How to fix a slice in golf: the real causes and a step-by-step fix

How to fix a slice in golf

A slice is the ball that starts out and curves away to the right until it finishes off the fairway (for a right-handed player). It is by some distance the most common fault in amateur golf, and also one of the easiest to understand once you know what produces it.

Warning up front: aiming further left makes a slice worse. It is everybody's instinctive reaction and it is exactly the wrong move. Here is why.

---

What causes a slice: two numbers and nothing else

The curve on a golf ball is determined by only two things at impact:

1. The clubface — where it points.
2. The swing path — the direction the club is travelling.

The ball starts where the face points and curves according to the difference between the two.

A slice happens when the clubface is open relative to the swing path. That is it. Everything else is a cause of that.

And here is the trap: if you aim further left to compensate, your swing travels even more from out to in. The gap between face and path widens and the ball curves more. That is why an amateur's slice gets worse session after session.

---

Diagnose yours in 30 seconds

Watch where the ball starts, not where it finishes:

The ball starts...	and curves right	Diagnosis
Left of target	Yes	Pull slice — badly out-to-in path. The most common
Straight at target	Yes	Slice — face open to both target and path
Right of target	Yes	Push slice — face very open. Usually the grip

This is not academic detail: all three are fixed differently. If you have a pull slice and you work on your grip, nothing will improve.

---

The four causes, in order of frequency

(01) A weak grip

The number one cause and the easiest to fix.

A weak grip is one where the hands are rotated too far left on the handle. From there the clubface physically cannot close in time at impact.

How to check: take your address position and look down at your left hand (right-handers). You should see two or three knuckles. If you can only see one, your grip is weak.

The fix: rotate both hands slightly right on the handle until you see those two or three knuckles, and check that the "V" formed by thumb and index finger on both hands points towards your right shoulder.

It will feel very strange for two or three sessions. That is normal. And it is usually 60 % of the solution.

(02) An out-to-in path

The club comes down from outside the line and cuts across the ball. That generates sidespin — the kind that sends the ball right and costs you distance at the same time.

It nearly always starts in the same place: beginning the downswing with the shoulders. The right shoulder throws forward and drags the club outside.

The fix: the downswing starts from the ground up. Weight moves to the left foot first, then the hips turn, and the arms and club arrive last. It is not a movement you can think your way through mid-swing; you train it with the drills below.

(03) Alignment

Many players believe they are aiming at the target when they are actually aiming 20 metres right. The body compensates with an out-to-in move to bring the ball back, and that produces the slice.

The fix: lay a club on the ground parallel to your target line, pointing at your feet. Always practise with that reference. It is boring and it works.

(04) Ball position and the driver

With a driver the ball sits forward, in line with the left heel, on a high tee. If you have it centred, you arrive at impact still descending and with the face open.

If your slice appears only with the driver and not with your irons, this is almost certainly your cause.

---

Five drills to eliminate it

(01) The tee gate. Push two tees into the ground forming a corridor slightly wider than the clubhead, oriented on the correct swing direction. Come in out-to-in and you will knock the outer tee over. Immediate feedback, no coach required.

(02) The reference ball. Place a second ball (or a soft object) about 15 cm outside and behind your golf ball. If your path is out-to-in, you will hit it. It forces you to attack from the inside.

(03) Feet-together swings. Ten balls with your feet touching, half swing. It is impossible to throw the shoulders without losing balance, so the body learns the correct sequence out of necessity.

(04) Exaggerated draw. Deliberately try to curve the ball to the left. Strengthen the grip, aim right and hunt for that curve. You will almost never produce a hook, but the slice disappears: you are over-correcting back towards the middle.

(05) Half speed. A slice gets worse with force, because an open face has more time to generate spin. Hit twenty balls at 60 % of your speed. Many players discover their slice vanishes simply by slowing down — and that they lose less distance than they feared.

The Teeup Academy has these drills with scoring, so you can measure whether you are genuinely correcting it or just feel like you are.

---

When the problem isn't you, it's the shaft

A detail almost nobody checks: a shaft that is too stiff produces exactly the slice pattern. Low ball, right, and short.

If you have worked on grip, path and alignment for months and the pattern is still there, measure the flex of your clubs before you keep fighting your technique. It is common for a beginner to be playing S shafts when they need R or A, simply because they bought a set designed for somebody else.

A fitting settles this in one session. The full explanation is in which golf clubs you actually need to start.

---

While you fix it: how to play with a slice without wrecking your card

Correcting a slice takes weeks. In the meantime:

• Aim at the left side of the fairway and let the ball work back to the middle. Play your curve instead of fighting it.
• Less driver. A 3-wood and hybrids curve far less because they have more loft.
• Don't compensate by aiming your body left. Align your body to the target and adjust only your aiming point.

---

Frequently asked questions

Why does my ball go right? Because the clubface arrives open relative to the swing path. The most frequent causes are a weak grip and an out-to-in path.

What is the difference between a slice and a fade? Degree. A fade is a gentle, controlled curve of a few metres; a slice is an uncontrolled curve that takes you off the fairway.

How long does it take to fix a slice? With directed work, three to eight weeks. A grip change feels strange for two or three sessions and then normalises.

Does aiming further left help? No, it makes it worse: it widens the gap between path and face, and the ball curves more.

Could it be my clubs? Yes. A shaft that is too stiff or an incorrect lie angle reproduces the slice pattern. It is worth ruling out with a measurement.

What if I'm left-handed? Everything is the same, mirrored: your slice goes left.

---

A slice is not a mystery or a curse. It is two numbers — face and path — and four known causes. Diagnose yours by where the ball starts and attack the right cause.

The Teeup Academy has the drills with tracking, and if you suspect your equipment, a fitting settles it in one session.

Download the Teeup app and book your next round.