What Is a Pull Slice?
A pull slice is a golf shot that starts left of the target and then curves back to the right for a right-handed golfer.
This ball flight is created by a specific combination of club path and clubface position at impact.
The Impact Conditions That Cause a Pull Slice
A pull slice happens when:
- The club path travels out-to-in through impact.
- The clubface points left of the target at impact.
- The clubface is open relative to the swing path.
These three conditions explain both parts of the shot: why the ball starts left and why it curves right.
Why the Ball Starts Left
The golf ball generally starts close to where the clubface is pointing at impact.
In a pull slice, the clubface is pointing left of the target when it strikes the ball. That is why the shot initially launches left.
Why the Ball Curves Right
Even though the face is pointing left of the target, it is still open to the club path.
Because the club is swinging on an out-to-in path, the path is moving even farther left than the face is pointing. This creates a face-to-path relationship that produces rightward sidespin, causing the ball to curve to the right.
Key Concept: Face Direction vs. Face-to-Path
To understand a pull slice, remember these two ball-flight principles:
- Clubface direction influences where the ball starts.
- Face-to-path relationship influences how the ball curves.
For a pull slice:
- The face points left of the target, so the ball starts left.
- The face is open to the path, so the ball curves right.
What This Means for Your Swing
If you regularly hit a pull slice, your swing path is likely moving out-to-in, often described as coming over the top.
At impact, the clubface may look closed compared with the target line, but it is still open compared with the direction the club is traveling. That difference is what creates the slicing curve.
Quick Summary
A pull slice is caused by:
- An out-to-in swing path
- A clubface that is left of the target
- A clubface that is open to the swing path
The ball starts left because the face points left, then curves right because the face is open relative to the path.
