Fix Your Slice for Good: Understanding Causes & 8 Proven Tips to Fix It Forever

A slice is sort of a right of passage for all golfers; you either can get through it or you don’t.

The most common miss in golf is a slice. I’ve been there; I know how frustrating it can be to watch the ball take that dreaded turn.

Learning how to correct a slice in golf is not always an exact science. Some golf professionals and experts will tell you to change your grip, others your stance or your swing plane. I can tell you that if you want to stop a golf slice, you need to know the cause.

I’ll take you on a comprehensive journey to correct your slice, exploring why you slice the ball and some tips to ensure your slice is truly gone.

How to Fix a Slice in Golf? (Key Takeaways)

If you don’t have time to read my entire guide on how to fix a slice, here are some of the key takeaways that you will need to get this motion down.

• An open clubface at impact causes the slice.
• Always check your grip position and setup first to ensure that they are not the causes of your slice; these are simple fixes.
• You can learn to control the clubface of your golf club by working on wrist control and motion.
• Focus more on the clubface angle than the swing path; almost all of the shot direction is controlled by the clubface angle at impact in relation to the swing path.
• Extension in the lead wrist at the top of the backswing makes it quite difficult for golfers to square the clubface through impact.
• Slicing a driver is more common than slicing an iron because of the length of the club and the timing and tempo required to square the clubface. If you have fixed the slice in your irons, keep working through the methods below to get the driver straightened out.

What Causes a Slice in Golf?

A slice is caused by a clubface that is open at impact in relation to the swing path. Most golfers think that their slice is caused by their path alone. That’s not true.

If your path is a little steep, but your clubface is square, you may not see a slice but instead a fade or, for some talented players, a straight shot.

Golfers who slice the ball don’t have the clubface control they need. This lack of control causes a slice.

Here are a few of the reasons why you could be lacking that control to hit a straight shot:

• Poor grip and hand positioning: a grip that is too weak can cause you to slice the ball.
• Incorrect setup and posture: setting up with your feet on a line that is not square or standing too close to the ball can cause a slice.
• Mental misconceptions of what the golf club does at impact.
• Incorrect wrist position in the backswing, specifically too much extension or cupping in the lead wrist.
• Failure to release the golf club and improper wrist rotation in the downswing.
• Poor weight distribution at set up with more weight on the right side and difficulty with transferring it to the left.
• Incorrect equipment: improper shafts, lie angle, and even club length can lead to a slice.

Why is a Slice Bad?

If you are here looking for a fix to your slice, I likely don’t have to tell you what makes this shot so bad.

However, you would be surprised how many golfers decide to just stick with the slice and aim down the left. Don’t do this!

Inefficient

Golf slices are inefficient. The quickest way to get around the golf course is the straightest line from the tee to the green. The slice is not the fastest way to get to the hole.

We talked with Hank Haney about how to become a better player. His very first suggestion was to eliminate a player’s big miss. The big miss is the one that puts you out of bounds and makes a par or sometimes even a bogey impossible.

Look at this Hank Haney video to gain valuable insight on how to fix a slice.

Loss of Power

Slices causes you to lose power. That extra turn your golf ball makes to the right costs you the distance that should be moving you forward (closer to your target).

Mental Impacts and Confidence

I won’t say the slice is bad as a shank when it comes to your confidence level, but there are still mental impacts to slicing the golf ball. If you stand over the ball and feel like you know it’s going right, it’s a problem.

Let’s not forget that slicing the ball also leaves you shopping for new golf balls way too often!

8 Actionable Steps to Fix Your Slice for Good

Now, we have the causes and the reasoning behind why the slice is bad for your game.

Let’s jump into the fixes.

Remember, I said that the most critical part of fixing a slice is starting with the cause. Each fix below can be matched to a cause.

1. Grip Position Made Stronger or More Neutral

If the cause of your slice is related to a grip, it’s likely because your grip is too weak. Strengthening a golf grip can help correct a slice.

Start by looking at the position of your left hand. If your left hand is turned too far to the left (right-handed golfer), it is a weak position. Turning the hand just slightly more to the right can fix this.

Making a golf grip stronger will almost always feel as though you are getting your right hand to be just a little more under the club.

This position of the right-hand makes it easier to turn the face over and square things up.

2. Stop Aiming Down the Left

Did you know that sometimes aiming down the left makes your slice worse?

When you continue to aim down the left and try to muscle the ball so it doesn’t turn right, chances are your feet, hips, and shoulders are no longer in line. Start aiming down the middle.

We have to fix your slice another way, and surprisingly, you may find out that the fix is much simpler and easier to understand when you have a square and balanced setup.

Use alignment sticks to get your feet, clubface, hips, and shoulders all started on the same line. Now your brain has some idea of what the path is and when it would be appropriate to square the clubface up. Without these lines and positions, it’s kind of a guessing game.

3. Learn what Impact Feels and Looks Like

Clubface control seems foreign to many new golfers.

However, if you can learn to picture what impact looks like, you are partially on your way to hitting straighter shots. Visualization is a big part of golf, and many amateur golfers don’t know what impact looks like.

In addition, until you have learned what it feels like to hit a golf driver or irons with a square clubface, you may not know how to repeat it.

Using golf feedback tools like HackMotion can help you get an idea of what proper impact feels like.

When learning to fix a slice with irons, always start with a short iron and work your way through the bag. The shorter clubs can make it a bit easier to square the clubface.

When working on fixing a slice with a driver, make sure you know how to hit a ball straight with the irons and then work your way up.

The longest club in the bag will be the hardest to hit straight.

4. Use HackMotion to Fix Wrist Positioning

Did you know that the clubface on your golf clubs is controlled by your wrist position?

Many golfers work on keeping their wrists out of the golf swing; after all, there are times when hands and wrists create issues with power and consistency.

However, there are certain positions in the swing where the wrists need to be in the perfect location. These positions are challenging to find and to feel on your own.

That’s where HackMotion comes in.

HackMotion audio feedback can teach you to keep your clubface a bit more closed by flexing the lead wrist. The great thing about this motion is that in addition to getting the clubface square, it will also shallow the club.

One of my favorite things about HackMotion is the way it can sort out a variety of swing issues simply by getting the wrist in the right position.

Once your clubface is square or closed (like the professionals), you can rotate your body and create more power.

HackMotion knows the wrist extension that a tour player has at the top of their swing. That same ratio and guideline is applied to you when wearing the HackMotion.

As you swing through, you can use the audio feedback feature to hear when your wrist position needs to be adjusted.

5. Stop Getting Steep

There is a misconception in the game of golf that your club getting too steep in the backswing causes a slice.

Although a steep golf club can make it even more difficult to square the clubface, the open clubface at impact is the ultimate cause of the slice.

However, steep golf swings are one of the most common mistakes for amateur players.

For golfers looking to fix a slice forever, a proper swing path with more of an in-to-out motion will help give you the time and the position to square things up at impact. One of the best ways to avoid getting steep is to take the club back a little lower and slower.

Sometimes, within the first few movements of the golf swing, you are already on a steeper path, making it impossible to recover.

6. Learn to Release

Do you know that feeling when you flush a drive?

The ball goes right down the middle, further than it usually does; your hands feel as though they have entirely rotated, and you are just watching the ball from your front foot. You can’t do that without releasing the golf club.

For amateur players, the release can seem like a foreign concept as it certainly needs to be learned.

However, the good news is that releasing the golf club is very similar to what happens when you hit a hockey slap shot, shoot a three-pointer, hit a forehand in tennis, and even throw a baseball.

The problem is that this release motion just feels different in golf.

As your arms transition from the backswing to the downswing, they start to turn over and rotate. This rotation helps to square the clubface at the perfect time to strike the golf ball.

HackMotion is a tool that can teach you the correct release position by getting your wrist into the right location.

7. Fix the Weight Distribution

One of the most interesting things we have learned about the golf swing in the last few years is the impact of ground forces in the swing.

Golfers who can learn to utilize the ground see much better results regarding consistency and power. To utilize the ground correctly in your golf swing, you need to fix your weight distribution at impact.

Not only should weight be balanced (for the most part) between the left and the right foot, but you must pay attention to how it is balanced from heel to toe.

When your weight is on your toes at setup, it becomes very easy to get the club steep and the clubface more open. In addition, if your weight moves to the toes as you take the club back, expect to struggle with the clubface position.

You will be amazed at how a little change to where your weight is set up can profoundly impact your golf clubface angle. Fixing the weight distribution can also help golfers working on fixing a hook.

8. Go In for an Equipment Check Up

Having played the game of golf for 30 years, I can tell you that equipment is incredibly important.

However, for most players, the cause of the slice is not the equipment they are using.

Once a year or once every other year, go in for a club fitting where you can test equipment and compare it to your own. Ultimately, the proper positioning of your body, wrists, and weight will help you get rid of the slice forever.

Tips to Practice Fixing Your Golf Slice

Now you have all the tools you need to stop slicing a driver and irons. The next step?

Practice! Yes, to hit a golf ball straight, you will need to practice. Here are some of our best tips to practice fixing your golf slice.

• Always use golf alignment sticks on the ground so you have an idea of what square looks like; this will avoid issues with incorrect aim, alignment, and setup.
• Use audio feedback technology on HackMotion to get the information you need in real-time to make the proper wrist adjustments in your swing.
• Learn to fix the slice in your irons first; remember, the shorter the golf club, the easier it is to release it.
• Practice fixing your slice on a consistent schedule, one quick session at the range probably didn’t eliminate your slice forever; keep working on the slice fix, as it can take a little while before this fix works out on the golf course.

Drills to Fix a Slice

Now that you have the information necessary to fix the slice, here are a few of our favorite drills to practice.

Slow Motion Swing Drill

Even Hank Haney agreed that taking slow motion swings is one of the best ways to work on clubface control and fix the slice. Add some slow motion swings to your practice routine where you see what it takes to square the clubface at impact.

Gradually start to increase the speed and get the feeling down, and then when you have confidence, go back to full speed on all your swings.

Inside Path Drill

The clubface being square at impact is the most critical fix for your slice. However, the path can play into this a bit, so it’s crucial to have the club on the proper path.

When practicing, take a tee and place it just outside the target line, slightly behind the ball. The goal is to hit the golf ball from this inside path and avoid hitting the tee on your downswing. To do this properly, you must have a flatter lead wrist at the top of your backswing.

To make this happen, you will have to turn and rotate your upper body.

Clubface Control and Rotation Drill

Eric Cognoro talks about what it takes to become a better golfer. Eric focuses on proper grip, wrist angle at the top, and the rotation of the arms on the way through. All of these things can be measured with HackMotion.

However, as Eric explains, it does take time on the driving range to implement these things into your game.

Circle Swing Slice Fix

Here’s another drill from Hank Haney. Apparently, he’s worked with a lot of slicers in his career! This one shows the importance of learning how to release the club as you turn through.

Many golfers are unaware of how a club moves the correct way in the swing; this can fix it! This drill lets you think outside the box and fix it!

FAQs

Here are a few of the most commonly asked questions about how to fix your slice.

Why do I slice my driver but not my irons?

A driver is considerably longer than an iron and, therefore, takes a little more effort and better timing to release it.

The driver slice is also quite common because of a golfer’s natural tendency to try to hit the driver far and ignore the correct positioning of the wrists.

What about the left-handed slice?

When golfers that are left-handed slice a golf ball, the ball travels straight and then make a turn to the left. This left-handed slice is just as common as a right-handed slice and can be fixed the same way, but squaring the clubface at impact.

What is the best way to fix a slice?

The best way to fix a slice is to use HackMotion, specifically the biofeedback tool that HackMotion has created for golfers.

With HackMotion, you can fix your slice as it is happening and train your brain to get to the proper impact position.

Why do I slice when I swing hard?

When swinging hard, you often struggle to release the hands and square the clubface up. In addition, many golfers who swing hard have the club in a poor position during the takeaway.

Golfers with the correct positions and timing swing as hard as they want and still hit the ball straight.

Can a golf club fix a slice?

A golf club can make a slice less consistent or turn a slice into a fade, but as golfers, we must learn to get the club square at impact, regardless of what club is in our hands.

Can I fix a slice without a golf lesson?

A slice can be fixed without a golf lesson, using tools like HackMotion and studying the proper golf swing sequence.

Conclusion

Fixing a slice may seem like a big project, but it’s entirely possible.

Get out there and start working on squaring the clubface up. Using a tool like HackMotion will help get you there considerably faster. The quicker you can learn to straighten your slice, the quicker you can move to other areas of your game that need attention.

Golf progress never ends, but the slice is one of the most important hurdles to get over.