Watching your drive sail helplessly to the right is one of golf’s most deflating feelings. Whether it’s a giant, looping slice or a frustrating push, the result is the same: you’re probably starting the hole from the rough, the trees, or even out of bounds. This article will walk you through the most common reasons your drive goes right and provide you with practical, step-by-step fixes to get your ball flying straight and long down the middle.
Before we can fix the problem, we need to understand it. That frustrating rightward shot usually comes in two forms for a right-handed golfer:
While an arsenal of swing flaws can contribute, the physics are quite simple. In almost every case, a shot that ends up right of the target is caused by an open clubface at impact. If the face is pointing right when it meets the ball, the ball will go right.
The difference between a slice and a push comes down to your swing path. If you have an "out-to-in" swing path (the club comes from outside the target line and cuts across the ball) combined with an open face, you create the sideways spin that produces a slice. If you have an "in-to-out" swing path with that same open face, you get a push. We're going to tackle all of these elements, starting with the most fundamental connection you have to the club: your hands.
Your grip is the steering wheel for your entire golf shot. It has an enormous influence on where the clubface is pointing at impact. The most frequent grip error among golfers who slice is a "weak" grip. Don't mistake "weak" for a lack of pressure, it's about the rotational position of your hands on the club. A weak grip is when your hands are rotated too far to the left (for a righty), which makes it very difficult to square the clubface through the swing.
Let's build a straighter, more powerful grip right now.
Take your normal stance and let your left arm hang naturally by your side. Notice how your palm isn't facing the target, but is turned slightly inward. We want to replicate this natural position on the club.
Just like with the left hand, let your right arm hang naturally to see its position. Now, bring it to the club.
A Quick Warning: If you've been using a weak grip for a long time, this new grip will feel bizarre. It might feel like you're going to hook the ball a mile to the left. Stick with it. This feeling is a good sign that you are making a meaningful change. Hit short shots at the range to get accustomed to it before you start swinging with the driver.
Your address position programs your swing before you even take the club back. Poor setup habits are a major contributor to a rightward miss, often forcing you into subconscious compensations that produce a slice.
Many slicers, out of habit, aim their bodies far to the left of the target to account for the slice. This only encourages and deepens the "over-the-top," out-to-in swing path. The solution is to learn what square alignment actually feels like.
Try this drill: Take two alignment sticks (or two golf clubs) to the range. Place one on the ground pointing directly at your target - this is your clubface and ball-to-target line. Place the second stick parallel to the first, just inside the ball, along the line of your toes. Your feet, hips, and shoulders should all be set up parallel to this second stick. This will feel very "closed" or aimed to the right at first, but this is the correct, neutral alignment we need to build from.
With an iron, you might place the ball in the middle of your stance, but the driver is different.
This is it - the main engine of the slice. The "over-the-top" swing is when you initiate the downswing with your arms and shoulders, throwing the club out and away from your body. This puts the club on a path that moves from outside the target line to inside, cutting across the ball and imparting that nasty slice spin. We need to reverse this sequence, teaching the club to approach the ball from the inside.
The feeling we are after is that the downswing starts from the ground up: your hips lead, followed by your torso, then your arms, and finally the club. This proper sequencing drops the club "into the slot" on the correct inside path.
This provides instant feedback. Tee up your ball as usual. Then, place your driver's headcover on the ground about a foot outside of your golf ball and slightly ahead of it. If you make your old over-the-top swing, you will clobber the headcover on the way down. Your one and only goal is to hit the ball while missing the headcover. In order to do this, you must drop the club to the inside. When you can consistently miss the headcover, you are on your way to an inside swing path.
To break a habit, you often need to feel an exaggeration of the opposite movement. Head to the range and feel like you're intentionally trying to swing the clubhead out towards right field (for a baseball fan) or a 1 o'clock direction if the target is 12 o'clock. This will feel dramatic and strange, and you might even hit some big pushes or hooks at first. That's a great sign! It means you've successfully changed your path. From there, you just need to work on learning how to release the clubface to straighten out that initial direction, which brings us to our final step.
Changing your grip and swing path gets you 90% of the way there, but you still need to deliver a square clubface to the ball. A lot of golfers with an open clubface are trying to "steer" or "guide" the ball with their hands and arms held rigidly through impact. Great drivers don't steer, they release the club.
Releasing is the natural rotation of your forearms and hands through the impact zone. Don't think of it as a violent, forced flip of the hands. Instead, imagine you are skipping a stone or throwing a ball underhand towards the target. Your arm and hand wouldn't stay stiff, they would rotate naturally. It's the same feeling in the golf swing. As you rotate your body through the shot, allow your right arm to straighten and your right hand to rotate over your left through impact. When your hands and arms are relaxed, this happens automatically as a result of a good body turn.
Fixing a slice or a push to the right boils down to checking a few fundamental parts of your swing. By developing a neutral grip, setting up correctly, and learning to swing from the inside out while allowing the club to release, you change the very dynamics of your impact. Be patient with these changes, it takes practice to overwrite old habits.
Of course, sometimes feeling the right move in your own swing can be challenging, and personalized feedback makes all the difference. That's why we built Caddie AI. Think of it as your on-demand golf coach, available 24/7 in your pocket. If you're struggling on the range and want a specific drill for your 'over-the-top' move, or you’re on the course feeling stuck on a tricky shot, you can get instant, expert advice to guide you. It’s designed to take the guesswork out of your game so you can play with more confidence and start hitting those fairways.
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.
