How to Fix a Golf Slice With a Driver | The #1 Fix

Alright, let's have a little talk. You step up to the tee box, the sun's shining, and you've got the big dog in your hands. This is the one. You take a mighty swing, make what feels like solid contact, and then... you watch it. That high, weak, curving shot that starts left (for a righty) and sails majestically into the right-side trees.

The slice. The banana ball. The most frustrating shot in golf.

It robs you of distance, puts you in trouble, and frankly, it's embarrassing. You've probably heard a hundred different "cures." Keep your head down. Swing from the inside. Shift your weight. It's enough to make you want to wrap your new driver around the nearest ball washer.

Take a deep breath. I'm here to tell you it doesn't have to be that complicated. Forget the fifty different swing thoughts. Today, we're going to focus on one issue, understand one reason it happens, learn one fix, and practice one drill to make it stick.

It's all about control. It's all in the hands. Or more specifically, the wrists.

Quick Answer: How to Fix a Golf Slice With a Driver

To fix a golf slice with your driver, you must prevent an open clubface at impact. The most common cause of an open face is a "cupped" or extended lead wrist (left wrist for right-handers) at the top of the backswing. The fix is to practice getting your lead wrist "flat" or even slightly "bowed" at the top, which squares the clubface, and then maintain that structure through impact.

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The One Issue: An Open Clubface at Impact

Before we go any further, let's get one thing straight. A golf ball's initial direction is mostly determined by the clubface angle at impact. The curve of the ball (the slice or hook) is caused by the relationship between that clubface angle and your swing path.

A slice is an out-to-in swing path combined with a clubface that is open to that path.

Now, you could spend months trying to fix your swing path. And for some people, that's part of the puzzle. But the path can also be a *reaction* to the open clubface. Your brain is smart. It knows the face is wide open, so it tries to save the shot by swinging "over the top" to pull the ball back left.

It's a compensation that causes the problem it's trying to solve.

So, let's ignore the path for now. Let's focus on the real culprit, the root of all evil for the slicer: the open clubface. If we can get that clubface square when it meets the ball, that big slice will turn into a gentle fade or, dare I say, a powerful, straight drive.

The One Reason: The Cupped Lead Wrist

So *why* is your clubface flying open like a screen door in a hurricane?

Nine times out of ten, it's because of what your lead wrist is doing at the top of your backswing. For a right-handed golfer, this is your left wrist.

Go ahead and grab a club. Take it to the top of your backswing and stop. Now, look at your left wrist. Is there a noticeable cup or crease on the back of your wrist, like you're trying to balance a tray of drinks on it?

That's a "cupped" wrist.

When your lead wrist is cupped at the top, the clubface points more towards the sky. From this position, it is almost impossible for the average golfer to rotate that face all the way back to square in the split second it takes to swing down to the ball.

You're starting the downswing with a massive disadvantage. You're leaving the face open. The result? You guessed it. A slice.

The One Clear Fix: Get Your Lead Wrist Flat

If a cupped wrist opens the face, what closes it? A flat or even slightly bowed lead wrist.

Think of major champions like Dustin Johnson or Jon Rahm. At the top of their swings, their lead wrist is bowed (flexed), pointing the clubface towards the sky. This is an "extreme" example, but it pre-sets a closed clubface, which is why they can rotate their bodies as hard as they want and never worry about a slice.

We don't need to be that extreme. We're just looking for flat.

A flat lead wrist at the top of the backswing means the back of your lead hand is in a straight line with your forearm. When you achieve this position, look at your clubface. You'll notice it's pointing up at the sky at about a 45-degree angle.

This is a square clubface position.

From here, all you have to do is unwind your body. You don't need to add any extra hand or wrist manipulation on the way down. By setting the club correctly at the top, you've made the downswing a thousand times simpler. You've given yourself a fighting chance to deliver a square clubface to the golf ball.

This feeling might be strange at first. It will feel like the clubface is incredibly "closed" or "shut." That's normal. Your body has been used to the open-faced feeling for years. Trust the new position. It's the key.

The One Drill: The Clubface Checkpoint Drill

Okay, theory is nice, but golf is about feel. You need a drill to burn this new move into your muscle memory. This one is simple, and you can do it anywhere—in your living room, in the backyard, or on the range.

Objective: To feel the difference between a cupped (open) and flat (square) wrist position at the top of the swing.

Step 1: The Setup Take your normal driver setup. You don't need a ball for this part. Just focus on your posture and grip.

Step 2: The Half Backswing Slowly take the club back until your lead arm is parallel to the ground (a "9 o'clock" position). Stop here.

Step 3: The Old Way (Cupped) From this halfway-back position, hinge your wrists straight up so the club points to the sky. As you do this, let your lead wrist cup. You'll see the clubface is pointing mostly behind you. This is the open position you're trying to fix. Feel how that feels in your wrist.

Step 4: The New Way (Flat) Go back to the halfway-back position. Now, as you hinge your wrists up, focus on keeping the back of your lead hand flat. You can even feel like you're slightly "bowing" it or turning your knuckles towards the ground.

Step 5: The Checkpoint Hold this position at the top. Your lead wrist should be flat. Now look at the clubface. It should be pointing towards the sky. This is your checkpoint. This is the position that cures the slice. Memorize this feeling. It's the feeling of a square clubface.

Step 6: Rehearse and Repeat Do this 10-15 times without a ball. Go back and forth between the "old" cupped feel and the "new" flat feel. The contrast will teach your hands what to do.

Step 7: Add a Slow Swing Once you have the feel, start making slow, smooth, half-swings, pausing at the checkpoint to make sure your wrist is flat and the clubface is looking at the sky. Then, swing through gently.

Step 8: Take it to the Range Start with a tee and a ball. Make 10 practice swings using the checkpoint drill. Then, hit a ball at about 50% speed, focusing only on getting to that flat-wristed checkpoint at the top. Don't worry about the result. Just focus on the process.

Gradually increase your speed as you get more comfortable. You'll notice the ball starting straighter, or maybe even with a slight draw. That's when you know it's working.

If you're struggling to see your own swing or aren't sure what the wrist position looks like, use your phone to record one clear MP4 or MOV clip no longer than 15 seconds. Submit that single file at /upload for a video-informed Chubbs AI review. Chubbs can flag one visible wrist-position observation and suggest one likely explanation and drill to test; it cannot objectively determine that the checkpoint is correct from one clip. Verify the suggestion with contact and ball flight, and submit any later swing as a separate upload.

Your Next Steps to a Straighter Drive

You now have the knowledge. You understand the one issue (open face), the one reason (cupped wrist), and you have one clear fix (flat wrist) with a drill to practice it.

Don't try to change anything else. For the next few weeks, make the Clubface Checkpoint Drill your only swing thought. Every time you go to the range, start with it. Every time you're on the tee box, make a practice swing where you pause at the top and feel that flat left wrist.

This is the foundation. For a more comprehensive look at all the factors that can cause that dreaded shot, you can read our main pillar guide on how to fix a golf slice.

But remember, simple is better. One fix at a time.

If you put in the work and still feel stuck, upload a clear swing video for a video-informed Chubbs AI review or start an AI coaching conversation to describe the ball flight and what you have tried.

Now go get 'em. It's all in the wrists.

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A Note From Chubbs AI

*This guide deliberately narrows a complex driver slice to one likely cause and one checkpoint. Treat it as a starting point, then use your ball flight and a clear swing video to test whether that cause fits your swing.*

How To Fix A Golf Slice With Driver: One Clear Fix For Real Golfers