If you’ve ever watched your ball start down the fairway and then curve violently into the trees (or the next fairway over), you know the frustration of a slice. It’s the most common miss in golf, and I’d bet money it’s cost you more strokes than any other single issue in your game.

Here’s the good news: a slice isn’t some mysterious curse. It’s physics. Once you understand why the ball curves, fixing it becomes a lot more straightforward. I’ve helped dozens of playing partners work through this, and the same drills keep working over and over.

Let’s break down exactly what’s happening and then get into the 5 drills that will actually fix your slice.

Why Your Ball Slices (The Simple Explanation)

Before we fix anything, you need to understand the two factors that cause a slice:

1. Open Clubface at Impact

This is the big one. When your clubface is pointing right of your swing path at impact (for a right-handed golfer), you’re putting clockwise sidespin on the ball. The more open the face, the more spin, and the more dramatic the curve.

2. Out-to-In Swing Path

This is when your club travels from outside the target line to inside it through impact. Picture swinging across the ball from right to left (again, for righties). Combined with an open face, this creates the classic banana ball that starts left and curves hard right.

Slice vs Hook: What’s the Difference?

A slice curves away from you (left to right for right-handers). A hook curves toward you (right to left). They’re opposite problems:

• Slice: Open face + out-to-in path = left-to-right curve
• Hook: Closed face + in-to-out path = right-to-left curve

Interestingly, the fix for a slice often involves learning to hit a small hook first. You’re basically training your body to do the opposite of what it’s been doing.

The 5 Drills That Actually Fix a Slice

I’ve tried a lot of slice fixes over the years—some from YouTube, some from lessons, some from that guy at the range who “used to be a pro.” These are the five that consistently work.

Drill 1: The Grip Check

Before you change your swing, check your grip. A weak grip (hands rotated too far left on the club) makes it almost impossible to square the face at impact.

How to do it:

1. Hold the club in front of you with your left hand (for righties)
2. Look down—you should see 2-3 knuckles on your left hand
3. The “V” formed by your thumb and forefinger should point to your right shoulder
4. Place your right hand so its “V” also points to your right shoulder
5. Your hands should feel like they’re working together, not fighting each other

This is called a “neutral to strong” grip. It naturally helps the clubface close through impact.

Drill 2: The Headcover Gate Drill

This one fixes your swing path. You’ll need two headcovers (or towels, or anything soft you don’t mind hitting).

How to do it:

1. Place a ball on a tee
2. Put one headcover about 4 inches behind the ball and slightly outside the target line
3. Put another headcover about 4 inches in front of the ball and slightly inside the target line
4. You’ve created a “gate” that forces an in-to-out swing path
5. Make swings without hitting the headcovers

If you’re swinging out-to-in (slice path), you’ll clip the outside headcover on the backswing or the inside one on the follow-through. The gate forces you to swing from the inside.

Drill 3: The Closed Stance Drill

This drill exaggerates the feel of an in-to-out swing path. It’s simple but incredibly effective.

How to do it:

1. Set up to the ball normally
2. Drop your right foot back about 6-8 inches (so your stance is “closed” to the target)
3. Keep your shoulders relatively square to the target line
4. Swing normally

The closed stance almost forces you to swing from the inside. Hit 20-30 balls like this, then gradually move your right foot back to a normal position while keeping that inside-out feeling.

Drill 4: The Split-Grip Release Drill

This teaches your hands to release properly through impact. Most slicers “hold off” their release, keeping the face open.

How to do it:

1. Grip the club with about 2-3 inches of space between your hands
2. Make slow half-swings, focusing on your right hand rotating over your left through impact
3. Feel like you’re closing a door with your right hand
4. The toe of the club should pass the heel through impact
5. Gradually bring your hands back together as the feeling becomes natural

This drill is great because you can feel exactly what your hands are doing. Most slicers are shocked at how little they’ve been releasing the club.

Drill 5: The 9-to-3 Punch Shot Drill

This is my personal favorite. It simplifies everything by shortening the swing and letting you focus on impact.

How to do it:

1. Use a 7-iron
2. Make a swing that only goes from 9 o’clock (club parallel to ground on backswing) to 3 o’clock (parallel on follow-through)
3. Focus on three things: inside path, square face, ball-first contact
4. Hit 50 balls like this before trying a full swing
5. Gradually lengthen the swing while keeping the same feelings

This drill strips away all the complexity. You’re not worried about your backswing position or your finish—just impact. And impact is where the magic happens.

The Practice Routine: Putting It All Together

Okay, so you’ve got five drills. How do you actually use them? Here’s a practice routine that’ll get you results in about 45 minutes:

Warm-Up (5 minutes)

• Hit 10-15 easy shots with a wedge
• Check your grip (Drill 1) before every shot

Path Work (15 minutes)

• Set up the headcover gate (Drill 2)
• Hit 20-30 balls, starting with half swings
• If you keep hitting the headcovers, try the closed stance (Drill 3) to exaggerate the feeling

Release Work (10 minutes)

• Do the split-grip drill (Drill 4) for 15-20 balls
• Focus on feeling that right hand rotate over

Integration (15 minutes)

• Hit 9-to-3 punch shots (Drill 5) for 20 balls
• Gradually lengthen to full swings
• Finish with 10-15 full shots, focusing on inside path and releasing the club

Common Mistakes When Fixing a Slice

Watch out for these—I see them all the time:

• Aiming left to compensate: This actually makes your path MORE out-to-in. Aim straight or even slightly right.
• Swinging harder: More speed with the same swing flaws just means a bigger slice. Slow down until you fix the fundamentals.
• Only working on path OR face: You need both. An inside path with an open face still curves right.
• Giving up too soon: You’ve probably been slicing for years. It’ll take more than one range session to fix. Give it 3-4 weeks of focused practice.

Equipment Considerations

While you’re working on your swing, the right equipment can help. Golf balls designed for high handicappers often have lower spin rates that can reduce the severity of a slice while you’re grooving your new swing.

Some drivers also have draw bias built in—weight positioned to help close the face. These aren’t a permanent fix, but they can make the game more enjoyable while you’re working on the fundamentals.

The Bottom Line

A slice isn’t a life sentence. It’s just an open face and an out-to-in path—and both of those are fixable with the right drills and some practice time.

Start with your grip. Work on your path with the gate drill and closed stance. Learn to release the club properly. And use the 9-to-3 drill to put it all together.

Give it a month of focused practice. I’ve seen handicaps drop by 5-10 strokes just from eliminating the big slice. That’s fairways hit, penalties avoided, and a lot more fun on the course.

Now get to the range and start working. Your playing partners will thank you when you’re not searching for your ball in the next zip code.