In golf, the slice is the “national nightmare.” Not only does the ball veer right (for right-handers), but it does so even when you’ve swung hard and aimed straight. To fix it for good, we have to return to the root cause: an open clubface at the top and too little time to square it before impact.

1. Why an Open Clubface Causes a Slice

Imagine your swing as a lightning-fast motion lasting fractions of a second. From the start of the downswing to impact, you have just about 0.25 seconds to rotate the face from open to square with your target line. For most amateurs, that’s almost impossible.

If your clubface is already open at the top (toe down), you’ll need to rotate your wrists extremely fast and precisely just before impact. Swing even a hair too slow, or mistime the rotation, and the face stays open — sending the ball slicing right.

Some pros, like Justin Thomas, can play great golf from an open-face position because they have elite clubhead speed, precise face awareness, and perfect timing. But for most amateurs, that’s not the smart route.

2. Reverse Thinking: Close the Clubface Earlier

The simpler solution? Don’t let the face open in the first place.
If you can create a slightly closed clubface at the top of your backswing (with the face angled more toward the sky than the ground), you won’t need to rush your wrist rotation later.

Players like Dustin Johnson and Viktor Hovland are great examples — at the top, their clubfaces are a bit closed, and their lead wrists are bowed. From that position, the downswing becomes more “automatic,” with the face naturally returning to near-square without last-second manipulation.

Why does this work? Because the backswing is about three times longer than the downswing. You have far more time on the way up to set your angles properly than to fix them in a split-second on the way down. Simply put: it’s easier to fix early than to fix late.

3. Visual Drill: “Let the Camera See Your Clubface”

Here’s a visualization that helps many slicers instantly:

Imagine there’s a camera placed directly behind you, aligned along your target line.

Take your 7-iron and make a backswing.

As you reach the top, try to “let the camera see the clubface.” In other words, point the face toward the camera behind you.

When done correctly, your body naturally achieves these key positions:

Your lead wrist (left wrist for right-handers) becomes flat or slightly bowed — a great modern position.

Your trail hand (right hand) faces more upward rather than down — helping close the face.

The clubface at the top no longer points toe-down, but rather faces the sky or your extended target line behind you.

Even just imagining this position can transform your open face into a neutral or slightly closed one.

4. Connection to Swing Path

Many golfers blame their slice on an outside-in swing path, and while that’s partly true, the clubface angle is more critical. Even if your path is fairly straight, an open face will still send the ball right.

So for amateurs, priority #1 is face control, and priority #2 is swing path. Once the face is more neutral or closed, you’ll instantly notice less side spin, straighter shots, and better distance — since less energy is wasted creating unwanted curve.

5. How to Practice and Build the Habit

Turn this visualization into a warm-up drill:

Make a slow backswing to the top and pause for 1–2 seconds.

Check: is the face “looking” at your imaginary camera?

Check your lead wrist — is it flat or slightly bowed?

Make a half-swing down, focusing on maintaining that face position.

Repeat 10–15 times before hitting real shots.

When you swing normally, resist the urge to flip or rotate your hands late — because you’ve already closed the face early.

6. The Results You Can Expect

Once you groove this motion consistently:

Your shots will start flying straighter — maybe even drawing slightly.

Side spin will decrease, and distance will increase.

You’ll gain confidence knowing the face is under control.

So instead of trying to correct the problem in a quarter-second downswing, fix it during the three-quarters of a second you have in the backswing.
It’s a smarter, simpler, and more sustainable way for everyday golfers to say goodbye to that stubborn slice — and hello to the fairway.

GolfEdit.com