Simple & Actionable Steps to Stop Slicing Driver (Forever!)
The slice is the most common miss among amateur golfers. Some players even decide to live with the slice and aim down the left side of the course.
However, slicing the driver does not need to be your signature golf shot.
If you want to learn to control the clubface, hit a straight shot, and get your distance and confidence back from the tee, follow these simple steps to stop slicing your driver.
How to Fix Slice with Driver (Key Takeaways)
The driver slices to the right for one simple reason – you strike the golf ball with an open clubface. If you don’t have time to read all of this guide, here are the most important points on how to fix it.
- Get your setup right – Strengthen your grip to close the club face easier, and move the ball back back in your stance: This shifts the swing path to the right?.
- Close the Clubface Earlier by Minimizing Wrist Extension – The simplest and most effective way to fix a slice with your driver is to close the club face early – make sure you don’t have too much wrist extension in your lead wrist throughout the swing.
- Shallow the Swing Path – Start the downswing by shifting and rotating your hips while keeping the upper body passive, then allow your hands to drop closer to your body, letting the club naturally shallow behind you.
- Learn to control your wrist angles – To fix a slice, it’s very important to feel the club face throughout the swing; use HackMotion to get real-time feedback about what your wrist angles are doing throughout the swing.
Short on time? Here are 3 simple drills to improve driver distance and consistency that you can take to the driving range today. Check out the drills here!
Contents
1. What do you want to improve in your full swing?
What Causes a Slice?
A slice is caused by a clubface that is open to the path and an out-to-in swing path. The more your club face is open relative to the swing path, the bigger the curve of the slice will be. If the face is only slightly open, you will hit a slight fade instead.
Why am I Slicing the Driver but not Irons?
Slicing the driver but not the irons is a common situation for many amateur golfers.
Drivers are longer than irons by several inches. Therefore you have more club to swing, and you are further from the golf ball.
This combination makes it more difficult to square the clubface and time it all correctly.
The low loft of the driver amplifies any sidespin, exaggerating slices. That is why you don’t slice your wedges, which have a lot of loft.
Often you might prefer hitting your 3 wood instead of the driver, because of the extra loft.
In addition, golfers tend to really go after their driver shots to try and increase distance. When you add speed to this equation, the results become even more exaggerated.
Actionable Steps to Stop Slicing the Driver Forever
You have likely fixed your slice for a round or two at times, but if you want to fix it forever, you have to make some fundamental changes in your golf game.
1. Nail the Setup and Alignment
If your setup is incorrect, don’t even worry about taking the club back.
Your feet, hips, shoulders, and clubface should all be parallel and aimed at your target. Many slicers aim further and further left to help accommodate the slice.
The problem with this is that it can make it nearly impossible to get the club on the proper path.
Start setting up with your body aimed as if you hit every driver off the tee perfectly straight. This will only help you succeed in your quest to hit a straight drive.
Strengthen the Grip
A strong grip makes it much easier to square the clubface. You may not need to keep your grip strong forever, but it’s best to strengthen it until your slice is fixed.
Remember, a strong grip has nothing to do with grip pressure, instead it is where the left and right hand are positioned on the club.
The stronger grip has the right-handed golfer take their left hand and turn it slightly to the right. This turn of the left hand makes it so that the right hand sits a little under the club.
With the right hand in this position, it has much more control of the club and can help improve the rotation and closing of the clubface on the downswing.
Ball Position Check
The driver requires you to place the ball further up in your stance. This promotes an upward strike but also increases the chance of an outside-to-in path, especially if your swing sequence is off.
The ball should be placed opposite your left heel. Ensure your ball position isn’t too far forward. For slicers, a slight adjustment backward will help reduce the outside-to-in path.
If you struggle to get into this position, start with your feet together and the ball in the middle of your stance. Then, take a step back with the trail foot but leave the lead foot in position.
2. Close the Clubface Earlier by Minimizing Wrist Extension
One of the easiest methods to fix a slice with a driver is to work on your wrist action throughout the golf swing.
The wrist controls the clubface, and many golfers focus on the path and plane before they work on the number one cause of slices: poor wrist position that opens the face.
The typical slicer’s wrist pattern has too much extension and an open clubface at the top of the swing.
Unlock your swing’s full potential with our wrist mechanics guide and finally take control of your clubface – explore the wrist mechanics guide here.
After analyzing more than 1,000,000 swings, we know that players who add the extension from setup to the top of their backswing have difficulty decreasing this extension in time to hit a golf ball with a square clubface.
To fix this, you must have a flat or slightly flexed wrist at the top of the backswing. From this position, there is much less “work” to do before getting to impact.
Check out this video, in which coach Danny Malcolm explains how to do it!
3. Shallow the Swing Path
Leave the Club Alone During Transition
Golfers who have an extended lead wrist and an open clubface tend to start their downswing by pulling down on the handle.
This creates a steep, outside-to-in path, with an open clubface, the classic position to hit a slice.
Instead, you will want to work on allowing your body to rotate from the top down. You first need a great position with your clubface being square to do this.
Then, you can turn your body as the trigger to start off your downswing.
A great swing thought is to consider leaving the club alone at the top and letting your body and core take over.
Start the Downswing with the Lower Body
Begin the transition by shifting your weight toward the lead foot. While shifting weight, start to rotate your hips toward the target. This motion should feel smooth and controlled, not rushed.
As your lower body begins the transition, keep your shoulders passive. Avoid initiating the downswing with your arms or shoulders, as this can cause an over-the-top motion.
Focus on creating a slight “stretch” or separation between your hips and shoulders. This sequence, often called the “X-factor,” helps generate power while keeping the club on a shallower path.
Drills to Fix a Slice with the Driver
Now that you better understand what it takes to fix a slice with the driver, here are a few of the best drills you can use to get through this transition.
Motorcyle Drill
After analyzing more than 1,000,000 golf swings with HackMotion, we know that great golfers can close the clubface sooner than beginner or high-handicap golfers. Essentially, the sooner you start closing the clubface from the top, the easier it is to be square at impact.
If you struggle with an open clubface or flip at impact, the motorcycle drill encourages bowing (flexing) your lead wrist, helping square the face sooner.
The idea is to feel that motion of revving the motorcycle throttle in your lead wrist on the downswing.
This is one of the most famous wrist action drill in golf, and you can work on it in real-time using the HackMotion app.
Motorcycle Drill – Master Wrist Flexion in the Downswing
Focus on continuously adding flexion until the club reaches parallel, then smoothly complete your swing.
HackMotion Motorcycle Drill – Step by Step:
- Normal Setup: A slight extension in the lead wrist is normal at address.
- Swing to the Top: Pause at the top position.
- Motorcycle Twist: In transition, it feels like you’re twisting the throttle “off.” This moves the lead wrist into flexion, closing the face.
- HackMotion Feedback: See if your extension data drops into the flexion range.
- Adjust Ball Flight: Too much flexion might cause hooks; not enough keeps the face open.
Wear the HackMotion During Training
Wearing the HackMotion on the driving range is like bringing your coach while practicing. It will allow you to see if wrist extension positions at the top of your swing are improving and you will receive guided drills along the way.
The HackMotion features an audio feedback mode that lets you set acceptable ranges for wrist angles throughout the swing; if your wrists move outside these ranges, the HackMotion notifies you.
Headcover Drill to fix the Path
The headcover drill is a super easy way to spot if you’re coming over the top in your swing — a big reason for slicing the ball. It gives you a clear visual and helps you feel the right path through impact.
Headcover Drill – Step by Step:
- Set the Headcover: Place a headcover just outside the ball, with the top hovering over the ball and the rest pointing straight down the target line.
- Takeaway Clearance: Ensure the headcover doesn’t interfere with your takeaway—your backswing should remain natural and unimpeded.
- Miss the Headcover on the Downswing: As you swing down, avoid making any contact with the headcover. This helps prevent an over-the-top motion.
- Promote an Inside Path: Focus on a slight inside takeaway and an in-to-out downswing to develop a more efficient, slice-proof swing path.
Final Thoughts
Slicing your driver doesn’t have to be your go-to shot. Most of the time, it’s just a mix of an open clubface and swinging across the ball.
Work on a stronger grip, get your setup right, and learn to close the face earlier in the swing. Tools like HackMotion make it way easier to see what your wrists are actually doing.
Stick with the drills, trust the process, and you’ll start hitting straighter, longer drives before you know it. It just takes a bit of time and the right feels.
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