What Is It Called When You Hit a Golf Ball to the Right?

When your golf ball flies off to the right, disappearing into the trees or the next fairway over, the frustration is instant. If you’re a right-handed golfer, this is one of the most common and maddening problems in the game. But what is it actually called? The truth is, there isn't just one name for it. Your ball could be slicing, pushing, or in some cases, even fading. This article will explain exactly what each of those terms means, show you what’s causing the shot, and give you clear, actionable steps to get your ball flying straight at the pin again.

The Slice: Golf's Most Common Miss

Let's start with the one most golfers are familiar with: the slice. This is the shot that follows you around the course a a painful reminder of its presence, causing big numbers on the scorecard and testing your patience. It's a ball flight you an recognize from a mile away.

What is a Slice?

A slice is a shot that, for a right-handed golfer, starts relatively straight or even slightly to the left of your target before making a dramatic right-hand turn in the air. The curvature is severe and unintentional, robbing you of both distance and accuracy. A sliced drive that starts down the middle of the fairway might end up two fairways over. Unlike a gentle, controlled curve, the slice feels powerless and out of control.

Why Does a Slice Happen?

In simple terms, a slice is caused by a lot of sidespin. This spin is put on the ball at impact because your clubface is open in relation to your swing path. Think of hitting a ping pong ball with the paddle angled to the right, the ball will spin off in that direction. The most common cause of this open face is an "out-to-in" swing path, often called an "over-the-top" move. This happens when you start your downswing with your arms and shoulders, throwing the club outside the correct path and cutting across the ball from right to left (for a righty). This combination of an out-to-in path and an open clubface is the textbook recipe for a slice.

How to Fix the Slice: Key Drills

Fixing a slice isn't about one quick tip, it's about checking a couple of fundamental parts of your swing. Here's what to look at.

1. Check Your Grip: The Steering Wheel

Your hands are your only connection to the club, and they are the primary influence on the clubface. A lot of slicers have what’s called a "weak" grip, where the left hand is turned too far to the left (under the shaft). At the top of the swing, this position makes it very easy for the clubface to open up and almost impossible to close at impact.

• The Fix: We're going to create a more "neutral" to "strong" grip. When you place your top hand (left hand for righties) on the club, you should be able to look down and see at least two knuckles.
• The "V" Check: The "V" formed by your thumb and index finger on your left hand should point towards your right shoulder. If it's pointing at your chin or left shoulder, your grip is too weak. This small change will feel strange at first, but it gives you much better control over closing the clubface through the hitting area.

2. Fix Your Swing Path: Move Around, Not Over

The "over-the-top" motion is born from the idea that the swing is an up-and-down hitting action. It’s not. The golf swing is a rotational action where the club moves around your body in a circle. You need to stop chopping at the ball and start swinging around your body.

• The Takeaway: Start your backswing by turning your chest and hips away from the ball, not by just lifting your arms. You want to feel like your arms, hands, and club are moving together with your body's turn.
• The Downswing Starter: Most slicers start the downswing with an aggressive move from their right shoulder. Instead, the first move down should be a slight shift of your weight and hips toward the target. This drops the club into the correct inside position, allowing it to approach the ball from in-to-out, not out-to-in.
• A Simple Drill: Place your headcover or a rolled-up towel about a foot outside and slightly behind your golf ball. If you come over the top, you'll hit the headcover. Your goal is to swing from the inside and miss it completely. This drill provides a physical barrier and great feedback.

The Push: Straight But Wrong

The next rightward miss is the push. It's different from a slice and often confuses golfers because the ball flies dead straight - it just flies dead straight to the a place on the right of the target.

What Is a Push?

A push is a ball that starts to the right of the target and stays on that line without any significant curve. If you’re aiming at the flag, a push will start right of the flag and land right of the flag. Unlike a slice, the ball flight is solid and there’s no big loss of power, but your aim is off.

Why Does a Push Happen?

The push is almost the opposite of a slice in terms of its cause. It happens when your swing path is directed too far to the right (or "in-to-out"), and your clubface is square to that path. So, your clubface isn't open, your entire swing is simply aimed right. Think of it like a train: both rails (path and face) are pointing in the same wrong direction.

How to Fix the Push

1. Check Your Alignment First

This sounds too simple to be the problem, but it's a huge cause of the push. Many golfers subconsciously align their feet, hips, and shoulders to the right of their intended target. You think you're aimed at the flag, but your body is actually pointed at the right greenside bunker.

• The Fix: Use two alignment sticks or extra clubs when you practice. Place one on the ground pointing directly at your target (the target line). Place the other one parallel to the first, just inside the ball, to represent your foot line. This visual guide will train your eyes to see what true parallel alignment feels like.

2. Let Your Body and Arms Finish Together

Sometimes, trying *too hard* to create an "inside" swing path leads to problems. If your hips rotate open too fast while your arms lag behind, your arms get "stuck." With nowhere left to go, the only path available is to push the club out to the right. The fix is to improve your sequencing.

• The Fix: Feel like your chest, arms, and club turn through impact together, all finishing and pointing towards the target. You shouldn't feel your body "outrace" your arms. As your body rotates through, let your arms and hands extend down the target line, not just out to the right.

The Fade: The "Good" Rightward Shot

Not every ball that goes right is a mistake. In fact, one of the most reliable shots in golf moves from left to right on purpose. Meet the fade.

What Is a Fade?

A fade is a shot that starts just to the left of the target and curves gently back, landing softly on or very near the target. It's a controlled, repeatable shot shape. Many tour pros, use a fade as their stock shot because its gentle curve and high trajectory make it predictable and easy to control, especially with irons into the green.

Fade vs. Slice: What's the Difference?

The difference is control and intention. A fade has a minimal, predictable curve. A slice has a severe, uncontrollable curve. A fade feels solid off the clubface, a slice often feels weak or off-center. If your ball starts a few yards left of the pin and lands within a few feet of it, you’re hitting a fade, not a slice. Don't try to "fix" it - embrace it as your go-to shot!

One Last Possibility: The Dreaded Shank

Though less common a recurring problem, a final rightward shot to mention is the shank. If you hit one, you'll know instantly and wonder why any sane human would do such a cruel thing. It is both a physical and psychological nightmare. And there's not worse feeling on the planet, especially when you have to then follow ut with another shot.

A shank is when you hit the ball not on the clubface, but on the hosel - the part of the clubhead where the shaft connects. The ball ricochets off this rounded piece of metal and shoots off low and violently to the right (sometimes almost at a 90-degree angle). It feels awful, sounds worse, and usually goes nowhere.

Shanking is often caused by your weight moving towards your toes or closer to the ball during the downswing, exposing the hosel. The simplest drill to stop this is to place an object (like a water bottle) just outside your golf ball. Your goal is simply to miss the bottle as you swing. This forces you to stay centered and creates space for your hands and arms, getting the sweet spot back on the ball.

Final Thoughts

From the wild slice to the straight push and the beautiful fade, hitting the ball to the right isn't a one-size-fits-all problem. By identifying your specific ball flight, you can start to understand the root cause - whether it's an open clubface, an off-kilter swing path, or poor alignment. Tackling just one issue at a time is the proper way to see stable, and lasting improvement.

Figuring out exactly why your ball is heading right can be a challenge when you're on the course or at the range by yourself. Sometimes you just need an expert eye to spot the real cause. With our personal golf coach, Caddie AI, you have that expert in your pocket 24/7. You can ask why you’re hitting a slice and get simple, tailored advice based on proven swing principles, or even take a photo of a poor lie in the rough to learn the smartest way to recover. It's designed to take the guesswork out of your game so you can play with more confidence and clarity.