How To Fix A Slice in Golf With A Driver? (5 Steps)

Written by Todd in Online Golf Instruction

  1. Understand the ball flight laws relative to the slice in golf
  2. Diagnose your swing issue causing the slice in golf 
  3. Work on a drill to align your club face and swing path
  4. Take it to the course and focus on a target
  5. Read your ball flight during the round

Golf can be one of the most frustrating games to play.

Many beginner or amateur golfers fight the slice right from the beginning.

The journey might look something like this.

The golfer attempts certain fixes, but continues to slice the ball no matter what they do.  This can often lead to a loss of distance, golfers thinking they will never fix the slice and eventually just accepting and attempting to play the slice.

But it doesn’t have to be like this!  There is hope and I lay out the 5 steps you can take to once and for all cure the slice!

How To Fix A Slice in Golf With A Driver? (5 Steps)

My Journey: I first played golf at age 10. Like most kids growing up in the 1990s, we all played baseball and then struggled with the slice when we started to play golf. Back then we didn’t have many options to turn to in order to fix the slice. Through trial and error, we end up correcting it, but it would be much easier with today’s understandings that are now much more clear. Make sure to check out step #1 to understand what is taking first and then dive into finding your fix!

Courses like this one make it difficult to manage the slice. Plus you don’t want to play a slice for very long! Too much loss of distance on every shot!

Step #1: Understand the ball flight laws relative to the slice in golf

One of the major issues when someone is battling a slice is that they have no idea why it is happening.  If you are someone that has an analytical background, you might be interested in understanding the numbers behind the slice.  

Within the past decade, we have a much better understanding on the relationship between the clubface and swing path and how it impacts the curve of the ball.  The golfer with too much curve, either a slice or hook, will struggle to play consistent golf.

 Here are some of the basics of the ball flight laws:

  • The golf ball will start relative to the direction of the club face at impact.
  • The golf ball will curve away from the swing path.
  • So if your clubface is left of the swing path at impact, the ball will curve left.  If your clubface is right of the swing path at impact, the ball will curve right.

Obviously, with the slice shot in golf, the path is too far left of the clubface and there is too large of a gap between the club face and the swing path.

Hook vs Slice: What is the difference?

Here are some examples of a slice shot in golf and the ball flight laws:

  • Shot: Ball starts left and slices right.  This is a clubface that is closed at impact with a path too far to the left.  Potential numbers could be a 2 degree closed club face with a 12 degree path outside to in or to the left.  We have a gap of 10 degrees between clubface and swing path
  • Shot: Ball starts right and slice right.  This is a clubface that is open at impact with a swing path that is to the left of the clubface.  Potential numbers could be a 3 degree open club face with a 7 degree swing path to the left.  We have a gap of 10 degrees between clubface and swing path.

Some key items to point out:

  • If the curve is extreme, there is a large gap between your clubface and your swing path.
  • If the curve is soft, there is a small gap between your clubface and your swing path.
  • Arguably the most difficult shot to hit in golf is the straight shot.  This requires a perfectly square clubface with a 0 degree path.
  • The slice is a result of too large of a gap between the clubface and swing path.  

Did you know that you can hit a slice with either an open or closed club face?  Keep in mind the basics, the ball will curve away from the swing path.  When the path is extreme to the left, the ball is going to curve away from the swing path.

While we don’t promote the perfectly straight shot in golf, too large of a gap between club face and swing path is difficult to control and manage.  The opposite of the slice is the hook and has the opposite numbers of the slice and is a shot that many low level handicap golfers struggle with.

Step #2: Diagnose your swing issue causing the slice in golf 

So if you are slicing the ball, you know that your swing path and your clubface have an extreme gap between the two with your swing path being too far left.  The good news is that we are now going to dive into what is causing the swing path to get so far to the left, causing the ball to curve hard to the right.

  • Issue 1: Upper body firing first.  When the upper body fires too early, the swing path moves significantly from outside to inside or to the left.  The arms will follow the shoulders and cut across the ball.  This could result in a swing path that is 6-15 degrees to the left.
  • Issue 2: Spinning. Golfers have heard that they need to make a complete turn.  From the top of the backswing, they start to spin, spending the arms flying out and across the ball once again causing a path that is too far left.
  • Issue 3: Lack of full turn. When a golfer fails to make a complete turn in the backswing, they have little timing or space to keep the shoulders and back towards the target a half second longer, allowing the club to drop into an inside to out slice.  Instead, as a result of a lack of a turn, they fire everything in the proper sequence, but didn’t have the proper turn.
  • Issue 4: A wide open club face.  Even if the path is only 2 degrees left or across the ball, if the clubface is 10 degrees open, you are going to hit a massive push slice.  

One of our key recommendations is to take a video of your golf swing from both down the line and from the side to try to get a visual idea of what is taking place in your golf swing.  While it might be difficult to see, compare it side by side to a quality golfer you know or a professional golfer video from youtube.  Take note of the the following when comparing:

  • What does the sequencing of the swing look like?
  • How does the quality golfer start the swing from the top of the backswing?
  • What does the backswing or turn look like?
  • What does their release pattern look like?
The slice is a disaster on a hole like this because the golfer lacks the space to the left to start it far enough left.

Step #3: Work on a drill to align your club face and swing path

Hopefully at this point, you have a quality idea of what is causing an extreme path to the left or an extreme clubface that is wide open.  We identify some drills or swing thoughts/feels that you can use for each of the potential issues detailed above.

  • Upper body firing first.  This classic over the top movement can be difficult to reverse, but with the right motions below you can start to reduce it.  I would recommend trying these several options.  First, take half speed swings and after making a full turn, feel as if your back stays towards the target for a longer period of time and let your arms drop.  This motion can get your swing path moving more to the right.  Hit 20-30 shots with a mid iron at half speed, feeling the back staying towards the target and allowing the arms to drop. 
  • Spinning.  The golfer is trying to get left, so they spin out of the shot.  Here is a drill or feel you can try to develop.  First, using half speed swings and fater making a full turn and load, feel as if you squat into the shot with your legs.  This gets you moving down into the ground vs spinning out of the shot.  Some of the best of all time like Sam Snead has a great squat move at the beginning for a reference point.  This keeps you from spinning out and moving down into the shot and helps keep the club more on an inside path.
  • Lack of a full turn.  The ideal numbers are a 45 degree turn with the hips and a 90 degree turn with the shoulders.  Most golfers can accomplish this and should not restrict their turn at all.  If you need to lift your front heel off the ground, go ahead and make the full turn.  You might need to combine the full turn feel, with the back towards the target feel with the squatting move to get the extremes you need to start moving that path more to the right.
  • A wide open club face.  This can often be a result of a weak grip.  Go ahead and move your to the right for the right handed golfer.  The right hand moves more under and the left hand moves more on top of the club.  This will help you get your hands more through the ball.  I would also recommend using a slapping or underhand like motion through the shot.

One More Great Option!

Try all the combinations and work on getting that path inside to out vs outside to in.  If you are someone that gets bogged down by trying to hit certain positions, I would highly recommend checking out Shawn Clement.  He spends a great deal of his instruction helping people make natural or athletic like motions and utilizing the setup to put the golfer in the right positions to create certain motions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnWbQwrkB84

Step #4: Take it to the course and focus on a target

If one of the four options above helps get you on track during your practice sessions, start hitting golf balls towards a target.  Make sure you check out the Shawn Clement video above as it can help you take your movements to the course to once and for all get rid of the dreaded slice shot in golf.

Oftentimes, a golfer can really struggle on the course and default back when they are too focused on positions or movements.  Keep your movements to one simple feel and utilize the Shawn Clement approach to utilize the target and athletic based approach.

The slice shot in golf can be a result of becoming too ball bound and the swing stopping or the golfer twisting or spinning as a result of too open of a clubface.

Check out our review on SuperSpeed Golf to see a game changer when it comes to distance!

Step #5: Read your ball flight during the round

The best golfers can take feedback after every shot through reading their ball flight.  Keep in mind the ball flight laws the general basics about where a ball will start and what direction it will curve.  The more you can become an expert at reading the ball flight, the better adjustments you can make.  

Understand what the slice shot feels like and what a quality swing feels like.  Read that ball flight and have your go to feel to fight the slice mid round.  When in doubt, turn back to the target focused golf and make a more natural and athletic motion back and through the shot.  Make sure you keep your body rotating and keep the sequencing in place.  Don’t forget the full turn on the backswing and be patient with your upper body sequencing.

Lack of Rotation in the golf swing (3 Causes)

Hitting plenty of golf balls with the proper drills working on getting the club face and swing path more aligned will make a difference.

Final Thoughts

I would highly recommend using a golf launch monitor to help measure your clubface and your swing path.  Once again, as these two numbers get too large of a gap, the golfer is going to fight the hook shot in golf.  I purchased a Skytrak Launch Monitor several years ago and the feedback is rather impressive.  After every shot, you can receive the following:

  • Carry and Total Distance
  • Spin Axis
  • Spin Rate
  • Swing Path
  • Launch Angle
  • Ball Speed
  • Club Speed

In addition, the shot tracer is rather helpful in getting feedback.  If you understand the ball flight laws, the shot tracer gives you the immediate feedback about where your clubface was at impact as well as your swing path based on the curve of the ball.

Check Current Price of Skytrak Launch Monitor, Here!

My Secret To Golf Improvement

Let’s face it, in order to get really good at golf, we must practice frequently.  About four years ago, I made the leap and invested in a golf simulator build for my garage.  I went with a SkyTrak Launch Monitor and the TGC software and can now play over 100,000 courses including Augusta, Pebble Beach, Bethpage Black, Whistling Straits. St. Andrews and many other of the top 100 courses in the world.

This golf simulator setup, which is more affordable that you might imagine, has been a game changer.  I can now play golf everyday of the year regardless of rain, snow, cold weather or time of day.  I can practice or play rounds of golf.  I can stand in the 11th fairway at Augusta and with the auto-rewind feature I am able to practice my approach shots from various differences.

It is worth checking out through Rain or Shine Golf as they offer some incredible packages along with financing offers that are difficult to beat.

Some direct links to Rain or Shine Golf for pricing and financing:

Take Action – What You Can Do Today to Get Better

What does this mean for you?  I believe in the following recipe to get better:

1 – Improve your motion in the golf swing by identifying a golf instructor.  Here are some options:

Here is a list of golf instructors that we have reviewed:

2 – Train to swing faster and improve your swing speed.  Here are some options:

Looking to gain more Speed and Distance in your swing. Two Options:

3 – Understand course strategy and work to break through your next barrier.  Here is a series on breaking through:

We have provided guides on how to break 100, 90, 80 and 70. Check out more below, if interested.

4 – Practice Frequently

Did you know that I build a golf simulator in my garage and have played over 500 rounds of golf on my SkyTrak system?  It has been a game changer and one worth checking out. Here are some of my other posts on golf simulators frequently asked questions:

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