How to Straighten a Slice in Golf

That frustrating, curving shot that sends your ball sailing into the right-hand trees is the bane of countless golfers. It’s called a slice, and it feels like an unsolvable problem, but I promise you it's not. Fixing a slice comes down to understanding two simple things: what your clubface is doing and the path it’s taking to the ball. This guide will walk you through the real causes of a slice and provide clear, actionable steps for your grip, setup, and swing to get you hitting powerful, straight shots.

What a Slice Actually Is (And Why It Happens)

Before we can fix the slice, we need to understand the physics behind it. Forget all the complicated jargon you’ve heard. A golf ball's flight is determined by two main factors at the moment of impact:

• Clubface Angle: This primarily dictates the ball's starting direction. If the face is pointing right, the ball will start right. If it's pointing left, the ball starts left.
• Swing Path: This is the direction your club is traveling through the impact zone. This path, relative to the clubface angle, dictates the ball's curve (or spin).

A slice is born when your swing path cuts across the ball from out-to-in while the clubface is open to that path. For a right-handed golfer, this means your club is swinging from outside your target line to the inside, with the face pointing well to the right of that path. The ball starts left (or straight) and then curves dramatically to the right due to the sidespin. The most common cause of this out-to-in path is the infamous "over-the-top" move, where your shoulders and arms start the downswing, throwing the club outside the ideal plane.

The good news? Every element of this sequence is fixable. We’ll start with the simplest adjustments first: your grip and setup.

Fix #1: Build a Slice-Proof Foundation Before You Swing

Many slicers try to fix their swing mid-motion, which is incredibly difficult. Often, the root cause is established before you even start the takeaway. By correcting your grip and setup, you can often eliminate 80% of the problem without even thinking about changing your swing.

Strengthen Your Grip to Square the Clubface

Your grip is your steering wheel. It’s the single biggest influence on where the clubface points at impact. Most slicers use what’s called a "weak" grip, where the hands are rotated too far to the left (for a righty). This position makes it very difficult to square the face at impact, it naturally wants to stay open.

The fix is to adopt a "stronger" grip. This doesn't mean you squeeze the club harder, it refers to the rotational position of your hands.

Here’s how to do it (for a right-handed golfer):

1. Lead Hand (Left Hand): Look down at your left hand on the club. You should be able to clearly see the knuckles of your index and middle fingers. Some players may even see their ring finger knuckle. If you can only see one knuckle or less, your grip is too weak. Rotate your entire hand to the right until you see at least two knuckles. The "V" formed by your thumb and index finger should point toward your right shoulder.
2. Trail Hand (Right Hand): Your right hand should also be rotated more to the right, sitting more *underneath* the grip than on top of it. The “V” formed by your right thumb and forefinger should also point toward your right shoulder, parallel to the "V" of your left hand. The crease of your right palm should fit snugly over your left thumb.

This will feel strange at first. Very strange. Stick with it. This new grip encourages the clubface to rotate closed through impact, turning that slice into a straight shot or even a gentle draw.

Set Up for an Inside Attack

Your setup influences the path your club will naturally want to take. Slicers often develop bad habits in their setup to compensate for the slice, which ironically makes it worse.

• Alignment: Slicers get so used to their ball curving right that they start aiming their feet, hips, and shoulders way left of the target. This pre-sets an out-to-in swing path, virtually guaranteeing a slice. Place an alignment stick (or another club) on the ground pointing at your target, and align your feet, hips, and shoulders parallel to it. You might feel like you're aiming to the right, but trust the alignment stick.
• Ball Position: A ball position that is too far forward in your stance can cause your shoulders to open up at address, promoting an "over-the-top" swing. for your irons, try playing the ball in the dead center of your stance. for your driver, it should be just inside your lead heel, but don’t let it creep any further forward.
• Spine Tilt: At address, feel like you tilt your spine slightly away from the target, so your right shoulder is noticeably lower than your left. This simple move presets your body to swing more from the inside, making it far easier to avoid coming "over the top."

Fix #2: Retrain Your Swing Path from Out-to-In to In-to-Out

Once your grip and setup are solid, it’s time to work on the motion itself. The goal is simple: change your swing from an over-the-top, out-to-in path to a shallow, in-to-out path. This is the path of a powerful draw.

Start the Backswing Correctly

A common mistake is ripping the clubhead inside too quickly on the takeaway. This feels like you're creating space, but it often forces you to re-route the club "over the top" to get back to the ball. Instead, focus on a "one-piece takeaway." Feel like your arms, hands, and the club move away from the ball together for the first few feet, keeping the clubhead outside your hands.

Feel the Downswing Start from the Ground Up

This is the most important feeling for curing a slice. The "over-the-top" move happens when your shoulders and arms fire first from the top of the backswing. We need to reverse that sequence.

From the top of your backswing, your very first move should be a slight "bump" of your hips toward the target. It’s a subtle shift of pressure to your lead foot. This is not a violent turn. Think of it as a small lateral slide. This move does something wonderful: it holds your shoulders back for a split second, allowing the club to naturally drop down onto an inside path, or "into the slot." The arms and hands just come along for the ride. Once the club drops, you are free to rotate your body through the shot as hard as you like.

Release the Clubhead

Many slicers are so afraid of hooking the ball that they "hold off" the release, literally trying to keep the clubface from closing. To hit it straight, you need to let the clubhead release. Through the impact zone, feel as though your right hand and forearm rotate over your left. The clubhead should feel like it's passing your hands right at the ball. A great thought is to feel like you are "shaking hands with the target" after you hit the ball, with your right palm pointing upwards and to the sky in your follow-through.

Simple Drills to Make It Permanent

Reading about the fix is one thing, but ingraining the new feelings is another. These drills will help you turn the concepts into an automatic motion.

• The Headcover Drill: This is a classic for a reason. Place your driver's headcover or a rolled-up towel on the ground about a foot outside and slightly ahead of your golf ball. If you make your old "over-the-top" swing, you’ll hit the headcover on the way down. This drill gives you instant feedback and forces you to bring the club down from the inside to avoid the obstacle.
• The Gate Drill: Place two tees in the ground just wider than your clubhead, a few inches in front of the ball, one on the inside and one on the outside of your target line. Your goal is to swing the clubhead through the gate after impact. To do this, you have to approach the ball from the inside and extend out towards the target.
• Split-Hands Drill: Take your normal grip, then slide your right hand down the shaft about six inches. Make slow, half-swings. This exaggerated grip makes you hyper-aware of your clubface. You will instantly feel how the right arm and hand need to rotate to square up the face through impact.

Final Thoughts

Fixing a slice isn't about one secret tip, it's about correcting a few fundamental chain reactions. By checking your grip to ensure it’s strong enough, setting up to promote an inside path, and focusing on starting the downswing with your lower body, you can transform that weak, curving shot into a penetrating, straight drive.

Developing these new habits on the range is step one, but trusting them on the course is where the real progress is made. Fear of the old slice can make it hard to commit to aiming down the middle or choosing the right play. This is precisely why I developed Caddie AI. Our app acts as your personal caddie, giving you on-demand strategic advice for any hole and helping you analyze tricky situations. When you can get a quick recommendation on your-on course alignment and strategy, it gives you the confidence to swing freely and trust your new-and-improved ball flight.