For many golfers, the dreaded slice is a constant frustration. As soon as you step up to the tee, you dread watching your ball curve dramatically off to the right (for right-handed golfers). No matter how many buckets of balls you hit at the driving range, you just can’t seem to figure out how to straighten out your shot.
The good news is that with a few simple adjustments, you can fix your Golf Slice Alignment quickly and be striping the ball down the fairway. In this article, we’ll cover three of the most effective ways to cure your slice in just a few easy steps. With the right changes to your alignment, grip, and swing path, you’ll gain control over your shots and lower your scores in no time.
Golf Slice Alignment Fix
Step 1: Improve Your Alignment
One of the most common causes of a slice is poor alignment before you even take the club back. If your feet, knees, hips and shoulders are aimed too far left of your target line (for righties), the club will travel outside-in across the ball and spin it to the right.
The first drill to fix this is to exaggerate your alignment to feel what it’s like to be lined up directly at the target:
- Place an alignment stick or golf club on the ground, pointed at your target.
- Align your body parallel to the stick, with feet, knees, hips, and shoulders pointed down the target line.
- Make some practice swings to get the feeling of swinging “down the line.”
This alignment may feel closed or aimed left at first. But it trains your body to understand the proper positioning relative to the target to ultimately swing the club back straight and square into the ball.
Some other useful tips for improved alignment include:
- Set up with your body behind the golf ball, not over it. This gives you room to swing in-to-out.
- Pick an intermediate target line on the ground to align your feet and hips.
- Visualize a railroad track from the ball to the target to help set your alignment.
With an aligned stance, you’ll be in a much better position to swing impact back on the correct path.
Step 2: Check Your Grip
Another cause of slices is an open clubface through impact, which imparts sidespin making the ball curve away from your swing path. To square the clubface, it’s key to have a proper, neutral grip.
There are a few main ways to grip the club correctly:
- Overlap Grip: The pinky finger of the trailing hand overlaps the index finger of the lead hand. This is a classic grip style used by legends like Jack Nicklaus.
- Interlock Grip: The pinky finger of the trailing hand interlocks with the index finger of the lead hand. Favored by Tiger Woods.
- Baseball Grip: All 10 fingers rest on the club, without overlapping or interlocking. Easy for beginners.
Within these grip styles, be sure your hands are in a neutral position on the club:
- Don’t rotate the hands too far counterclockwise (for righties), which can open the clubface.
- Don’t cramp the hands together too tightly, restricting wrist hinge.
- Check the clubface is square before taking your grip.
A quick split hands drill can help groove a proper grip position:
- Separate your hands several inches apart on the grip.
- Bring the hands together into your normal grip.
- Ensure the back of lead hand and palm of trailing hand are both facing the target.
With a comfortable, neutral grip, you’ll eliminate the source of open clubface slices.
Step 3: Control Your Swing Path
The final piece of the puzzle is getting your swing moving on the proper inside-to-outside path through impact.
From an aligned, balanced setup, make a full shoulder turn away from the ball. At the top, start the downswing by firing your hips and dropping your arms, keeping your back to the target as long as possible.
The goal is to approach impact with a slight inside-to-outside swing, allowing you to square the clubface. To achieve this path:
- Feel like your hands move towards the ball target line in transition.
- Initiate the downswing from the ground up, keeping upper body quiet.
- Exaggerate an in-to-out path to get the feeling.
For drivers, also focus on a positive attack angle (hitting up on the ball) and teeing it higher to account for the driver’s natural slice tendency.
Making good rotation through impact is also key. Think about rotating hands and forearms over through contact so the club doesn’t get stuck behind you.
Equipment Adjustments That Can Help Fix Your Slice
Beyond swing changes, using properly fit equipment can also make controlling your shots easier.
Some equipment factors to consider:
- Driver Loft: Using a 10.5-12 degree driver instead of 9 degrees or lower adds loft for straighter shots.
- Draw-Biased Driver: Drivers like Callaway’s Rogue Draw have heel-biased weighting to promote draws.
- Anti-Slice Practice Aids: Devices like impact tape or clips give instant feedback on your clubface and path.
While buying new clubs isn’t imperative, being fit by a professional can ensure your drivers match your swing tendencies for better results.
Curing Your Slice For Good
If you follow these three steps – improving alignment, grip, and swing path – you’ll be well on your way to permanently fixing your slice. We recommend mastering one change at a time rather than overhauling everything at once. Small, gradual adjustments are the key.
The ultimate goal is repeating the proper fundamentals like a machine. Don’t overcomplicate things by tackling too many swing thoughts. Just focus on setting up aligned to your target, taking your grip, and making a consistent in-to-out swing.
Keep up with deliberate practice sessions and stay committed on the course. You’ll be shocked at how quickly these basic changes can have you flushing powerful draws off the tee.
Say goodbye to painful slices and hello to consistent, accurate drives. With the right effort and focus, you can cure your golf slice for good!
