Slice
The shot starts near your target line, then bends hard right and comes up short of the green.
Why it happens
An iron slice comes from the clubface being open relative to the swing path at impact. With irons specifically, an overly steep, out-to-in path is an especially common contributor, since it adds even more of a left-to-right cutting action on top of the open face.
Possible causes in your swing, and how to fix each one
Tap any cause to see its fix. Work through them one at a time, usually one or two are the real culprit.
1Casting
Releasing the wrist hinge too early in the downswing (before the club reaches the ball) steepens the path and tends to leave the face open.
2Grip too weak
A left hand rotated too far toward the target leaves the clubface open through impact, no matter how good the rest of the swing is.
3Aiming the body open to compensate
Golfers who slice often start aiming further toward the left to "allow for" the curve, which paradoxically steepens the path even more and can make the slice worse.
4Ball position too far forward for the club
Shorter irons need the ball closer to the center of the stance; playing it too far forward encourages an out-to-in path.
When to stop self-diagnosing
If you've genuinely worked through two or three of these causes over several range sessions and the miss keeps showing up, that's not a failure since it usually means the real cause is something you can't feel or see in your own swing. A single 30-minute lesson with a certified instructor, who can watch you hit balls, will find it faster than any website. Bring this page along and tell them what you've already ruled out; it'll save you both time.