Why Do I Always Hit the Golf Ball to the Right?

There's no feeling in golf quite like it - the perfect setup, a confident swing, and then watching helplessly as your ball begins a relentless curve to the right, landing in the trees, a bunker, or out of bounds. If you're constantly fighting that slice or a dead push, you aren't alone. This is arguably the most common and confidence-draining problem that weekend golfers face. This guide will walk you through exactly why your ball is going right and provide clear, actionable steps and drills to straighten out your ball flight for good.

First, Is It a Slice or a Push?

Understanding *how* your ball is going right is the first step in diagnosing the problem. While both shots end up right of your target (for a right-handed golfer), they have different root causes.

• The Push: This shot starts right of your target and flies relatively straight, continuing on that initial line. It never curves back toward the target.
• The Slice: This is the big, banana-shaped shot. It might start straight, or even a little left of your target, but then it curves dramatically to the right in the air.

The slice is far more common, but both are born from a similar place: the relationship between your clubface and your swing path at the moment of impact. Let's get to the bottom of it.

The Real Reason Your Ball Goes Right: An Open Clubface

At its core, a golf shot that veers right is caused by a single, critical error: the clubface is open at impact. Think of the clubface as the rudder for the golf ball. The direction it's pointing when it makes contact has the biggest influence on where the ball starts and how it spins.

For a slicer, the problem is compounded. A slice is born from a dreaded combination: an out-to-in swing path paired with a clubface that is open to that path. Essentially, you're swinging the club across the ball from the outside toward your body, swiping across it with an open face. This imparts sidespin, causing that nasty rightward curve.

A push happens when your swing path is going too far "in-to-out" (or straight down the line) but your clubface is still pointing right of your target at impact. The path is telling the ball to go straight, but the open face Rudder sends it right.

So, the mission is simple: we need to figure out why your clubface is open and why your path might be cutting across the ball. Here are the most common culprits, starting with what you're holding in your hands.

Fix #1: Correct Your Grip, Your Swing's Steering Wheel

Your grip is the only connection you have to the golf club. If it isn't right, you’ll spend your entire swing trying to compensate, usually without success. An improper grip is the number one cause of an open clubface.

The fault we typically see is a "weak" grip. This doesn't mean your grip pressure is too light, it's about the positioning of your hands on the club. In a weak grip, the hands are rotated too far to the left (for a righty).

How to Check for a "Weak" Grip:

1. Set up to the ball as you normally would.
2. Look down at your left hand (your lead hand).
3. How many knuckles can you see? If you can only see one knuckle, or perhaps none at all, your grip is likely too "weak." This position makes it very difficult for your wrists to release naturally through impact, leaving the clubface open.

The Fix: Strengthening Your Grip

What we want is a "neutral" to slightly "strong" grip. This position promotes a natural squaring of the clubface through impact.

Step-by-Step Guide to a Neutral Grip:

• Start Fresh: Take your left hand and place it on the side of the grip so that you can clearly see at least two, maybe even two-and-a-half, knuckles on the back of your hand.
• Mind the "V": The "V" formed by your thumb and index finger on your left hand should point somewhere between your right ear and your right shoulder. If it's pointing at your chin, your grip is likely too weak.
• Add the Right Hand: Now, bring in your right hand. The "V" formed by your right thumb and index finger should also point toward your right shoulder. You want the palm of your right hand to "cover" your left thumb, fitting snugly on the side of the handle. Many players with a slice have their right hand slipped too far underneath the club.

A quick warning: Changing your grip will feel extremely strange at first. It might feel like you're going to hook the ball a mile left. Trust it. This feeling is a sign that you are making a meaningful change. Hit short shots to get used to it before taking full swings.

Fix #2: Cure Your "Over-the-Top" Swing Path

The "over-the-top" move is the slicer's official signature. It’s what causes that out-to-in swing path we talked about. It happens during the transition from the backswing to the downswing.

Driven by an urge to create power, many golfers start their downswing by aggressively throwing their right shoulder and arms at the ball. This forces the club onto a steep, outside path, effectively "coming over the top" of the proper swing plane. From this position, the only way to hit the ball is to cut across it, which adds that sidespin that causes a slice.

The secret is to remember that the golf swing is a rotational action, powered by your body, not just your arms. The downswing should start from the ground up - with a "bump" of the hips toward the target, which properly drops the club "into the slot" on an inside path.

Drill: The Towel Under the Arm

This is a classic for a reason. It stops you from throwing your arms away from your body at the start of the downswing.

1. Take a small hand towel and tuck it under your right armpit (for righties).
2. Take slow, half-swings. Your goal is to keep the towel pinned between your arm and your chest throughout the backswing and into the downswing.
3. If the towel drops, it's likely because your right arm straightened and moved away from your body at the start of the downswing - the classic "over-the-top" move.
4. This drill forces you to keep your arms connected to your body and promotes a swing that is driven by your body's rotation.

Drill: The Headcover Gate

This drill gives you instant, undeniable feedback on your swing path.

1. Address a ball on the range.
2. Place one headcover or empty sleeve of balls about a foot outside your ball and a few inches back.
3. Place another headcover about a foot inside your ball and a few inches forward.
4. You've created a "gate" that your club must swing through. If you come over the top, you'll hit the outside headcover. Your goal is to swing MISSING the outside one and swinging out toward the inside-forward one. This forces an inside-to-out path.

Fix #3: Check Your Alignment and Setup

Sometimes, the slice becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. When you chronically slice the ball, you unconsciously start aiming your body far to the left of the target to compensate. You think, "If I aim left, my slice will just bring it back to the fairway."

The problem is that aiming your body (feet, hips, and shoulders) left while keeping the clubface aimed at the target only makes your out-to-in swing path worse. You are essentially pre-setting the slice. Good alignment feels like standing on a set of railroad tracks. Your feet, hips, and shoulders are on the inside rail, aligned parallel-left of the target. The clubface and golf ball are on the outside rail, aimed directly at the target.

A Simple Alignment Check:

1. Pick out an intermediate target: a spot on the ground just a couple of feet in front of your golf ball that is directly on a line to your real target. An old divot, a discolored patch of grass, anything will do.
2. First, aim your clubface directly at this intermediate target.
3. Then, and only then, set your feet, hips and shoulders parallel to that line. It's much easier to align yourself to something a few feet away than to a target hundreds of yards away.

Also, pay attention to your ball position. Playing the ball too far forward in your stance for your irons can also promote an open face as you haven't had time to rotate your body enough to square the club.

Final Thoughts

Stopping that nagging slice or push really comes down to mastering two things: controlling your clubface and training a better swing path. By addressing your grip, eliminating the over-the-top move, and ensuring your alignment is sound, you are attacking the root causes of the problem, not just the symptoms. Remember that any change will feel strange at first, so be patient, start slow, and trust the process.

We know that translating swing thoughts from a blog to the course can be a challenge. With so many variables, it's having that expert second opinion that makes all the difference. That’s why we built Caddie AI. When you're standing over a tough tee shot, you can ask for a smart strategy to avoid slice-prone trouble. Or, if you’re stuck by your ball in a terrible lie, you can even snap a photo and get instant advice on how to play the shot. It’s like having a 24/7 personal coach ready to answer any question, helping you both on and off the course to understand your game better and finally play with more confidence.