A slice ball in tennis usually curves and bounces away from your hitting side , so for a right-hander it commonly moves to the left through the air if it’s a slice serve, while the exact direction depends on whether you’re hitting a forehand slice, backhand slice, or serve. Slice serves are often aimed to the right of a right-handed player’s target so the spin bends the ball back in, and slice shots generally stay low after the bounce.

Simple rule

  • Right-handed slice serve : starts a bit to the right, then bends left.
  • Backhand slice : usually sends the ball with sidespin/backspin and a low skid.
  • Forehand slice : also cuts across the ball, but the exact curve depends on your swing path and contact point.

Easy way to remember

Think of slice as “brush and bend ,” not “hit straight.” The ball doesn’t go perfectly sideways; it curves because of the spin, then often stays low after it lands.

Tiny example

If you’re a righty serving from the deuce side, a slice serve is commonly used to pull the ball out toward the sideline before it curves back toward the box.

TL;DR: slice usually makes the ball move away from your body side and curve back , but the exact side depends on the shot type and whether you’re right- or left-handed.