What Driver to Use if I Have a Slice in Golf?

Fighting a slice can feel like a lonely, frustrating battle on the golf course. That banana-ball that peels off into the right-hand trees (for a righty) can wreck a scorecard and your confidence. The good news is that you don't have to fix it with lessons alone, modern driver technology is specifically designed to help you. This guide will walk you through exactly what features to look for in a driver to tame your slice and will also provide a few simple setup adjustments to help you find the center of the fairway again.

What Causes a Slice in the First Place?

Before we can find the right tool for the job, we need to understand what's actually happening at impact. In simple terms, a slice is caused by a clubface that is open in relation to your swing path when it strikes the ball. Think about it: if you swing the club from "outside-to-in" (a common path for slicers) and the face is pointed to the right of that path, the ball is going to have a ton of left-to-right spin imparted on it. That's your slice.

For most amateurs, this happens for a few common reasons:

• The "Over-the-Top" Move: This is the classic slicer's swing. Your first move in the downswing is with your shoulders and arms, throwing the club out and away from your body, causing it to cut across the ball from the outside.
• A Weak Grip: This isn't about how hard you hold the club. A "weak" grip means your hands are rotated too far to the left (for a righty) on the club. This makes it very difficult to square the clubface at impact, naturally leaving it open.
• Poor Setup and Alignment: Many slicers subconsciously aim way left to account for their slice. Ironically, this encourages an even more severe "over-the-top" move as you have to swing back towards the target, making the slice even worse.

While equipment won't entirely fix a major swing flaw, it can absolutely neutralize the small misses and make the big ones much more playable. Let’s look at the technology that can help.

Driver Features That Fight a Slice

When you're shopping for a "slice-killer" driver, you're not looking for one specific brand or model. Instead, you're looking for specific features that promote a draw (right-to-left ball flight). Here's exactly what to ask for and look for.

Feature #1: Draw-Bias Weighting

This is the most common and effective anti-slice technology. A draw-bias driver has more weight positioned internally closer to the heel of the clubhead (the part closest to the shaft). This small shift in the center of gravity (CG) does two very helpful things:

1. It makes the clubhead easier to rotate. The heavier heel helps you close the toe of the club through impact more easily, helping square up that open face.
2. It promotes a more in-to-out swing path by making the clubhead feel a bit different and encouraging a better release.

Many major manufacturers make specific "MAX D," "MAX Draw," or "D-Type" versions of their flagship drivers. These are fantastic starting points for any golfer in the market for a slice-fighting driver.

Feature #2: An Adjustable Hosel

That little cuff where the shaft enters the aclubhead is called the hosel, and on most modern drivers, it's adjustable with a wrench. This is a powerful tool. By turning the hosel, you can change the driver’s loft, lie angle, and face angle.

To fight a slice, you’ll want to make a couple of key adjustments:

• Close the Face Angle: Most adjustable hosels have a "Draw" setting. This pre-sets the clubface to a slightly closed position at address. When you make your normal swing, this helps counteract your tendency to have it open at impact.
• Make the Lie Angle More Upright: Setting the hosel to "Upright" lifts the toe of the driver up at address. This tiny change promotes a draw-spin on the ball. For many players, this is just as effective as closing the face.
• Add Loft: More loft creates more backspin. More backspin helps reduce the amount of sidespin that causes the ball to slice. Many players who slice use drivers with too little loft (like 8 or 9 degrees). Moving to a 10.5-degree or even a 12-degree driver and adjusting the hosel to add *even more* loft can produce a dramatically straighter, higher ball flight that stays in play.

Feature #3: Movable Weights

Some drivers take adjustability to the next level with sliding weights or interchangeable weights on the sole of the club. The principle is the same as internal draw-bias weighting, but it gives you control over the CG.

Here’s what you do: If your driver has a sliding weight track on the back, simply loosen the weight with your wrench and slide it all the way to the "Draw" or heel-side setting. This moves the CG closer to the heel, making it easier to close the face and encouraging a draw.

Feature #4: The Right Shaft

The shaft is the engine of the club, and having the wrong one can easily cause a slice. The key attributes to consider are flex and torque.

• Shaft Flex: A shaft that is too stiff for your swing speed won't "kick" or bend enough at impact. This causes you to lose clubhead speed and often leaves the face lagging open, resulting in a slice to the right. If your average drives are under 2_4_0 yards, you likely should be using a Regular flex shaft, not a Stiff one. Don't let ego get in the way of a good equipment fit.
• Shaft Torque: Torque is a measure of how much a shaft twists during the swing. A shaft with a higher torque number will twist more easily, while a lower torque shaft resists twisting. For a slicer, a lower torque shaft can sometimes help because it resists the clubface twisting into an open position at impact. However, flex is generally the more important factor to get right first.

Quick Setup Tips to Go with Your New Driver

As a coach, I have to be clear: a new driver is a massive help, but it's a bandage, not a total cure. Pairing the right tech with a couple of small setup changes will give you the best, most permanent results. Here are two simple adjustments to make before you swing.

Tweak #1: Strengthen Your Grip

Your grip is the steering wheel of the club. Look down at your grip at address. If you can only see one knuckle on your top hand (the left hand for a righty), your grip is likely too "weak" and promoting an open face.

_The Fix:_ Simply rotate your top hand more to the right on the grip until you can clearly see two, or even three, knuckles. Then, place your bottom hand on the club so the palm of your right hand covers your left thumb. This 'stronger' grip position will make it far more natural for you to release the club and square the face through impact.

Tweak #2: Check Your Body Alignment

As mentioned earlier, slicers tend to aim their body left, which just makes the slice worse. It's time to get square.

_The Drill:_ On the driving range, put one alignment stick (or another golf club) on the ground pointing directly at your target. Now, place another stick parallel to the first one, just inside the ball, pointing at the same target. Your feet should be lined up perfectly parallel to these sticks. It will feel like you’re aiming to the right of your target, but you’re not - you’re aiming square. This proper alignment encourages a swing path that comes more from the inside, a key ingredient to hitting that powerful draw.

Final Thoughts

To cure your slice, you need a two-pronged attack: matching the right driver technology to your swing faults and making small but sound adjustments to your fundamentals. Finding a driver with draw-bias weighting, adjustability, and the right shaft can instantly make your misses more playable and bring a new level of confidence to the tee box.

Of course, once you have the right club in hand, effectively applying what you've learned on the course and range is the next step. This is where I find a tool like Caddie AI becomes incredibly useful. You can get instant, expert-level feedback and strategy right when you need it. If you step up to a tricky par 4 with trouble down the right, you can ask for a smart game plan to avoid your slice. Or, if you're practicing and your grip still feels a bit off, you can ask for a quick reminder on proper hand position, getting a simple, clear answer to build a more consistent swing.