3 Main Causes of a Golf Slice and How to Fix Them Forever

Is that dreaded slice ruining your golf game? Those banana balls that start left and curve dramatically right (for right-handed golfers) can be incredibly frustrating. The good news? By understanding the core causes of a slice, you can make simple adjustments that deliver dramatic improvements.

As a golf instructor, I've helped countless players eliminate their slice, including Patrick who transformed from hitting severe slices to now drawing the ball. In this article, I'll share the three primary reasons golfers slice and provide practical fixes for each.

Cause #1: Setup Issues

The first reason many golfers slice happens before they even swing the club. Setup issues are often overlooked, yet they're frequently the root cause of a slice.

Alignment Problems

The most common setup issue is aiming too far left (for right-handed golfers). This creates a vicious cycle:

1. Your ball slices to the right
2. You aim further left to compensate
3. This encourages an out-to-in swing path
4. The ball slices even more dramatically
5. You aim even further left... and the cycle continues

The Fix: On the driving range, take extra time to ensure your feet, hips, and shoulders are parallel to your target line—not aimed left. Sometimes your feet might be aligned correctly, but your shoulders are aimed left. Pay particular attention to shoulder alignment, especially if you're a mid-to-low handicapper who still struggles with a slice.

Ball Position Problems

Ball position can also promote a slice in two ways:

• Ball too far back (middle of stance): Makes it nearly impossible to square the clubface at impact
• Ball too far forward: Forces you to "hold on" through impact, leaving the face open

The Fix: With your driver, position the ball approximately in line with your left shoulder/armpit (for right-handed golfers). This allows for proper clubface rotation through impact.

Standing Too Close to the Ball

When you're too close to the ball at address, you create two problems:

1. It becomes physically impossible to follow through correctly
2. The handle gets ahead of the clubhead at impact, leaving the face open

If you occasionally hit pop-up shots along with your slices, there's a good chance you're standing too close to the ball.

The Fix: Create enough distance from the ball so your arms can fully extend at address without reaching or crowding. You should be able to make a full rotation without your arms hitting your body on the follow-through.

Cause #2: Flat Backswing (Inside Takeaway)

The second major cause of a slice is taking the club too far inside during the backswing. When the clubshaft is pointing well behind you at the parallel position (instead of parallel to the target line), you're setting yourself up for trouble.

This flat position makes it nearly impossible for the clubhead to return square at impact because:

1. The clubhead stays behind your body
2. The face remains open through the hitting zone
3. You'll likely hit behind the ball or top it

The Fix: Practice the cross-handed drill to develop a better takeaway. Hold the club with your left hand (for right-handed golfers) below your right on the grip. Start with the club between your arms, and make slow practice swings focusing on turning your body while keeping the club in front of you. This promotes a better takeaway position with the clubshaft truly parallel to the target line when horizontal.

Cause #3: Steep Downswing

The third major cause of slicing—especially with drivers—is a downswing that's too steep. This is particularly common among golfers who hit their short irons well but struggle with the driver.

When your downswing is too steep:

1. The club approaches from outside the target line
2. The swing path moves across the ball (out-to-in)
3. Even with a square face, this path creates sidespin that curves the ball right

Many slicers start down steep and then "drop" the club behind them in a desperate attempt to make contact, creating the classic "pull-slice" ball flight.

The Fix: Remember that the driver requires the flattest swing path of any club in your bag. Work on shallowing your downswing by feeling like your right elbow drops down close to your right hip as you start down. Practice making swings where you feel the clubhead approaching the ball from slightly inside the target line rather than steeply from above.

The Golf "Murder Detective" Approach

While these three causes cover most slicing issues, your particular slice might have a different origin. That's why I use what Patrick calls my "golf murder detective" approach—systematically identifying all possible "suspects" in your swing and eliminating them one by one until we find the true culprit.

This methodical troubleshooting works far better than randomly trying swing tips. By identifying the specific root cause of your slice, you can make targeted corrections that deliver dramatic improvement.

Key Takeaways

1. Check your setup first: Ensure proper alignment, ball position, and distance from the ball
2. Monitor your takeaway: Keep the club in front of your body with the shaft parallel to the target line at horizontal
3. Shallow your downswing: Especially with the driver, approach the ball from a flatter angle
4. Be systematic: Instead of trying random fixes, work through potential causes methodically

With these fundamentals addressed, you'll be well on your way to straighter, more powerful drives and finally saying goodbye to that frustrating slice.