By Tyler Olson, PGA Associate ·
A slice happens when the clubface is open compared to the path your club is swinging on at impact. For a right-handed golfer, that sends the ball curving hard to the right. To stop slicing, first check your grip and setup so the face can square up, then work on swinging more from the inside instead of over the top. Fix the face first, then the path.
A slice comes down to two things at impact: where the clubface points and which direction the club is moving. When the face is open compared to the path, the ball gets sidespin and curves away from you. For a right-handed golfer that means a curve to the right. For a lefty it curves left.
The most common combination I see in new golfers is an open face plus an out-to-in path, which people call coming over the top. The club swings across the ball from outside to inside, and the open face sends the ball curving even more. A lot of golfers then aim farther left to make up for it, which makes the path even more out-to-in and the slice even worse.
A lot of golfers slice the driver and hit their irons fairly straight. That is normal. The driver has the longest shaft and the least loft of any club in the bag. Less loft means less backspin, and less backspin means sidespin shows up more, so the same open face that makes a small fade with a 7 iron can turn into a big slice with the driver.
The longer shaft also makes it harder to get the face back to square on time. So if your slice is mostly a driver problem, you probably do not have a whole new swing problem. You have the same small issue showing up louder.
Watch where the ball starts, not just where it ends up. The ball mostly starts where the clubface is pointing. The curve comes from the face being open to the path.
If the ball starts left of your target and curves right, your path is likely out-to-in and the face is open to that path. If the ball starts at the target or to the right and then curves more right, the face is likely open to where you are aiming. Before blaming your swing, check your grip. If you can only see one knuckle or less on your lead hand when you look down, your grip may be making it hard to close the face. Also check that your shoulders are not aimed way left of the target at address.
Put the ball down and set a headcover on the ground a few inches outside the ball and a few inches behind it, on the side away from your target. If you swing over the top, the club will come from the outside and hit the headcover on the way down.
Start with half swings using a mid iron. Your goal is to miss the headcover and swing out toward the right side of the target, as if the ball were going to start a little right. When you can miss the headcover with half swings, build to three-quarter swings, then try it with the driver. Go slow. The headcover is your feedback, so you do not need anyone filming you to know if it worked.
If you have checked your grip and setup, tried the headcover drill for a couple of practice sessions, and the ball is still curving hard, it is probably time to have someone watch you swing. A slice can come from several things at once, like grip, posture, ball position and how your body turns, and it is hard to see which one is the main cause from inside your own swing.
I teach 30-minute one-on-one lessons in Orem and Vineyard for beginners, juniors and adult amateurs. With a slice I usually start with the clubface, because fixing the path while the face is still wide open tends to make things worse. Every lesson ends with a written practice plan you keep, so you know exactly what to work on before the next time out.
The main cause of a slice is a clubface that is open compared to the swing path at impact. Most slicers also swing out-to-in, or over the top. The open face creates sidespin that curves the ball right for a right-handed golfer.
Yes. A weak grip, where your lead hand is turned too far toward the target, makes it hard to get the clubface back to square, so it often arrives open. Turning your lead hand slightly away from the target until you can see two or three knuckles is a common first check.
Aiming left usually makes a slice worse over time. It encourages a more out-to-in swing path, which adds more curve. It is better to aim at your target and work on the clubface and path.
It depends on what is causing it and how often you practice. A grip or setup change can make a difference quickly, while changing a swing path that has been there for years takes more repetition. I do not promise a timeline, but steady practice with a clear plan helps.
Both curve the same direction, but a fade is a small, controlled curve and a slice is a big one that is hard to predict. Plenty of good players hit a fade on purpose. The goal for most golfers is to turn a slice into a curve they can count on.
Thirty minutes, one-on-one, and a written practice plan you keep. Most students start with the 5-Lesson Package.
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