready to plsy. THIS guide explains the simple rules of the rode to show you hnow t play golf while staying calm relaxed and focused... an having much morse fun while you,',re aat it? You'll also play with confidence a dn make fiendsa while you're at i
Just ask a question or share a photo and Caddie gives personalized guidance for every shot - anytime, anywhere.
