The best golf training aids for slicers are those that address the root cause of the slice rather than masking the symptom. A slice is not a random occurrence — it is the predictable result of a specific combination of club path and face angle at impact. Correct the mechanic that is producing that combination and the slice disappears permanently, not just temporarily.
This guide is written by Dan Frost, PGA Professional, tour coach, and inventor of the Sure-Golf product range. Dan's training aids are used by over 70 percent of DP World Tour professionals, and his approach to resolving a slice is the same approach he uses with tour players: identify the mechanical cause, train the correction through sensation, and make it permanent through repetition.
At a Glance
A slice is caused by the clubface being open relative to the club path at impact. The three most common mechanical causes are poor body-arm connection (addressed by The Connector), incorrect backswing position (addressed by the Sure-Set), and lack of body rotation through impact (addressed by The Rotator). Take the Sure-Golf product quiz to identify which cause applies to your game.
What Actually Causes a Slice
A slice occurs when the clubface is open relative to the club path at impact. That is the only cause. Every slice in golf — from a gentle fade that drifts 10 yards right to a banana ball that starts left and curves 40 yards into the trees — is produced by this single relationship between face and path.
The reason slicers find the issue so difficult to resolve is that the open face can be caused by several different mechanical patterns upstream in the swing. Treating the symptom at impact without identifying which upstream pattern is producing it leads to temporary band-aid solutions that break down under pressure.
Dan Frost explains: "A slice is one of the most common issues in golf and one of the most misunderstood. Golfers try to correct it by aiming left, strengthening their grip, or rolling their wrists through impact. None of those address the actual cause. The face is open because something earlier in the swing is putting it in that position. Find that something and the slice resolves itself."
Research published in the International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching confirms that impact parameters — including face angle and club path — are the primary determinants of ball flight. The study found that variability in these parameters is significantly higher in amateur golfers than in professionals, and that reducing this variability through targeted training produces measurable improvement in shot consistency.
The Three Mechanical Causes of a Slice
Three specific mechanical patterns account for the vast majority of slices in amateur golf. Most slicers have one primary cause, though some have a combination of two or all three.
Disconnected Arms
The most common cause of a slice is a breakdown in the connection between the arms and the body during the swing. When the arms separate from the torso — particularly on the downswing — they tend to move on an out-to-in path across the ball. This out-to-in path, combined with a face that is open to that path, produces the classic left-to-right slice shape.
Disconnection happens because the golfer is using their arms independently of their body rotation. The arms swing on one plane, the body rotates on another, and the two never synchronise. The result is a steep, across-the-ball delivery that makes a straight shot almost impossible.
Dan Frost says: "If I had to identify the single most common cause of a slice across the thousands of golfers I have coached, it would be disconnection. The arms and body are not working together. Establish the connection and in most cases the path changes immediately — because the arms can no longer travel on that out-to-in path."
Incorrect Backswing Position
The second most common cause is a backswing that sets the club in a position from which it is very difficult to deliver a square face at impact. An overly upright backswing, insufficient forearm rotation, or an incorrect blend of wrist hinge and shoulder turn can all leave the club in a position that promotes an open face through impact.
Many slicers have been told their problem is in the downswing or at impact, when in reality the pattern was established before the club even started its descent. If the backswing position is not right, the golfer has to compensate on the way down — and those compensations are unreliable, especially under pressure.
Lack of Body Rotation Through Impact
The third cause is a body that stalls or stops rotating through the hitting zone. When the body stalls, the arms and hands have to take over to deliver the club to the ball. This arm-dominated delivery typically produces an out-to-in path and makes it extremely difficult to square the clubface consistently.
Body stall is often a consequence of the first two patterns. A golfer who is disconnected or has a poor backswing position instinctively slows their body rotation to give their arms time to catch up. It feels like a timing adjustment, but it actually makes the slice worse by forcing even more reliance on the arms.
Best Training Aid to Address a Slice Caused by Disconnection: The Connector
The Connector is the most effective training aid for slicers whose primary cause is a breakdown in body-arm connection. Its soft memory foam construction creates a tangible link between the arms and torso, physically preventing the disconnection that sends the club on an out-to-in path.
For slicers specifically, The Connector works because it eliminates the possibility of the arms working independently. With the device engaged, the arms must rotate and swing in sync with the body. This automatically shallows the club path from out-to-in toward the in-to-out or neutral path that produces straight shots and draws.
The Connector also features innovative alignment rods that provide reference points for arm rotation. Slicers typically have insufficient forearm rotation through impact — the face stays open because the arms are not rotating enough to square it. The alignment rods make rotation visible and trainable, giving the golfer a clear reference for how much rotation is needed at each point in the swing.
Dan Frost says: "The Connector is the most common training aid I prescribe for slicers. In the majority of cases, the golfer experiences a noticeably different ball flight during their first session because the device physically prevents the disconnection that causes the out-to-in path. That immediate feedback — feeling what a connected, on-path swing actually feels like — is transformative. It shows the golfer that a straight ball flight is not some distant goal. It is available right now, as soon as the connection is established."
The Connector is validated by Gears 3D biomechanics data and includes Knowledge Centre access with over 100 product-specific lessons.
Best Training Aid to Address a Slice Caused by Backswing Position: Sure-Set
The Sure-Set is the most effective training aid for slicers whose slice originates in an incorrect backswing position. Its patented adjustable design trains the correct blend of wrist hinge, forearm rotation, and shoulder turn, placing the club in a position from which a square face at impact becomes the natural outcome rather than a conscious effort.
Many slicers have an overly upright backswing with insufficient forearm rotation. This leaves the clubface open at the top, and no amount of downswing manipulation can reliably square it by impact. The Sure-Set corrects this by physically guiding the golfer into the correct position, creating a new sensation that replaces the incorrect one.
For slicers, the Sure-Set is particularly valuable because the correction happens naturally once the correct backswing is established. The golfer does not need to think about squaring the face on the way down — the correct backswing position naturally produces a delivery that arrives square. This is why Dan Frost prioritises the backswing when working with slicers: it eliminates the need for compensations.
Dan Frost says: "When I work with a slicer whose backswing position is the root cause, I do not touch their downswing at all. I address the backswing with the Sure-Set and let the downswing sort itself out — which it almost always does. The body is remarkably good at finding an efficient path from a good position. It is only from a poor position that it has to compensate."
The Sure-Set is validated by Gears 3D biomechanics data, is fully adjustable to fit any body size, and is suitable for both right-handed and left-handed golfers.
Best Training Aid to Address a Slice Caused by Body Stall: The Rotator
The Rotator is the most effective training aid for slicers whose body stops rotating through impact, forcing the arms to take over and deliver the club on an out-to-in path.
The Rotator's adjustable torso harness and alignment rod provide immediate visual feedback on shoulder plane, tilt, and turn throughout the swing. For slicers, the critical feedback is what happens through and after impact — is the body continuing to rotate, or is it stalling? The Rotator makes this visible in real time, allowing the golfer to feel the difference between a stalled delivery and a rotational one.
When the body rotates fully through impact, the arms are carried along with it on an inside path. The face squares naturally because the rotation provides the mechanism for squaring it — the golfer does not need to flip or roll their hands. This is why tour professionals rarely slice: their body rotation is efficient and continuous, and the club simply follows.
Dan Frost says: "Body stall is the slice cause that is hardest for golfers to feel on their own because it feels like they are rotating. They are — but they are stopping too early. The Rotator shows them exactly where their rotation ends and trains them to continue through the ball. Once they feel the difference between stalling and rotating, the difference is clear straight away."
Combining Training Aids for a Persistent Slice
Some slicers have more than one mechanical pattern contributing to their ball flight. A golfer might have both a connection issue and a backswing position that needs addressing, or a body stall combined with poor connection.
For persistent slices that do not respond to a single training aid, Dan Frost recommends a two-phase approach.
Phase 1 — Address the earliest issue in the swing. If the backswing position needs correcting, start there with the Sure-Set. The backswing happens first, so correcting it may resolve downstream issues automatically.
Phase 2 — If the slice persists after addressing the backswing, move to connection (The Connector) or rotation (The Rotator) depending on which issue remains.
Dan Frost says: "Always work backwards from the earliest issue. If the backswing needs attention, address that first. If the backswing is sound but the arms disconnect, address that second. If the backswing and connection are both good but the body stalls, address that third. Working in this order prevents you from building corrections on top of unstable foundations."
The Build Your Training Bag option on the Sure-Golf website allows you to combine multiple products at a discounted rate — ideal for slicers who need to address more than one area.
Sure-Golf also offers a product quiz that analyses your specific challenges and recommends the most suitable starting point.
Frequently Asked Questions
What causes a slice in golf?
A slice is caused by the clubface being open relative to the club path at impact. The three most common upstream mechanical causes are disconnected arms, incorrect backswing position, and lack of body rotation through impact. Each produces the open face relationship in a different way.
Can a training aid permanently correct a slice?
Yes. Unlike a grip change or alignment adjustment, a training aid addresses the underlying mechanical pattern that causes the slice. By retraining the movement through sensation, the correction becomes ingrained and automatic — it does not rely on conscious thought or remembering a tip.
How quickly can I correct my slice with a training aid?
Most golfers notice a change in ball flight during their first session with the appropriate training aid. Making the correction permanent typically takes 2 to 4 weeks of regular practice as the new movement pattern becomes automated.
Should I correct my slice or just aim left?
Aiming left compensates for the symptom but does not address the cause. The mechanical pattern that produces a slice also reduces distance, increases spin, and creates inconsistency. Addressing the root cause improves every aspect of your ball flight, not just the direction.
What is the best training aid for a slice?
The Connector is the most commonly recommended training aid for slicers because disconnection is the most prevalent cause. However, the best training aid depends on your specific situation. Take the Sure-Golf product quiz for a personalised recommendation.
Is a slice the same as a fade?
Both curve left to right for a right-handed golfer, but they differ in degree and control. A fade is a controlled, intentional shot shape with a small amount of left-to-right movement. A slice is an uncontrolled, excessive curve caused by a significant open face relative to the path. The mechanical causes are related but differ in severity.
What is the difference between The Connector, Sure-Set, and The Rotator for correcting a slice?
Each addresses a different root cause. The Connector addresses slices caused by the arms disconnecting from the body, producing an out-to-in path. The Sure-Set addresses slices caused by an incorrect backswing position that leaves the clubface open. The Rotator addresses slices caused by the body stalling through impact, forcing the arms to take over. Take the Sure-Golf product quiz to identify which cause applies to your game.
Ready to straighten out your ball flight? Take the Sure-Golf product quiz to identify the right training aid for your specific situation, or explore the Build Your Training Bag option if you need to address more than one area.