Nothing sinks that feeling of excitement on the tee box faster than watching your ball slice helplessly to the right. It’s a frustrating and all-too-common problem, but it’s one you can absolutely fix. This guide will walk you through the real reasons your golf swing sends the ball right and give you clear, actionable steps to start hitting straighter, more powerful shots.
Before we can fix the problem, we need to properly diagnose it. A ball that ends up right of your target usually gets there in one of two ways. You need to know which one is yours, because the fixes are slightly different.
Take a moment to picture your typical miss. Does it curve wildly, or does it fly straight but offline? Knowing this is the first step, because a slice is almost always a clubface problem combined with a swing path issue, while a push is primarily a swing path problem.
Let's get this out of the way first: a slice is physically caused by an open clubface at impact relative to your swing path. Think of the clubface like a tennis racket. If you hit the ball with the face pointing to the right, it’s going to put sidespin on the ball, making it curve right. For 90% of golfers struggling with a slice, an open clubface is the main culprit.
So, what causes that face to be open?
The way you hold the club is the steering wheel for your shot. The most common cause of an open face is a grip that is too "weak" - meaning your hands are rotated too far to the left (for a right-handed player) on the handle.
When your hands are in this position, their natural tendency during the speed of the downswing is to return to a position that leaves the clubface wide open. You are setting yourself up for failure before you even start the swing.
Let’s build a better grip that encourages a square clubface.
This will feel strange at first. Very strange. But stick with it. This neutral position gives your hands a fighting chance to deliver a square clubface at impact without you having to manipulate it.
Your swing path is the direction your club is traveling as it approaches the ball. For a slice, the common flaw is an "out-to-in" path. This is also called coming "over the top."
Imagine two lines running from behind the ball, through the ball, and towards your target - like railroad tracks.
This move is almost always initiated by an aggressive start to the downswing with the upper body - your shoulders and arms spin open too early, throwing the club "over the top." In contrast, a push is often caused by a swing path that is too much "in-to-out," without the clubface getting squared up in time.
We need to retrain your swing to approach the ball from the inside. This will not only straighten out the ball flight but will also generate more power.
Sometimes, the problem isn’t our dynamic swing at all, it’s our static setup. Many golfers carefully aim their clubface at the target, but then unconsciously align their bodies to compensate for a slice, which only makes the slice worse.
A common fault is aiming the clubface at the target but aiming your feet, hips, and shoulders way to the left. The idea is that you'll "play for the slice." But what this actually does is promote the very out-to-in swing path we just talked about. Your body is essentially pre-programmed to swing across the line.
Conversely, some players who hit a push are simply aimed right from the start. They think they're square, but their entire body is pointed at the right rough.
Proper alignment is non-negotiable for straight shots.
Do this diligently on the driving range. It will train your eyes to see what true parallel alignment feels like, so you can take it to the course.
Where you place the ball in your stance has a huge effect on both clubface and path. If the ball is too far back in your stance (closer to your trail foot), your club doesn’t have enough time to square up. Your club path will also tend to be more in-to-out, which, combined with an open face, is the perfect recipe for a push or a block.
As a general rule of thumb for consistency:
By keeping your ball position consistent for each club type, you allow the club the proper amount of time and space to return to a square position at impact.
Fixing a shot that goes right boils down to two things: squaring the clubface and getting your swing path on a more neutral or inside track. Start by checking your grip and setup - these are static fixes that can have a massive impact. From there, work on the feeling of starting your downswing with your lower body to prevent that "over the top" move.
Understanding these concepts is the first step, but seeing your own swing is where real progress is made. For that, we built Caddie AI to act as your personal coach right in your pocket. You can get instant, actionable feedback by analyzing your swing videos or even get a second opinion on a tricky lie just by snapping a photo. It’s designed to help you diagnose your own patterns - like whether your miss is a push or slice - so you can focus on the right fix and start playing with game-changing confidence.
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