Understand Why Is My Golf Ball Going Right & Fix It

Why Is My Golf Ball Going Right & Fix It

Why does my golf ball keep going right? For most right-handed golfers, a ball that flies to the right often happens because the clubface is pointing right of the swing path when you hit the ball. If the ball starts right and curves more right, that’s usually a slice. If the ball starts right and goes mostly straight right, that’s typically a push. Both come from problems with your golf swing mechanics, especially how the clubface hits the ball and which way your club is moving. Don’t worry, many golfers face this issue, and there are clear ways to fix it.

Why Is My Golf Ball Going Right
Image Source: outofboundsgolf.com

Grasping Why the Ball Flies Right

Golf can be tricky. You hit the ball, and it doesn’t go where you want. If your ball goes right, you’re not alone. This is a very common problem. It happens because of how your club meets the ball.

There are two main things that make the ball fly right:

Where your clubface points when you hit the ball (the clubface angle).
Which way your club is moving when you hit the ball (the swing path).

These two things work together based on the ball flight laws golf. Simply put:

The clubface direction at impact mostly controls where the ball starts.
The swing path direction (compared to the clubface direction) mostly controls how the ball curves.

So, if the ball starts right, the clubface was likely pointing right. If it then curves more right (a slice), your swing path was likely going left (out-to-in swing path) compared to that open clubface. If it starts right and goes straight (a push), your swing path was likely going right too, but perhaps not as much as the clubface was open.

Let’s look at the main reasons this happens and how to fix them.

Main Reasons Your Ball Goes Right

Several things can cause your golf ball to go right. It’s usually one or more of these:

Your grip.
Your setup (how you stand).
Your swing path (the direction your club moves).
Your clubface angle at impact.

We will break down each one.

Examining Your Grip

How you hold the club is the first step. A bad grip can cause other problems in your swing. If your grip is too weak, it’s hard to close the clubface in time for impact.

What is a Weak Grip?

For a right-handed golfer, a weak grip means your hands are turned too much to the left on the club.

Left Hand: The ‘V’ shape made by your thumb and index finger points towards your left shoulder or even more left. You might only see one or two knuckles on your left hand when looking down.
Right Hand: The ‘V’ shape points too far left or towards your chin. Your right hand might be too much on top of the grip.

How a Weak Grip Causes a Slice

A weak grip makes it difficult for your wrists to naturally rotate through impact. This rotation is needed to square the clubface. If you don’t square the face, it stays open (pointing right) when you hit the ball. This is a common golf grip slice problem.

Fixing Your Golf Grip Slice

Strengthening your grip can help you close the clubface.

Left Hand: Turn your left hand on the grip more to the right. The ‘V’ between your thumb and index finger should point closer to your right shoulder. You should see at least three knuckles when you look down.
Right Hand: Place your right hand on the club so that the ‘V’ between its thumb and index finger points towards your right shoulder or slightly right of it. The palm of your right hand should face the target.

Practice This Grip Change

Hold the club in front of you. Check your ‘V’s.
Make practice swings with the new grip. Feel how your hands can work together.
Hit some easy shots on the range focusing only on the grip. Don’t worry too much about the ball flight at first. Just get used to the feeling.

A stronger grip is a simple golf slice fix that can make a big difference.

Checking Your Setup for Golf Slice

How you stand before you swing matters a lot. A poor setup can force you into a bad swing path or make you leave the clubface open.

Alignment Problems

Are you aiming right without knowing it? Many golfers who slice feel they need to aim left to bring the ball back to the target. This makes them swing left (out-to-in) even more, which can make the slice worse if the face is still open.

Checking Alignment: Lay a club on the ground along your toe line pointing at your target. Step back behind the ball and club. See where the club points. Is it really pointing at the target? What about another club pointing just past the ball towards the target itself? Are your feet, hips, and shoulders lined up parallel to the club on the ground?

Ball Position Issues

Where is the ball in your stance? If the ball is too far back (towards your right foot), you might hit it before you’ve had time to square the clubface. This leaves the face open.

Proper Ball Position: For most irons, the ball should be roughly in the middle of your stance. For drivers, the ball should be off the heel of your front foot.

Weight Distribution

Are you leaning back? If too much weight stays on your back foot, you might hit up on the ball too much (especially with irons) and leave the clubface open. You might also naturally swing left (out-to-in) because you are hanging back.

Proper Weight: At setup, your weight should feel balanced or slightly favouring your front foot (around 55% front, 45% back). As you swing down, your weight should shift mostly to your front foot before impact.

Fixing Your Setup

Alignment Drill: Use alignment sticks or golf clubs on the ground. One points at your target, and one is parallel to it, showing where your feet should be aimed. Practice lining up square to the target.
Ball Position Check: Use the clubface to measure ball position relative to your feet. Make sure it’s not too far back. Practice hitting balls from the correct position.
Weight Shift Drill: Practice simple shifts back and through without hitting a ball. Feel the weight move to your front foot before impact.

Getting your setup for golf slice right builds a good base for your swing.

Interpreting Your Swing Path

The direction your club moves as it hits the ball is called the swing path. If your ball is going right, a very common reason is an out-to-in swing path.

What is an Out-to-In Swing Path?

This means your club travels from outside the target line (away from your body) to inside the target line (towards your body) through impact.

Imagine a line pointing at your target.

Out: Your club approaches the ball from the side away from that line.
In: Your club moves across that line towards your body after hitting the ball.

Why an Out-to-In Path Causes Right Shots

With an Open Clubface: If you swing out-to-in and your clubface is pointing right of the target (open), the ball will start right and curve more right (a slice). This is the classic slice path/face combo.
With a Square Clubface: If you swing out-to-in and your clubface is square to the target, the ball will start left and go mostly straight (a pull).
With a Closed Clubface: If you swing out-to-in and your clubface is pointing left of the target (closed), the ball will start left and curve even more left (a hook).

So, while an out-to-in path can cause a pull or a hook, it’s a primary cause of a slice when combined with an open face. It can also contribute to a push if your path is only slightly out-to-in and the face is very open.

Why Do Golfers Swing Out-to-In?

Over the Top: This is a very common move. From the top of the backswing, the club comes down steeply and swings away from your body.
Aiming Left: As mentioned, if you aim left, you might naturally swing along your body lines, which are aimed left. This creates an out-to-in path relative to the actual target.
Trying to Avoid a Slice: Some golfers try to swing “over the top” or left to cut across the ball, hoping to make it curve left. This rarely works and often makes the slice worse by promoting the out-to-in path.

Swing Path Correction Drills

Fixing an out-to-in swing path often takes time and practice. The goal is to get your path moving more “in-to-out” (from inside the line to outside) or at least straight down the line.

The Towel Drill: Place a towel or headcover just outside and behind the ball (where your club comes from if it’s out-to-in). If you swing out-to-in, you’ll hit the towel. This drill forces you to swing more from the inside.
The Gate Drill: Set up two headcovers or alignment sticks about 1-2 inches wider than your clubhead, just past the ball towards the target. Swing through this “gate.” If you swing too far out-to-in or in-to-out, you’ll hit a gate. Start with a wider gate and make it narrower as you improve.
Hitting from an Inside Path: Practice hitting shots where you feel like you are swinging to the right of the target (for a right-handed golfer). This helps you learn the feeling of an in-to-out path. Start with wedges and half swings.

Work on your swing path correction slowly. Don’t try to change it too much at once.

Deciphering the Clubface Angle at Impact

This is perhaps the most important factor for the starting direction of the ball based on ball flight laws golf. If your ball starts right, your clubface was pointing right when you hit it. This is having a clubface open at impact.

What is an Open Clubface?

An open clubface means the hitting surface of the club (the face) is angled to the right of your target line when you hit the ball.

Why Does the Clubface Stay Open?

Weak Grip: We already covered this. It makes it hard to square the face.
Lack of Wrist Rotation: You aren’t turning your wrists enough (pronation/supination) through impact to close the face.
“Holding Off” the Release: Some golfers try to steer the club or stop their hands from rotating, often out of fear of hooking the ball or to try and cut across it. This prevents the natural release of the clubface.
Poor Swing Sequence: Your body or arms might be moving in a way that leaves the clubhead lagging open.
Overactive Lower Body: Turning your hips too fast and too early can leave the clubhead behind, with the face open.

Achieving a Neutral Clubface

A neutral clubface at impact means the face is pointing straight at your target. For most shots, you want the clubface to be square or very slightly closed relative to your swing path to create a gentle draw or straight shot. If your path is straight, a neutral face points at the target.

Fixes for Clubface Open at Impact

Strengthen Your Grip: Go back to the grip section. This is the first and often easiest step.
Practice Wrist Rotation (Release Drills):
- Hands-Only Drill: Take the club with just your hands (no ball). Swing back and through slowly, focusing on how your left wrist flattens or even slightly bows and your right wrist bends back as you release through impact. Feel the clubface closing.
- L-to-L Drill: Make half swings where your lead arm and the club form an ‘L’ shape on the backswing, and then again on the follow-through. Focus on feeling the clubface turn over (close) between these two points.
Hit Punch Shots: Practice hitting low, controlled shots with shorter irons. Focus on feeling the toe of the club pass the heel through impact. This encourages clubface rotation.
Use a Training Aid: There are training grips or devices you can attach to your club to help you feel the correct wrist position and clubface rotation.
Focus on the Through Swing: Instead of just thinking about impact, focus on letting the club release naturally past the impact point. Don’t stop your hands or try to steer.

Fixing a clubface open at impact is key to getting the ball starting left or straight, stopping the rightward flight.

Comprehending Pushes vs. Slices

It’s helpful to know the difference between a push and a slice, as they have slightly different causes according to ball flight laws golf.

Push: Ball starts right and flies mostly straight right.
- Cause: Clubface is open (points right) and your swing path is going right (in-to-out or straight right) at impact. The face is open relative to the target line, and the path is either matching it or is also right of the target line.
Slice: Ball starts right (or even straight or slightly left) and curves hard right.
- Cause: Clubface is open (points right) relative to the target, but your swing path is going left (out-to-in) relative to the target. The face is open relative to the swing path. The larger the difference between the open face and the leftward path, the more the ball slices.

Fixing a Golf Push

If you’re pushing the ball (starts right, goes straight right), it means both your clubface and your swing path are likely aiming right at impact.

Fix Clubface First: Work on squaring the clubface. Use the grip fixes and release drills mentioned above. Get the face pointing at the target or slightly left of it.
Check Your Path: If you fix the clubface and still push, your path is likely too far in-to-out (swinging too much to the right). Use swing path drills (like the gate drill) to try and get your path more neutral or slightly out-to-in relative to your body line. If your path is straight right and face is straight right, that’s a push. If your path is in-to-out (right) and face is slightly less open or square to that path, that’s a push-draw or push-straight. Getting the face square to the target is the primary fix for starting right.

Fixing a golf push requires attention to both clubface and path, often starting with the clubface.

Understanding Golf Swing Mechanics as a Whole

Your golf swing is a chain of movements. A problem in one part can affect others. Grip, setup, backswing, downswing, impact, and follow-through all work together.

Backswing: An improper backswing (too steep, too flat, too long) can put you in a bad position at the top, making an out-to-in path or open face more likely.
Transition: How you start the downswing is key. Too much upper body rotation too early can cause the club to come “over the top.”
Downswing: The sequence of your body and arm movements determines the swing path and how the clubface gets delivered to the ball.
Impact: This is the moment of truth, where the clubface angle and swing path are set.
Follow-Through: How you finish your swing can show clues about what happened at impact and helps you develop good habits.

Common Mechanical Causes of Slices/Pushes

Early Extension: Your lower body straightens up and moves closer to the ball during the downswing. This pushes your upper body back, forcing the club to swing out-to-in or leaving the face open.
Casting/Early Release: Releasing the angle between your lead arm and the club too early in the downswing. This adds loft and can lead to an open face or steep, out-to-in path.
Lack of Rotation: Not turning your body enough through the shot, relying too much on arms and hands. This makes squaring the face and getting on a good path harder.

Improving Your Golf Swing Mechanics

Lessons: A qualified golf instructor can watch your swing and quickly identify the main issues. They can give you specific drills tailored to your swing.
Video Analysis: Film your swing from different angles (down the line, face on). Comparing it to good swings can reveal problems you don’t feel.
Drills for Fundamental Movements:
- Body Rotation Drills: Practice turning your chest and hips through the shot without a club.
- Impact Bag Drill: Hit an impact bag to feel the correct position at impact – hands slightly ahead of the clubhead, square face.
- Split-Hand Drill: Hold the club with your hands separated by several inches. This helps you feel the clubhead releasing past your hands.

Working on your overall golf swing mechanics is the long-term path to consistent shots.

Combining Fixes for Best Results

Often, your golf ball goes right because of a mix of these issues. You might have a weak grip and an out-to-in swing path and an open clubface at impact.

It’s best to work on them one step at a time.

Start with Grip and Setup: These are the easiest to change and check. Make sure your grip is strong enough and you are aimed correctly with the ball in the right place.
Address the Clubface: This is often the direct cause of the ball starting right. Use drills to learn how to square or close the face.
Work on Swing Path: Once you can control the clubface better, work on getting your path more neutral or in-to-out if it’s severely out-to-in. Use path drills.
Look at Overall Mechanics: If the simpler fixes don’t work, or you see recurring problems, video your swing and maybe get a lesson to see if deeper mechanical issues like ‘over the top’ or ‘early extension’ are the root cause.

Be patient. Fixing a slice or push takes practice. Don’t expect perfect results right away. Focus on making small improvements.

Summary Table: Causes and Fixes for Ball Going Right

Here is a quick look at the common causes and ways to address them.

Cause	How it Makes Ball Go Right	Key Fixes	Related LSI Keywords
Weak Grip	Prevents squaring the clubface, leading to clubface open at impact.	Strengthen your grip (hands more to the right).	Golf grip slice
Poor Setup/Alignment	Aiming right or left (forcing O-I path), ball position too back, weight back.	Check alignment with sticks, correct ball position, proper weight shift.	Setup for golf slice
Out-to-In Swing Path	Club moves left across the ball. Combines with open face for slice.	Practice swinging more in-to-out or straight with path drills (towel, gate).	Out-to-in swing path, Swing path correction, Golf slice fix
Clubface Open at Impact	Clubface points right when hitting ball, ball starts right.	Strengthen grip, practice release drills (wrist rotation), hit punch shots.	Clubface open at impact, Neutral clubface, Golf slice fix
Poor Overall Mechanics	Problems like ‘over the top’, early extension, casting lead to path/face issues.	Video analysis, lessons, specific drills for body movement & sequence.	Golf swing mechanics, Golf slice fix, Fixing a golf push
Misunderstanding Ball Flight	Not knowing how face and path affect the ball.	Learn the basics of ball flight laws.	Ball flight laws golf

Keeping It Simple: The Two Biggest Reasons

When you’re on the course and the ball goes right, remember the two main players:

Clubface direction: This is the boss of where the ball starts. If it starts right, the face was open.
Swing Path direction: This works with the face angle to shape the shot (slice, hook, straight).

For a ball that goes right, it’s almost always an open clubface at impact. The swing path then decides if it’s a push or a slice.

Focusing on squaring the clubface (neutral clubface) is the most direct way to stop the ball from starting right. Then, work on getting your swing path correction right to control the curve.

Practice Tips

Make it Fun: Don’t get frustrated. See it as a puzzle to solve.
One Thing at a Time: Don’t try to fix your grip, path, and face all at once. Pick the one you think is the biggest problem and work on it until it improves a little.
Slow Motion: Practice your swing in slow motion to feel the correct movements, like wrist rotation or path.
Range vs. Course: Work on changes at the driving range first. Don’t expect to take a new swing thought to the course right away and play your best round.
Get Feedback: Use video or have a friend watch you swing. What you feel you are doing isn’t always what you are actually doing.

Mastering your golf swing mechanics and understanding the ball flight laws golf takes time. But by focusing on the grip, setup, swing path, and especially the clubface, you can stop that frustrating rightward flight and hit straighter, more powerful shots.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

h4 Why does my driver slice more than my irons?

Drivers have less loft than irons. Less loft makes the effect of an open clubface or an out-to-in path on side spin more noticeable. A small open face error with a driver causes a bigger slice than the same error with a lofted wedge. Also, the driver is longer, which can make it harder to control the clubface and path.

h4 Can a bad stance cause a slice?

Yes, absolutely. If you aim left to try and fix a slice, your body is aligned left. When you swing along your body lines, this creates an out-to-in swing path relative to your actual target. This path, combined with an open clubface, creates a slice. A bad stance is part of your setup for golf slice.

h4 What’s the difference between a slice and a push?

A slice starts right (or maybe straight or slightly left) and curves hard right. This is an open clubface relative to the target, and an out-to-in swing path. A push starts right and goes mostly straight right. This is an open clubface relative to the target, and a swing path that is also pointing right (in-to-out or straight right). Fixing a golf push often focuses more on the clubface angle than the path, while a slice needs both fixed.

h4 Is an out-to-in swing path always bad?

Not always. Many good players have a slightly out-to-in path, but they match it with a clubface that is closed relative to that path. This creates a pull-hook or a straight pull. However, for golfers who slice, the out-to-in path combined with an open face is the problem. Correcting it towards a more neutral or in-to-out path (with a square face) is a common golf slice fix.

h4 Does my grip cause a slice or a push?

A weak grip (hands turned left for a righty) is a common cause of an open clubface at impact. An open clubface causes the ball to start right. So, a weak grip can lead to either a slice (if combined with an out-to-in path) or a push (if combined with a path that is not far enough left, or is straight or in-to-out). A strong grip helps you square the face and is often the first step in a golf slice fix.

h4 How can I check my clubface angle at impact?

This is hard to do just by feel. Video is the best way. Film your swing from face-on and down-the-line. Pause the video right at impact. See where the clubface is pointing. You can also use impact spray on the face to see where you hit the ball – toe hits can sometimes point the face open.

h4 Can equipment cause me to slice?

Yes, in some cases. A club that is too stiff or has too little loft for your swing speed can make it harder to square the face. However, equipment usually makes an existing swing issue worse; it’s rarely the primary cause of a slice for most golfers. Fix the swing first before blaming the clubs.

h4 How long does it take to fix a slice?

It varies greatly for each person. Some golfers see improvement in a few range sessions by fixing their grip and getting a better feel for releasing the clubface. For others, deeper swing mechanics need to be changed, which can take months of practice and possibly lessons. Be patient and work on it step by step.