Why Does My Golf Swing Slice Right? (Overview)

Written by Todd in Online Golf Instruction

Golf can be a rather frustrating game, especially if you slMany beginner golfers or high handicap level golfers struggle for years with the big slice to the right.  They dream of one day hitting a draw!

It can seem at times that no matter what they do, the ball ends up curving or slicing to the right.

The problem with this shot is that it is almost impossible to play this shot and shoot a quality score.  This is due to the loss of distance and the ability to keep the ball in play.

Below, not only will I get into why your golf swing slices right, but some quick fixes and drills you can implement and practice to help you straighten out your shot and stop the major distance leak that occurs with the slice shot in golf.

Why Does My Golf Swing Slice Right

The bottom line is that your club face is too far right at impact compared to your swing path.  As a result, a significant amount of side spin is the outcome, resulting in a shot that will curve significantly to the right.  Oftentimes, the difference between the club face and the swing path can be around 7-10 degrees.

To complete understand and to provide an overview, let’s dive into the ball flight laws behind the golf swing. These ball flight laws can provide clarity on what is taking place and help use read our ball flight to take our game to the next level and eliminated the dreaded slice.

Key Understanding: Ball Flight Laws

Generally speaking, the ball will start in the direction the club face is pointing at impact and curve away from the swing path.  For example, if the club face is 3 degrees open and the path is 7 degrees to the left, you will produce a shot that starts right and slices to the right.  This is due to a 10 degree difference in your golf swing.

If your club face is 3 degrees closed, but your path is 12 degrees left, the ball will start left and curve significantly to the left.

The ideal math up for a slide fade is around 1-2 degree left with the club face and 3-4 degrees left with the swing path.

For a draw, the golfer will want a slightly open face at impact of around 1-2 degrees with a swing path that is 3-4 degrees to the right.

Ultimately, the key is that the golfer is able to control the start line of the shot and the amount that it curves.  Any shot that curves too much, whether it is a hook or slice makes the game difficult.  On the other hand, trying to hit the perfectly straight shot will be near impossible and I would highly recommend trying to develop a swing that results in a slight draw or fade, depending on your shot preference and swing makeup.

Understand the ball flight laws is the first step in helping you make the corrections to your swing. Check out the common swing faults below for the 2nd step!

Why Do Ball Flight Laws Matter?

If you can understand the basic concept, you can make corrections on the course and understand what is actually taking place.  Too often golfers can receive the same old advice from their playing partners or default to general golf instruction that they think will work.  Have you ever heard any of the following:

  • Keep your head down
  • Swing easier
  • Make sure you close your club face

All of these pieces of advice are actually poor tips that won’t fix your issue more than likely.  The key here is to read your ball flight and understand the relationship between clubface and swing path.  There are simple things you can do to correct your clubface and swing path during a round of golf or in a post round practice session.

Drill To Straighten Your Shot Out

Here is an excellent drill to work on your club face control and your swing path.  Now that you have an understanding of why the slice occurs, we can start with drills to help you develop a swing that will result in a slight draw or fade

Drill: Stock Shot Drill

The 2nd fundamental of golf is to be able to control your start line and the curve of the ball. The stock shot drill is one drill that can be used for the remainder of your time playing the great game of golf.  Have you ever played golf and have no idea where the ball is going to start and then curve?  Yes!  We have all been there before.  This stock shot drill is great to help you visualize and then monitor your success of starting the ball down your intended target line.

Here the the steps to take to complete this drill:

  • Set up an alignment stick down your target line about 12-15 feet in front of you.
  • Set up a second alignment stick about 2-4 feet right of the first alignment stick.
  • Using your wiffle ball, go ahead and attempt to hit the ball through the gate.
  • Assess how many times out of 20 you are successful.
  • Write this number down and repeat this drill for as long as your play golf.

A realistic number even for the most advanced golfers might be around 15 out of 20.  Even the best golfers struggle to hit their start line from time to time.  The major benefit of this drill is to have the visuals to allow you to narrow into a specific target.  As you get to the golf course, you will be able to visualize the alignment sticks in your mind and hit it through that gate.

How To Measure Your Swing?


One of the great things about being a golfer in today’s era is that the instruction has come a long way and we now understand ball flight laws and what is actually impacting the curve of the ball.  In addition, you can measure the interaction and spin axis on your ball through technology.  

If you visit any PGA Tour stop you will see the majority of professionals use a launch monitor at some point throughout the week . Many are monitoring their clubface, swing path relationship as well as swing speed.  These are important numbers to monitor to make sure you are keeping your swing within a certain range.

While many won’t have $16,000 to spend on a Trackman, there are some great affordable options that can be used at your local driving range, on the golf course or in your garage or house as part of a practice area of golf simulator setup.

Here are my top 3 recommend affordable golf launch monitors:

Some of the key information that you will be able to received immediately after every swing includes:

  • Ball Speed
  • Club Speed
  • Launch Angle 
  • Spin Rate
  • Spin Axis

Over time, knowing where your numbers are when you are making quality swings will help you groove a swing and become more consistent.  When you are struggling, you can use your launch monitor to see where your numbers are at.  Is it a clubface or swing path issue?  

When your spin axis number is really high either way, you know there is a major gap between the two.  In the ideal world, you have a 1-3 degree difference between clubface and swing path, unless you are trying to hit a hook or slice intentionally then a bigger gap is desired.

Where Can I Use A Golf Launch Monitor?

Common Swing Faults That Cause A Slice

  • Over the Top Move
  • Too Weak of A Grip
  • Sliding of the Hips

Swing Fault: Over the Top Move

The over the top move occurs when the golfer starts the downswing with the front shoulder flying open and the hands follow the shoulders and swing across the ball.  This causes the path to be well to the left and the only option for the golfer is to hit a big pull, if they are foruante enough to get the club face closed or a big slice, which will occur even if the clubface is square to the target line. 

This is the number one issue for those that battle the slice.

I would recommend the thought of having your arms beat the buttons on your golf shirt to the ball.  This will help keep your shoulders closed and keep your swing on more of an inside to out swing path.  The outside to in swing path is the ultimate slice producing shot!

Swing Fault: Too Weak of A Grip

When a golfer is unable to get the club face somewhat back to square at impact, they often will start to come over the top to try to straighten it out.  I would recommend a stronger grip.  You will need to rotate your hands away from the target to create a stronger grip.

This will allow you to more easily square up the face and stop having a wide open club face at impact.

Swing Fault: Sliding of the Hips

The golfer that has a poor pivot and rotation will struggle to get everything in synch and will struggle with the overall sequencing in the swing.  While a slight slide forwards at hte beginning of the golf swing might be necessary, too much sliding results in a hook or slice as the club face becomes difficult to control due to the stalling that will often take place and the golfers has to rely on the hands to save the shot.

Final Thoughts

I would highly recommend checking out the Shawn Clement video below on how to hit a draw or fade.  This video can help you get your swing path headed in the right direction and further dives into how your setup can be pre determined to help you shape the ball the way you desire!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeVBB7h9rgI

Want To Take Your Game to the Next Level?

For those that are seeking ways to work on your golf game at your home, have you considered a launch monitor that can be used with something as simple as a mat and next?  Or take it to the next level and build a golf simulator?  Either way, if you have some extra money to go all in, a launch monitor might be just what you need.  The hours of practice that can occur and the ball striking improvements make the investment worth it!  With every swing, you can get the following data:

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

This set of data ahead can help you groove a swing, make improvements or develop a stock shot that you have always dreamed about.  Ready to take your game to the next level?  Check out these 3 quality options below:

Let’s face it, in order to get really good at golf, we must practice frequently.  About three 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.

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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