How to Fix a Slice in Golf: The Path to Straighter, More Powerful Drives
I've watched thousands of golfers struggle with the slice, that maddening left-to-right ball flight that seems to have a mind of its own. After two decades of playing and teaching, I can tell you that fixing a slice isn't about finding one magic tip—it's about understanding why your ball curves the way it does and making the right adjustments to change that pattern.
The slice is golf's most common plague. Walk onto any driving range on a Saturday morning, and you'll see at least seven out of ten golfers fighting that familiar banana ball. But here's what most people don't realize: a slice isn't just one problem with one solution. It's usually a combination of factors working together to create that frustrating ball flight.
Understanding Your Enemy
Before we dive into fixes, let's get clear on what's actually happening when you slice. At impact, your clubface is open relative to your swing path. That's it. Simple physics. But the reasons behind that open face? That's where things get interesting.
Most slicers share a few common traits. They grip the club like they're afraid it might escape. They set up with their shoulders aimed left of target (for righties), thinking this will help them "make room" for the slice. And during the swing, they come over the top like they're chopping wood instead of swinging a golf club.
I remember working with a student named Frank who'd been slicing for thirty years. Thirty years! He'd tried every tip in every golf magazine, bought every training aid, and still couldn't hit a straight ball to save his life. When I finally got him on video, the problem was obvious—but it wasn't what he expected.
The Grip: Your First Line of Defense
Let's start with your hands, because if your grip is wrong, nothing else matters. I'm not talking about grip pressure here (though that's important too). I'm talking about how your hands are positioned on the club.
Look down at your left hand (for right-handed golfers). How many knuckles can you see? If it's one or less, you've got what we call a weak grip, and it's probably contributing to your slice. You want to see at least two knuckles, maybe even two and a half.
Now here's the part most instruction glosses over: your right hand needs to match. If your left hand is in a good position but your right hand is still underneath the club, you're creating conflicting forces. Your right hand should feel like it's more on top of the grip, with the V formed by your thumb and forefinger pointing somewhere between your right shoulder and your chin.
The grip change feels weird at first. Really weird. Your brain will scream that this can't possibly be right. Trust me, push through that discomfort. Give it at least fifty balls on the range before you judge it.
Setup: The Foundation Nobody Talks About Enough
Your setup position is like the foundation of a house. Get it wrong, and everything built on top will be crooked. Yet most golfers spend approximately three seconds thinking about their setup before launching into their backswing.
First, check your alignment. This is where things get counterintuitive. Most slicers aim left because they know the ball is going right. Seems logical, right? Wrong. This actually makes the slice worse because it encourages an even more outside-to-in swing path.
Instead, aim your body parallel to your target line. Not at the target—parallel to it. Think of standing on one railroad track while the ball sits on the other. Your feet, hips, and shoulders should all be aligned with your track, not the ball's track.
Ball position matters more than you think. With your driver, that ball should be positioned off your left heel (again, for righties). Not in the middle of your stance, not off your left toe—left heel. This gives you the best chance to catch the ball on the upswing with a square face.
The Backswing: Where Good Intentions Go Wrong
Watch a chronic slicer take the club back, and you'll often see them immediately take it outside the target line. They lift the club with their arms instead of turning their body. By the time they reach the top, the club is in a position where the only way down is over the top.
Here's a feel that's helped hundreds of my students: imagine you're trying to hand the club to someone standing directly behind you at the top of your backswing. This encourages a proper turn and gets the club in a position where you can attack from the inside.
But—and this is crucial—don't get so focused on taking it inside that you get stuck. I've seen plenty of golfers overcorrect and end up with the club trapped behind them. The key is a balanced turn where your left shoulder moves under your chin and your weight shifts into your right side.
The Transition: Golf's Most Important Move
The transition from backswing to downswing is where most slices are born. It's that split second where everything either falls into place or falls apart. And for slicers, it usually falls apart in a very specific way.
Instead of starting the downswing with the lower body, slicers typically throw their hands and shoulders at the ball. This move—coming "over the top"—guarantees an outside-to-in path and usually an open clubface. It's like trying to hit a nail with a hammer by chopping straight down instead of swinging in an arc.
Feel like your back is facing the target a bit longer as you start down. Let your hips begin to turn while your shoulders stay closed. This creates the proper sequence and drops the club into what we call "the slot"—that perfect position where you can deliver the club from the inside.
One drill that works wonders: take practice swings where you pause at the top, then make your first move down a subtle shift of weight to your left foot. No hands, no shoulders, just a gentle weight shift. Then let everything else follow.
Impact: The Moment of Truth
All the good moves in the world don't matter if you can't deliver the club properly at impact. For a straight shot (or even a gentle draw), you need the clubface square to your target while the path is slightly from the inside.
Here's where feel and reality often diverge dramatically. Most slicers feel like they need to hold the face open to hit it straight. In reality, they need to feel like they're closing the face through impact. Not flipping it shut with your hands—that's a recipe for hooks. But allowing the face to rotate naturally through the hitting zone.
Try this: take some half swings where you focus on getting the toe of the club to pass the heel through impact. Exaggerate the feeling. It will feel like you're going to hit the ball left into the woods. But if you've been slicing, what feels like a massive hook is probably just a straight shot.
The Mental Game of Fixing Your Slice
Let's talk about something most instruction ignores: the psychological aspect of changing your swing. When you've been slicing for years, your entire golf game is built around that ball flight. You aim left, you plan for the curve, you've probably even developed some weird compensations that occasionally work.
Committing to fixing your slice means accepting some uncomfortable truths. Your scores might get worse before they get better. You're going to hit some ugly shots—hooks, pulls, tops—that you haven't seen in years. Your playing partners might offer helpful suggestions to go back to your old swing.
This is where most golfers give up. They hit a few hooks on the range, panic, and retreat to the familiar misery of their slice. Don't be that golfer. Understand that hitting it left is actually progress if you've been slicing. It means you're changing the face-to-path relationship.
Equipment Considerations
Now, I'm not one of those instructors who thinks you can buy your way out of swing problems. But equipment can either help or hinder your efforts to fix a slice. If you're playing with clubs that don't fit your swing, you're fighting an uphill battle.
First, check your driver. Is it actually making your slice worse? Many drivers designed for "forgiveness" are really designed to help slicers slice less, not to fix the root cause. If you're serious about improving, you might need a driver that's more neutral or even slightly draw-biased.
Shaft flex matters too. Too stiff, and you can't square the face. Too flexible, and timing becomes impossible. Get properly fitted if you can. A good fitter can find equipment that complements your improving swing, not your old slice.
Practice With Purpose
Random beating of balls won't fix your slice. You need deliberate, focused practice with specific goals. Start each range session with alignment sticks. Yes, they look dorky. Use them anyway. Set one stick along your target line and another along your foot line. This gives you constant feedback about your setup.
Work in progressions. Don't try to bomb drivers while implementing six swing changes. Start with half swings with a pitching wedge. Get comfortable with the new feels. Then three-quarter swings with a 7-iron. Only when you're hitting those consistently should you move to full swings with longer clubs.
Video yourself. I know, nobody likes seeing themselves on video. But it's the fastest way to see if what you feel matches reality. You don't need expensive software—your phone propped up on your bag works fine. Film from down the line and face-on. Compare your positions to what you're trying to achieve.
When to Seek Professional Help
Look, I've given you a lot to work on here. But there's no substitute for a good instructor who can see your specific swing and provide targeted feedback. If you've been working on these concepts for a month without improvement, it's time to invest in some lessons.
Find an instructor who uses video and launch monitor technology. You want facts, not just opinions. A good teacher will show you exactly why you're slicing and create a plan to fix it. They'll also help you avoid the common pitfall of overcorrecting and developing new problems.
The Journey Forward
Fixing a slice isn't a destination—it's a journey. Even after you start hitting it straight, you'll need to maintain those changes. Old patterns have a way of creeping back, especially under pressure. That's normal. Don't get discouraged.
I still remember the first time Frank hit a draw. After thirty years of slicing, he launched one that started right of the target and curved gently back to center. He literally dropped his club and started laughing. "Is that what it's supposed to feel like?" he asked. Yes, Frank. That's exactly what it's supposed to feel like.
Your slice doesn't define you as a golfer. It's just a current tendency that can be changed with understanding, practice, and patience. The straight shots—and even those beautiful little draws—are in there. You just need to let them out.
Remember, golf is hard enough without fighting a slice on every shot. Take the time to fix it properly. Your scorecard will thank you, your playing partners will stop ducking, and you might just rediscover why you fell in love with this maddening game in the first place.
Authoritative Sources:
Hogan, Ben. Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf. New York: A.S. Barnes and Company, 1957.
Leadbetter, David. The Golf Swing. New York: The Stephen Greene Press, 1990.
Pelz, Dave. Dave Pelz's Short Game Bible. New York: Broadway Books, 1999.
Penick, Harvey. Harvey Penick's Little Red Book. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1992.
United States Golf Association. "Rules of Golf." USGA.org, 2023.