Why Does My Golf Drive Fade to the Right?

Nothing deflates a perfect tee box situation faster than watching your golf ball start down the fairway, only to take a sharp, unapologetic turn to the right and land in the trees or the next fairway over. If that sounds familiar, you're in the right place. This frustrating shot, often called a slice, is the most common miss for amateur golfers, but it’s completely fixable. This article will walk you through the most common reasons your drive fades to the right and give you clear, actionable steps to start hitting straighter, more powerful drives.

First, is it a "Fade" or a "Slice"?

In golf, words matter. It's smart to quickly understand the difference between these two terms. A fade is a controlled shot shape that gently moves from left to right in the air. Many professional golfers play a fade intentionally because it can be reliable and soft-landing. A slice, on the other hand, is an uncontrolled, exaggerated left-to-right curve that robs you of distance and accuracy. For most right-handed amateur golfers struggling with a ball that goes right, the real problem is a slice. For the rest of this guide, when we talk about fixing that "fade," we’re really talking about taming that wild slice.

At its core, a slice is almost always caused by a simple rule of physics: at the moment of impact, your clubface is open (pointing to the right of your swing path). This open face imparts left-to-right spin on the ball, causing it to curve. The bigger question is why your clubface is open at impact. Let’s look at the main culprits, starting with your setup.

Checking Your Grip: The Steering Wheel of Your Swing

Your hands are your only connection to the golf club, so how you hold it has a massive influence on the clubface. A slice is often the result of what’s called a "weak" grip. This doesn't mean you aren't holding it tightly enough, it refers to the position of your hands on the club. A grip that's too weak makes it very difficult to square the clubface at impact.

What a "Weak" Grip Looks Like

A weak grip is when your hands are rotated too far to the left (for a right-handed golfer). Here’s a simple check:

1. Set up to the ball and look down at your left hand. If you can only see one knuckle - or none at all - your grip is likely too weak.
2. Look at the "V" formed by your left thumb and index finger. In a weak grip, this V will often point straight up or even toward your left shoulder.

How to Neutralize Your Grip

We want to get to a neutral or slightly "strong" position. A strong grip isn't about pressure, it's about rotating your hands slightly to the right on the handle. This position makes it much easier for your hands to naturally release and square the clubface through the impact zone.

• Left Hand Check: When you grip the club with your left hand, you should be able to look down and see at least two, and maybe even three, knuckles.
• The "V" Check: The "V" formed by your thumb and index finger on your left hand should point toward your right shoulder or even just outside of it.
• Right Hand Position: Let your right hand sit on the side of the club so the "V" aformed by your right thumb and index finger also points toward your right shoulder. The middle of your right palm should cover your left thumb.

Heads Up: If you've been playing with a weak grip for a while, this new position will feel strange. It might even feel like you’re going to hook the ball. Trust it. Hit some easy shots at the range to get comfortable with the feel. Building a solid grip is the foundation for getting rid of your slice for good.

Your Alignment and Ball Position

Often, golfers with a slice try to compensate for it in their setup without even realizing it. They might align their body to the left of the target, hoping to give the ball room to curve back. Sadly, this usually makes the problem worse.

The Railroad Track Analogy

Think of your setup as a set of railroad tracks. One rail is the line for your feet, hips, and shoulders. The other parallel rail is the target line, where you want the ball to start. Both tracks must point in the same direction.

• Slicer’s Mistake: Aiming the body line (your feet and shoulders) far to the left of your target line. This open alignment forces the club to swing from out-to-in, cutting across the ball - a major cause of a slice.
• The Fix: Get behind the ball and pick an intermediate target just a few feet in front of it, on a direct line to your intended target. Now, walk into your setup and align the clubface squarely to that intermediate target. Finally, set your feet, hips, and shoulders parallel to this target line. An alignment stick on the ground is an excellent tool for practice.

Driver Ball Position

With a driver, the ball position is farther forward than with an iron. The standard recommendation is to place the ball in line with the heel or armpit of your lead foot (your left foot for righties). If the ball gets too far forward, you may make contact while the clubface is already starting to swing back to the left (closing), meaning it was wide open at the bottom of your swing arc. Check that your ball position hasn't crept too far forward.

Fixing the Slice Swing Motion: The "Over the Top" Problem

If your grip and alignment are sorted, the next major area to inspect is your swing shape. The classic slicer’s swing is an "out-to-in" path, often called coming "over the top."

What Does "Over the Top" Mean?

This happens when, on your downswing, your shoulders and arms lunge forward toward the ball, pushing the club outside the correct swing plane. From this position, the only thing the club can do is slice across the ball from outside of the target line to inside of it. When that out-to-in path combines with an open clubface, you get that massive, weak slice.

The root cause is almost always trying to muscle the ball with your arms and shoulders instead of using your body to generate power. A proper downswing starts from the ground up: your hips begin to unwind, creating space for your arms and the club to drop down into the "slot" and approach the ball from the inside.

Drills to Promote an "In-to-Out" Swing Path

1. The Headcover or Water Bottle Drill

This is a fantastic drill for providing immediate feedback.

• Place your driver's headcover (or a spare water bottle) on the ground about a foot or so behind and a few inches outside your golf ball.
• The goal is to hit the ball without hitting the headcover.
• If you swing over the top, you will inevitably smash the headcover on your downswing. To avoid it, you are forced to drop the club down on an inside path. This immediately gives you the feeling of hitting the "inside" quadrant of the golf ball.

2. The "Right Fielder" Feeling

This is a simple mental cue. Imagine you're standing at home plate with a baseball bat.

• To get rid of your slice, you need to feel like you're trying to hit the ball to the "opposite field" - for a right-handed golfer, this means right field.
• Setting up to your golf ball, get the sensation that you are swinging the clubhead out toward right field through impact. This thought encourages an in-to-out path and helps the body release the club properly instead of cutting across it.

3. Body Rotation is the Engine

Remember, your golf swing should be a rotational action. The slice is often a failure to rotate properly. A lot of golfers get to the top of their swing and then throw their arms and shoulders at the ball first. This is a sequence killer.

Instead, feel the downswing starting with your lower body. As you finish your backswing, the first move down should be a small shift of pressure to your lead foot, followed by the unwinding of your hips. This "unwinding" creates the power and, more importantly, drops the club into the correct inside path. Focus on turning your belt buckle to the target through impact. When your body leads, the arms will follow, eradicating that over-the-top motion.

Final Thoughts

That frustrating fade - or more likely, a slice - isn't a permanent part of your game. It’s a problem with a cause and effect, usually stemming from an open clubface that comes from a faulty grip, poor alignment, an over-the-top swing path, or a combination of all three. Start by systematically checking your grip and setup, then work on creating an in-to-out swing path using the drills we covered.

Working on your own can still feel like guesswork at times. If you’re struggling to figure out if your issue is path or face, or just want expert advice simplified for your game, our app Caddie AI acts as your personal coach right in your pocket. We designed it to give you the on-demand, clear advice that used to be reserved for pros. You can ask anything about your swing mechanics or even snap a picture of a tough lie on the course and get instant strategy, so you can stop guessing and start playing with clarity and confidence.