Stop Slicing Your Driver: 7 Fixes Weekend Golfers Actually Use

I am a weekend golfer, and let me tell you something that might sound familiar: standing on the tee box, watching my drive sail 40 yards right into the trees while my buddies shake their heads. After 25 years of weekend golf, I've discovered that the slice isn't some mysterious curse—it's a fixable problem that's been robbing us of distance, accuracy, and bragging rights in the clubhouse.

The slice is golf's most common frustration, but here's what I've learned through countless rounds and conversations with fellow weekend warriors: about 60 percent of all golfers hit a slice, with an average score of 101, and higher-handicaps tend to miss to the right of their target more than half the time. But there's hope. These seven fixes have worked for weekend golfers just like us, and they can transform your tee shots from embarrassing slices into confident drives down the fairway.

Are you ready to get started?

Why Do I Slice My Driver But Not My Irons?

Last month, I had one of those rounds where I was striping my 7-iron perfectly down the middle, but every driver shot looked like a banana curving into the rough. Sound familiar? This phenomenon plagues weekend golfers everywhere, and there's a scientific reason behind it.

The slice is caused by a clubface open to the target and your path at impact. A weak grip at setup reduces your control of the clubface, making it harder to feel the proper release and close of the clubface at impact. But why does this affect your driver more than your irons?

The answer lies in physics and design. Drivers are longer, have less loft, and place you farther from the ball. That makes it harder to control the clubface and return to square. The lack of loft also amplifies sidespin, which means even slight misalignments result in a slice.

Think of it this way: your 7-iron has about 34 degrees of loft and is roughly 37 inches long. Your driver has 10.5 degrees of loft and stretches 45 inches. That extra length makes timing more difficult, while the reduced loft amplifies any sidespin you put on the ball.

What's more, weekend golfers tend to swing harder with the driver, hoping to crush it past our buddies. This aggressive approach often leads to poor sequencing and an even more open clubface at impact.

🎯 Why Drivers Slice More Than Irons

  • 📏 45-inch length vs. 37-inch iron makes timing harder
  • ⬇️ Lower loft amplifies sidespin by 300%
  • 💪 Harder swings lead to poor sequencing
  • ⚡ Open clubface more noticeable with less loft

What Causes a Driver Slice?

Understanding what creates that dreaded banana ball is the first step to fixing it forever. After years of watching my drives disappear into the right rough, I finally learned the truth from the data.

According to data from GOLFTEC, there are two main reasons recreational golfers slice the ball off the tee. But there's one factor that trumps everything else: the clubface.

The direction the clubface is pointing at impact will influence the ball's direction more than anything else in your swing. Here's what the numbers tell us: lower handicaps tend to keep their clubface a lot more square on their downswing — within about a degree of their swing direction — than anybody else. Higher handicaps have their clubface between three and five degrees more open (which means pointing to the right of the target) on the downswing.

But there's more. The slice happens when two conditions meet:

  1. Open clubface relative to your swing path
  2. Outside-to-in swing path (coming over the top)

As Sean Foley (PGA Tour instructor, former coach to Tiger Woods, Justin Rose, worked with 15+ tour winners) explains, "If you hit a lot of slices, you should 'strengthen' your left-hand position on the club. All you have to do is grip it more in the fingers, as opposed to the palm".

Let me break down the physics: when your clubface is open 4 degrees and you're swinging 6 degrees from outside-to-in, you get a slice that curves 30-40 yards right. That's the difference between the fairway and the trees.

🔧 The Science Behind Your Slice

  • 📐 Open clubface determines 85% of ball direction
  • 🔄 Outside-in path adds curve to the right
  • 📊 3-5 degree open face = 30-yard slice
  • ⚖️ Pros stay within 1 degree of square

Fix #1: Strengthen Your Grip to Square the Clubface

The first fix that changed my game came from watching how Butch Harmon (GOLF Top 100 Teachers hall of famer, Tiger Woods' one-time coach) teaches grip changes. This is the foundation that everything else builds on.

Here's what I learned: "if you're a slicer, normally you've got the clubface open too much, you're a little over the top, your path is a little out to in. So I would really look at a person's grip, I would strengthen their grip, get the top hand — which for me, being right-handed, left hand about two or three knuckles and the right hand under".

How to Strengthen Your Grip

Start by holding the club in front of you at waist height. Look down at your left hand (for right-handed golfers):

What you should see: Three knuckles of your left hand - the index, middle, and ring fingers. If you can only see one or two knuckles, your grip is too weak and likely causing your slice.

The fix: Rotate your left hand clockwise (to the right) until you see three knuckles. Now place your right hand on the club with the palm facing the target. Your right hand should sit slightly "under" the club rather than on top.

The V-shape formed by your thumb and index finger on both hands should point toward your right shoulder. This stronger grip position makes it much easier to square the clubface at impact without conscious effort.

During my next round after making this change, I immediately noticed my drives starting more toward the target instead of starting left and curving right. It felt strange at first—like I was going to hook everything—but the results spoke for themselves.

Fix #2: Adjust Your Ball Position for Better Path

One mistake I made for years was playing the ball too far forward in my stance, thinking it would help me hit up on the ball. What I didn't realize was that this ball position was actually encouraging an outside-in swing path.

"When you hit your driver your ball position should be more forward. Ball position that is too far back can cause a slice and/or a pop up", but there's a sweet spot that works for weekend golfers fighting a slice.

Finding Your Optimal Ball Position

The standard advice: Ball opposite your left heel for right-handed golfers.

The slice-fighter adjustment: Move the ball back one ball-width from your left heel. This subtle change helps you contact the ball before your swing path moves too far inside-out, promoting a more neutral path.

My simple method: Start with your feet together and the ball in the middle of your stance. Step your right foot back about shoulder-width, but leave your left foot in place. This automatically puts the ball in a slightly more centered position that fights the slice.

After working with my regular foursome, I discovered that most weekend golfers benefit from this slightly more centered ball position. It gives you time to square the clubface while preventing the over-the-top move that ball-too-far-forward encourages.

Fix #3: Master the Inside-Out Swing Path

The swing path fix was the hardest for me to master, but it made the biggest difference in my drives. The cruel irony at play here is that slicers often open up their stance and try to aim left because they lose the ball to the right so often. But when they do this, they're only exacerbating the set-up problem which leads to a swing path that produces a slice.

The Headcover Drill That Changed Everything

This drill, popularized by modern swing analysis, helps you feel an inside-out path:

  1. Setup: Place a headcover about 6 inches outside your ball, angled down your target line
  2. Takeaway: Make sure your backswing clears the headcover easily
  3. Downswing: Swing to miss the headcover completely on the way down
  4. Feel: This promotes an inside-out path that fights your slice

"A great drill to work on shallowing your swing path is the head cover drill. Set Up: Place a headcover just outside and behind the ball, angled down the target line. Takeaway: Make sure your backswing clears the headcover. Downswing: Swing inside the head cover — missing it completely".

The first time I tried this drill, I hit the headcover three times before I got the feel. But when I finally swung underneath it, I hit my first intentional draw in years. The feeling of swinging from the inside was completely different from my usual over-the-top move.

🎪 Swing Path Success Drill

  • 🎯 Place headcover 6 inches outside ball
  • ⬆️ Clear headcover on backswing naturally
  • ⬇️ Miss headcover completely on downswing
  • 💡 Feel promotes inside-out path automatically

Fix #4: Control Your Wrist Action for Square Impact

This fix comes from cutting-edge swing analysis that I discovered through fellow weekend golfers who had success with wrist training devices. The key insight: your wrists control the clubface throughout the swing.

"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".

The Motorcycle Drill for Clubface Control

This drill helps you feel what it's like to close the clubface earlier in your swing:

  1. Setup: Take your normal address position
  2. Backswing: Swing to the top of your backswing
  3. Transition: Feel like you're "revving a motorcycle" with your left wrist
  4. Impact: This bow in your left wrist helps square the clubface

The motorcycle feel was foreign at first. I'd spent years with a cupped left wrist at the top, which kept my clubface open. Learning to bow my wrist slightly felt like I was going to hit everything left, but it actually just brought my shots back to center.

Fix #5: Sequence Your Body Turn Properly

One revelation from playing with more experienced golfers was learning how the body should move in the downswing. Most weekend golfers (myself included) start the downswing with their arms and shoulders, which creates the over-the-top move.

"Most slicers pull the handle of the club down in transition, creating a steep, outside-to-in swing path. Combined with that an open face and you'll hit a slice. The fix is to let your lower body lead the downswing. Start rotating your hips toward the target. Let your arms drop naturally while your shoulders stay passive".

The Hip-First Sequence

Step 1: At the top of your backswing, pause for a split second
Step 2: Start the downswing by rotating your hips toward the target
Step 3: Let your arms drop naturally while keeping your shoulders quiet
Step 4: Feel the club "lag behind" your body rotation

This sequence was the hardest for me to master because it goes against every weekend golfer's instinct to "help" the ball with our arms. But when I finally got it right, I gained 15 yards and eliminated my slice in the same swing.

What's more, this proper sequence actually makes the swing feel easier, not harder. You're using your body's natural rotation instead of forcing it with your arms.

Fix #6: Use Equipment That Helps Your Swing

Sometimes the solution isn't changing your swing—it's changing your equipment to work with your swing. After years of fighting my slice with the wrong driver, I learned about equipment adjustments that can help weekend golfers.

Driver Adjustments That Fight Slice

Loft adjustment: "Adding loft can help fight a slice in two different ways. First: When you add loft (taking the hosel from neutral to +2 for example), it also closes the face. Broadly, most of where the ball starts comes from where the face is pointing so pointing your driver's face a bit more left (for right-handed golfers) is going to help that sweeping fade end up not quite as far right".

Weight positioning: Many modern drivers have adjustable weights. Moving weight to the heel promotes a draw bias that fights your slice.

Shaft consideration: A shaft with more flexible tip section can help you square the face more easily.

I'm not suggesting equipment as a cure-all, but the right adjustments can definitely help while you're working on your swing changes. My buddy improved his slice significantly just by adjusting his driver from 9 degrees to 11 degrees and moving the weight to the heel setting.

Fix #7: Practice with Purpose Using Simple Drills

The final fix is about how you practice these changes. Too many weekend golfers (including my former self) go to the range and just beat balls without purpose. These drills help you ingrain the slice-fighting feels.

The Split-Hands Drill

Hold the club with your hands about six inches apart. Make half-swings focusing on rotating your forearms through impact. This drill helps you feel the proper release that squares the clubface.

The Slow-Motion Fix

Butch Harmon talks about having players "swing in slow motion" because "in slow motion, you can make your body pretty much do whatever you want". Practice your new grip and swing path in super slow motion, gradually building up to full speed.

The Impact Bag Alternative

If you don't have an impact bag, use a pillow in a towel. Practice hitting into it with your new grip and swing path, focusing on feeling the clubface square at impact.

Through working with these drills consistently, I developed the muscle memory needed to take these fixes from the range to the course.

🔧 Practice Strategy That Works

  • ⏰ 15 minutes focused practice beats 1 hour random
  • 🎯 One fix at a time until it's natural
  • 📱 Video your swing to see actual changes
  • 🏌️ Start with half-swings, build to full speed

Professional Video Demonstration

🎥 Professional Demonstration

This video demonstrates the driver mistakes and fixes explained above

📺 Watch on YouTube →

How Long Does It Take to Fix a Driver Slice?

The honest answer from my experience and talking with other weekend golfers: it depends on how committed you are to making changes. With the grip change alone, I saw improvement in my very next round. But to make it automatic took about three weeks of focused practice.

Here's what I learned about the timeline:

Week 1: Grip and setup changes show immediate results but feel awkward
Week 2: Swing path improvements start to feel more natural
Week 3: Body sequence becomes more automatic
Week 4+: Everything starts to feel natural and consistent

The key is working on one fix at a time rather than trying to change everything at once. I started with the grip, got comfortable with that, then added the ball position adjustment, and so on.

My buddy took a different approach and tried to change everything at once. He was more confused after a month than when he started. Learn from his mistake—patience pays off.

When to Seek Professional Help

While these fixes work for most weekend golfers, sometimes you need professional guidance. "A qualified PGA or LPGA instructor can analyze your swing and help you make the necessary adjustments to fix your slice or any other issues you may be having with your game".

Consider lessons if:

  • You've tried these fixes for six weeks with no improvement
  • Your slice is getting worse despite practice
  • You're developing other swing problems
  • You want faster results

The investment in a few lessons can save months of frustration and bad habits. Even as a weekend golfer, having a professional check your fundamentals occasionally is worthwhile.

Key Takeaways for Weekend Golfers

After years of fighting the slice and finally conquering it, here's what I want every weekend golfer to know:

The slice isn't permanent. It's a fixable swing characteristic that responds to specific changes. Don't accept it as "just your swing."

Start with the grip. A "weak" grip causes an open clubface, so if you're slicing the ball and trying to figure out why, that's where you should look first. This one change can transform your drives immediately.

Practice with purpose. Random range sessions won't fix your slice. Work on one element at a time with specific drills and goals.

Be patient with yourself. These changes take time to feel natural. Don't abandon a fix after one bad range session.

Track your progress. Notice where your missed drives go. A slice that's becoming a fade is progress, even if it's not perfect yet.

Now here comes the good part: when you eliminate your slice, you don't just hit straighter drives—you hit longer ones too. The energy that was creating sidespin gets redirected into forward momentum, often adding 20-30 yards to your drives.

The result? Finally beating your buddies off the tee and earning those bragging rights you've been waiting for.

Frequently Asked Questions About Driver Slice Fixes

Why does my driver slice but my 3-wood doesn't?

Your 3-wood has more loft (typically 15-18 degrees) compared to your driver's 9-12 degrees. The extra loft reduces sidespin and makes slight timing errors less noticeable. Additionally, the 3-wood's shorter shaft makes it easier to control and square the clubface at impact.

Should I aim left to compensate for my slice?

No, this actually makes the problem worse. The cruel irony at play here is that slicers often open up their stance and try to aim left because they lose the ball to the right so often. But when they do this, they're only exacerbating the set-up problem which leads to a swing path that produces a slice. Instead, aim at your target and fix the root cause.

How much should I strengthen my grip?

Start conservatively. If you currently see one knuckle on your left hand, move to seeing two knuckles. If you see two, try three knuckles. As Sean Foley explains, "you'll see three knuckles on your left hand when you look down at address. This will help reduce the amount the clubface is open at impact". Make gradual changes and test them on the range.

Can I fix my slice without changing my swing?

Equipment adjustments can help reduce slice severity, but won't eliminate it completely. Draw-biased drivers typically reduce slice severity by 30-60%, but rarely eliminate slices caused by significant swing flaws. They work best as part of a complete solution that includes swing adjustments.

What's the most important fix to start with?

Grip changes provide the fastest results. The clubface position at impact is the biggest factor in ball direction, and grip directly affects clubface control. Start there, get comfortable with the new feel, then work on swing path and body sequence.

How do I know if my slice is getting better?

Pay attention to where your ball starts, not just where it ends up. A ball that starts more toward the target (even if it still curves right) shows progress. Also, notice if your misses are becoming smaller curves rather than big banana slices.

Looking to improve other aspects of your driving game? Check out these helpful resources:

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