You make a good-feeling swing, the ball starts out fine, and then it starts curving right. And keeps curving. By the time it lands, you’re in the rough, behind a tree or reaching for another ball. That’s the slice, and it’s the single most common miss in amateur golf.

The good news: a slice has very specific causes. Once you understand why it happens, fixing it gets a lot easier. In this guide I’ll explain what creates a slice, how to figure out which version you have, and the drills I’ve found work best to get rid of it.

This guide is written for right-handed golfers. If you’re a lefty, everything works the same, just mirrored: your slice curves left.

What causes a slice?

Every shot comes down to two things happening at impact:

• Clubface direction: where the face is pointing. This has the biggest influence on where the ball starts.
• Swing path: the direction the clubhead is traveling through the ball: out-to-in, straight, or in-to-out.

Curve happens when the face and the path don’t match. In a classic slice, the club travels out-to-in (cutting across the ball toward your body) while the face is open relative to that path. That mismatch puts sidespin on the ball, and it curves right.

Put simply: to fix a slice, you need a squarer clubface and a path that comes more from the inside.

The 5 most common causes

1. A weak grip

If your hands are rotated too far toward the target on the grip, it’s very hard to square the face at impact. This is the number one cause for newer golfers. Quick check: at address, look down at your lead hand. You should see two or three knuckles. One or none means your grip is weak.

2. Poor alignment

Many slicers aim left without realizing it, which encourages an out-to-in swing. Others aim right, and their body compensates by pulling the club across the ball.

3. Starting the downswing with the shoulders

This is the infamous “over the top” move. Instead of starting down with the lower body, the shoulders and arms fire first, throwing the club outside the line and forcing it to cut across.

4. Ball too far forward

When the ball sits too far toward your lead foot, your shoulders tend to open at address, and your swing follows that line.

5. No forearm rotation

For the face to close naturally, your forearms need to rotate through impact. Golfers who grip tightly and “hold on” leave the face open.

Diagnose your slice from the ball flight

Before changing anything, watch what the ball does:

• Starts left, curves right: your path is strongly out-to-in. Focus on path (drills 3 and 4).
• Starts straight, curves right: the face is open to the path. Focus on grip and rotation (drills 1 and 2).
• Starts right, curves further right: the face is very open. Check your grip first.

If you have access to a launch monitor or simulator, it will give you exact face and path numbers, but reading your ball flight is enough to get started.

5 drills to fix your slice

Drill 1: Strengthen your grip

The simplest change with the biggest payoff. Rotate your lead hand until you see two or three knuckles, and make sure the “V” formed by your thumb and index finger on both hands points toward your trail shoulder. Hit easy 7-irons at half speed. If the ball starts going left at first, that’s a good sign: the face is finally closing. Adjust gradually from there.

Drill 2: Toe up to toe up

This teaches forearm rotation. Take a short iron and make waist-high swings. When the shaft is parallel to the ground in your backswing, the toe of the club should point to the sky. At the same point in your follow-through, the toe should point to the sky again. Do it without a ball first, then with a ball at low speed.

Drill 3: The outside obstacle

One of the best drills for an out-to-in path. Place a headcover or an empty plastic bottle about 15 cm (six inches) outside the target line and slightly behind the ball. Hit shots without touching it. If your club comes over the top, from outside the line, it will hit the obstacle before it reaches the ball, so your body learns to deliver the club from the inside. Use something soft so you don’t damage your club.

Drill 4: Pause at the top

This fixes the over-the-top move. Make a full backswing and pause for one second. Start down by shifting your weight to your lead foot and turning your hips, without moving your shoulders yet. Let the arms and club fall into place after. The pause takes away the rush to hit with your upper body.

Drill 5: Alignment sticks

Lay one alignment stick on the ground pointing at your target, just in front of your toes, and another parallel to it just beyond the ball. Set your feet, hips and shoulders parallel to those lines. Practice with sticks for a few weeks. You’ll be surprised how far off your alignment was.

A simple 3-week practice plan

• Week 1: grip and alignment. They’re the foundation.
• Week 2: add the toe-up-to-toe-up drill.
• Week 3 and beyond: work on path with the obstacle and pause drills.

Always start with short irons at half speed. Once your ball flight is consistent, move to longer irons and finally the driver, where the slice shows up the most.

Gear that can help

Equipment won’t replace good technique, but it can make the journey easier. Alignment sticks are cheap and useful at any level. Draw-biased drivers, with extra weight toward the heel, help the face close through impact. And if the slice won’t go away, a club fitting might reveal that your clubs simply don’t suit you.

Shopping for a new driver? Read how to choose a driver, then compare every 2026 model in our club guide by handicap. And once your ball is flying straighter, use our plan to break 100 or find your next step in Lower Your Handicap.

When to see a pro

If your slice is still hanging around after a few weeks of work, a lesson with a PGA professional can save you months. A good coach will spot in minutes what’s hard to see on your own, especially with video.

FAQ

Why do I slice my driver but not my irons?

The driver has the longest shaft and the least loft, so any open clubface shows up as much more sidespin. Most golfers also try to swing harder with the driver, which tends to fire the shoulders early.

How long does it take to fix a slice?

It depends on the cause. A weak grip can be fixed in a few days; changing your swing path usually takes a few weeks of consistent practice.

Should I just aim left to play my slice?

It’s a band-aid that makes things worse over time, because aiming left reinforces the out-to-in swing that causes the slice. Fix the cause instead.

Is a slice the same as a fade?

No. Both curve left to right, but a fade is a small, controlled curve that many tour players hit on purpose. A slice is a big, uncontrolled curve.

The bottom line

A slice isn’t something you have to live with. In most cases it comes down to a weak grip, poor alignment or a downswing that starts with the shoulders. Diagnose your version from your ball flight, work on one drill at a time, and be patient. Within a few weeks, you’ll start seeing a much straighter ball flight.