The dreaded golf slice is arguably the most frustrating shot in golf, robbing you of distance, accuracy, and confidence. For right-handed golfers, this is the shot that starts relatively straight but then curves violently to the right, often ending up deep in the trees or out of bounds. The good news, as of December 10, 2025, is that the fix is not about a complete swing overhaul, but rather a targeted correction of the three main culprits: your grip, your swing path, and your clubface angle. This guide breaks down the most current and effective strategies used by teaching professionals to turn that banana ball into a powerful, controlled draw. The slice is fundamentally caused by a mismatch between your swing path and your clubface angle at impact. Specifically, it's the combination of an outside-to-in swing path and an open clubface that imparts the massive side spin. By implementing these seven game-changing fixes, you will address the root causes and start hitting longer, straighter drives immediately.

The Core Causes of a Slice and Your Modern Fixes

To permanently cure your slice, you must first understand the physics. The ball starts where the clubface is aiming, and it curves away from the swing path. A slice occurs when the clubface is open relative to the path, and the path is cutting across the ball (outside-to-in).

1. Fix Your Weak Grip: The Foundation of a Draw

A "weak grip" is the single most common cause of an open clubface at impact. A weak grip prevents the hands from naturally rotating (releasing) the clubface back to square through the hitting zone.

• The Fix: Strengthen Your Top Hand. For a right-handed golfer, this is the left hand. Rotate your left hand clockwise (to the right) on the grip until you can see two to three knuckles when looking down at the ball.
• The Feeling: The club handle should be more in the fingers, not the palm. This strengthened position encourages the clubface to close naturally, turning a slice into a straight shot or even a slight draw.

2. Eliminate the Outside-to-In Path: Swing From the Inside

The outside-to-in swing path, often called "coming over the top," is the path of the clubhead moving from outside the target line to inside the target line at impact. This path is what creates the initial left-to-right movement for a right-handed golfer.

• The Fix: Focus on an In-to-Out Path. The goal is to feel like you are swinging out to right field (for a righty). This requires shifting your focus from hitting the ball to swinging the clubhead down the target line and then slightly to the right of it.
• The Drill: The Gate Drill. Place an object (like a headcover or a range basket) a foot or two back from the ball, with its nearest edge on your target line. This acts as a barrier, forcing you to swing the club from the inside to avoid hitting the object, thereby promoting the desired in-to-out swing path.

3. Square the Clubface: The Impact Key

Even with a perfect path, an open clubface will still cause a slice. The clubface angle is the primary determinant of the ball's starting direction.

• The Fix: "Get the Toe to Win the Race." This is a powerful, modern swing thought. As you approach impact, feel like the toe of the driver is rotating faster than the heel. This sensation promotes a rapid closing of the clubface, ensuring it is square or slightly closed at the moment of contact.
• The Feeling: Imagine you are trying to turn your hands over slightly, or "roll" the clubface shut just before impact. This is the release that professional golfers execute effortlessly.

Setup and Equipment Adjustments for Instant Results

While swing mechanics are paramount, your setup (address position) and equipment can provide immediate, powerful compensation for a slice. These are often the quickest ways to see a change in ball flight.

4. Check Your Alignment and Ball Position

Many slicers unknowingly aim far left (for a righty) to compensate for the ball's rightward flight. This "compensation aim" actually encourages the outside-to-in swing path, making the slice worse.

• The Fix: Aim Straighter, Not Left. Trust your new grip and swing path. Use an alignment stick or a club on the ground to ensure your feet, hips, and shoulders are aimed parallel to your target line.
• Ball Position: Move the ball slightly further forward in your stance, just inside your front heel. Hitting the ball later in the arc encourages a slight upward attack angle and more time for the clubface to close.

5. Utilize Modern Driver Technology

The latest drivers in 2025 are engineered with slice-fighting technology. Modern drivers often feature adjustable clubfaces and movable weights.

• The Fix: Adjust to a Draw Bias. Check your driver's adjustable hosel settings. Set the clubface to a "Draw" or "Closed" setting. This physically rotates the clubface to be slightly closed at address, providing a crucial head-start in squaring the face at impact.
• Weighting: If your driver has movable weights, shift the weight to the heel side of the clubhead. This heel-side weighting helps the toe rotate faster, promoting a square-to-closed clubface at impact and reducing the slice spin.

Advanced Drills and Swing Keys for Consistency

Once you understand the fundamentals of grip and path, these drills will help you integrate the new movements into your full swing, making the fix permanent.

6. The Cross-Handed Drill

This drill is excellent for correcting a poor takeaway and shallowing the swing plane, which is necessary to transition from an outside-to-in path to an in-to-out path.

• How to Do It: Hold the club with your left hand (for a righty) below your right hand on the grip, essentially reversing your normal hand position.
• The Benefit: Hitting balls with this awkward grip forces you to swing the club on a shallower, more inside path and promotes a better release of the clubhead. It exaggerates the feeling of the club coming from the inside.

7. The "Just Miss the Stick" Drill

This is a path-correction drill that requires immediate feedback and focuses on the downswing plane.

• How to Do It: Place an alignment stick or a tee into the ground about a foot outside the ball and slightly in front of it, creating a barrier.
• The Goal: Your goal is to swing the driver down and through without hitting the stick. This forces you to drop the club into a shallower, more inside-out slot on the downswing, effectively eliminating the steep, over-the-top move that causes the slice. This drill is one of the most effective ways to master the proper swing path.

By committing to these seven fixes—strengthening your grip, swinging in-to-out, squaring the clubface, correcting alignment, utilizing draw-biased drivers, and practicing the drills—you will not only eliminate the slice but also unlock significant distance and consistency in your driver game. The slice is a mechanical fault, and with mechanical fixes, you can cure it forever.