How to Fix a Grip That Causes Slices or Hooks

If you fight a slice or a hook, it’s easy to blame your swing path, your tempo, or your release. But very often, the problem is already built into your hands before the club ever moves. The way you hold the club strongly influences where the clubface points and how fast it closes or stays open through impact.

A grip that is too weak can leave the face open no matter how well you rotate, producing pushes and slices that feel impossible to fix.

A grip that is too strong can cause the face to close too early, leading to pull hooks and shots that start left and curve even farther left.

In both cases, the swing ends up making compensations just to get the ball near the target.

The key is understanding that slices and hooks are not just swing faults, they are often grip-face relationship problems. When the grip does not match your wrist structure, rotation speed, and release pattern, the clubface cannot return to square consistently.

In this article, you’ll learn how specific grip mistakes cause slices and hooks, how to diagnose whether your lead hand or trail hand is the main issue, and how to adjust your grip so the clubface can square naturally without manipulation. When your grip fits your swing, curvature becomes predictable, and solid shots start with far less effort.

How Grip Influences Clubface More Than Swing Path

The clubface controls where the ball starts and most of how it curves, and your grip largely determines how that face is oriented and how quickly it rotates through impact. Even with a good swing path, a grip that leaves the face open or closes it too fast will produce slices or hooks.

A weaker grip tends to set the lead wrist in a more cupped position, which keeps the face open longer and delays closure. A stronger grip sets the lead wrist more bowed, which closes the face earlier and reduces loft. These wrist structures are established at address and carried into the downswing, long before any conscious release happens.

This is why two golfers with similar paths can hit opposite curves. The grip changes the face’s “closure rate” through the hitting zone. When the grip matches your rotation and release, the face squares naturally. When it doesn’t, you’re forced to time your hands, and misses show up as persistent slices or hooks.

Grip Mistakes That Cause a Slice

One of the most common grip issues behind a slice is a lead hand that is too weak. When the lead hand is rotated too far toward the target, the wrist tends to cup, which leaves the clubface open as it approaches impact. Even if your swing path is reasonable, the face arrives late and the ball starts right and curves farther right.

Another mistake is a trail hand that sits too much on top of the grip. This weakens its ability to support the lead hand and help the clubface square. When the trail palm is not facing the target at impact, the club struggles to release and the face stays open.

Misaligned “V” positions also play a role. If the V’s formed by your thumbs and index fingers point toward your chin or lead shoulder instead of your trail shoulder, the face is predisposed to stay open. This often forces golfers to flip their hands late, creating timing-dependent contact and inconsistent curvature.

In short, a slicing grip usually sets the wrists in a structure that delays face closure. The swing may feel fine, but the clubface never quite catches up, producing the same right-curving pattern over and over.

Grip Mistakes That Cause a Hook

A hook is often the result of a grip that closes the clubface too early and too aggressively through the hitting zone.

The most common cause is an overly strong lead hand, where three or more knuckles are visible and the “V” points well outside the trail shoulder. This positions the lead wrist in a bowed or flexed state, which can shut the face quickly.

An overly strong trail hand can add to the problem. When the trail hand sits too far under the handle, it can dominate the release and roll the forearms excessively, causing the face to close well before impact. The ball then starts left and curves even farther left.

When both hands are rotated too far to the strong side, the clubface may look square at address, but its closure rate through impact is too fast. The body can rotate well and the path can be neutral, yet the face still arrives too closed, producing pull hooks or snap hooks that feel hard to control.

In these cases, the swing is not the primary issue. The grip is simply delivering a face angle that is too closed for the player’s rotation speed and release pattern.

Lead Hand Fixes for Slice vs Hook

If you slice, the first place to look is your lead hand. A grip that is too weak usually shows only one knuckle or none at all, with the “V” pointing toward your chin or lead shoulder. Rotating the lead hand slightly to the trail side so you can see two to three knuckles and the “V” points toward your trail shoulder will help the face square earlier.

If you hook, the lead hand is often too strong, showing three or more knuckles with the “V” well outside the trail shoulder. Rotating the hand slightly back toward neutral reduces the closure rate and helps the face stay square longer through impact.

The goal is a lead hand position that allows your wrist to be flat at impact with the clubface square, without needing to flip or hold off the release.

Trail Hand Fixes for Slice vs Hook

For slicers, the trail hand is often too much on top of the grip. This weak position limits its ability to support the lead hand and help the face close. Letting the trail palm sit more behind the handle, with the “V” also pointing toward the trail shoulder, adds stability and helps the club release naturally.

For hookers, the trail hand can be too far under the handle and too dominant. This can cause excessive forearm roll and early face closure. Moving the trail hand slightly more on top and softening its pressure can slow the closure rate and stabilize the face.

Together, the hands should work as a unit, not fight each other. The lead hand controls structure, and the trail hand supports and squares the face through impact.

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Matching Grip to Swing Type

Your grip has to match how you move the club, not fight it.

A steep, hand-dominant swing often benefits from a slightly stronger grip because it helps the face square without needing a late flip. A shallow, body-rotational swing usually works better with a neutral grip because the face is already being delivered with good shaft lean and rotation.

Golfers who release the club early and struggle to get the face closed typically need more grip strength. Players who hold lag longer and rotate aggressively can often use a more neutral or even slightly weaker grip without losing face control.

The right grip is the one that allows your clubface to return square with the least amount of timing, not the one that looks “textbook.”

Simple Grip Diagnostics

A quick way to diagnose your grip is by watching the start line of your shots.

If the ball consistently starts right and curves right, your face is open and your grip may be too weak. If it starts left and curves left, your face is closing too fast and your grip may be too strong.

You can also use a slow-motion phone video from face-on. Freeze the frame at impact and look at your lead wrist. If it is severely cupped, the grip is likely too weak. If it is excessively bowed, the grip may be too strong.

Impact tape or foot spray on the clubface can help confirm where the face is pointing relative to your path, giving you objective feedback as you test small grip changes.

Drills to Re-Train a Square Clubface

Lead Wrist Preset Drill

• Set up and pause with your lead wrist flat and the clubface square.
• Make slow half-swings from this position, returning to the same wrist and face alignment at impact.
• This trains the feeling of a square face without flipping.

Half-Swing Start Line Drill

• Hit waist-high shots and focus only on where the ball starts.
• If it starts right, strengthen the grip slightly.
• If it starts left, weaken it slightly.
• The correct grip will produce straight starting shots with minimal hand action.

Split-Hand Awareness Drill

• Place your hands an inch apart on the grip.
• Make slow swings and feel how the lead hand controls structure and the trail hand supports the release.
• This prevents one hand from overpowering the other.

Building the Correct Grip into Your Pre-Shot Routine

Set the lead hand first so the club runs diagonally across the fingers and the V points toward your trail shoulder.
Add the trail hand so its palm supports the lead thumb and its V matches the lead hand’s direction.
Check your knuckle count and face angle, then apply light-to-moderate pressure.
Make one small waggle and confirm the face looks square with a flat lead wrist.

Conclusion

Slices and hooks are often not swing-path problems, they are grip–clubface problems. A weak grip delays face closure and produces right-curving shots. A strong grip speeds up closure and can cause pull hooks. The correct grip is the one that allows your wrists to deliver a square clubface with minimal timing.

When your grip matches your rotation and release pattern, the face squares naturally, curvature becomes predictable, and you no longer have to manipulate the club through impact. Fix the grip, and many ball-flight issues disappear before you ever change your swing.

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Thanks for reading today’s article!

Nick Foy – Golf Instructor