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what causes a left pull in golf shot

by Ms. Jeanie McLaughlin Sr. Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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A pull is a straight shot that travels left of where the golfer is aiming and is the result of an incorrect swing -- an out-to-in path. But you can cure the pull by attending to some simple fundamentals. Connection In a connected swing, your triceps rest lightly against your chest throughout most of the swing.

A pull is a shot that starts to the left of the target and continues to go that way. It doesn't curve, it just goes straight to the left. The impact conditions that cause a pull are a swing path that goes across the ball (outside-in) and a face angle that is aimed in the same direction as the path.May 24, 2011

Full Answer

Why do I pull my golf shots?

Another swing error you might be doing which could cause pulled shot has something to do with your left knee and how it is used at impact. Some golfers lock their left – forward – knee at impact and while it is not necessarily a problem in itself it can lead to balls that shoots straight left.

Why do my golf clubs hit the ball to the left?

Indeed, if the lies of your clubs – the angle between your shaft and ground at address – are too high then your club will not be flat as it will penetrate the ground. Instead, the toes will stay off the ground, which may ultimately contribute to sending the ball to the left.

What does it mean to hit a pull in golf?

Right-Handed Golfer Hitting It Left Is Hitting a Pull. A right-hander whose ball starts to the left and flies left with no additional curve left (a straight shot to the left of the intended target) is hitting a pull.

How do left handed golfers hit a push?

Here is Roger Gunn's checklist for a left-handed golfer hitting a push: 1 Grip: The grip is not normally a factor with a push. 2 Set-up: Make sure you aren't aiming too far to the left of the target line, or that your shoulders are aligned too far to the left. 3 Ball Position: You might have the ball too far back in the stance. ... More items...

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Why are my golf shots pulling left?

Pulling your shots is typically caused by hitting the ball over the top or shutting your clubface early during your swing. If this is the case, you are no doubt frustrated by your shots landing in water, the bunkers, and other hazards.

How do I stop pulling my golf shots left?

4:308:07How to Stop Pulling The Golf Ball | Cure Your Pulled Golf ShotsYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipTowards the target in the transition. The arms are naturally dropping underneath their body thatMoreTowards the target in the transition. The arms are naturally dropping underneath their body that right arm for the right handle would be straightening.

Why do I pull my irons to the left?

0:505:42Why You Pull Your Irons + How to Stop It For Good! - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo it's your club which travels. Over this direction then from out to in and the club face also.MoreSo it's your club which travels. Over this direction then from out to in and the club face also. Points off in this direction.

How do I fix a pull in my golf swing?

0:121:45The Golf Fix: Drill to stop golf swing from pulling | Golf Channel - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo what we're going to do is we're going to set this up on this angle. And invite this image of thisMoreSo what we're going to do is we're going to set this up on this angle. And invite this image of this club. Moving out to the push side. So we do one very very slowly.

How do you fix a pull draw?

0:234:29Pull Draw Golf Tip and Aim - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo let's call that a pull draw it starts left and curves left. Now if your ball is curving a littleMoreSo let's call that a pull draw it starts left and curves left. Now if your ball is curving a little bit right to left in the air. You need to be starting the ball down the right.

Why am I pulling the ball?

The only way you can pull a shot is to make contact with the outside part of the ball. Sometimes this comes from swinging into impact from outside the target line, called "coming over the top," but other times the right wrist simply straightens too soon, which causes the toe of the club to rotate closed (above, left,).

Can a strong grip cause a pull?

A pull is an out to in swingpath with a closed clubface. A strong grip is more likely to lead to a closed clubface at impact, therefore, if anything, it's going to lead to more pulls than you make already. To stop pulling it, you need to work on stopping the out to in swing first.

How do I stop pulling my short irons?

3:566:25Pulling Short Irons Left Hit Them Laser Straight - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThat you make sure you get those hips and those shoulders rotating properly make sure you get theMoreThat you make sure you get those hips and those shoulders rotating properly make sure you get the full turn depending on obviously how far you've got to hit it but get the full rotation.

Why do golf balls shoot left?

The reason they do is because the sidehill will promote a flatter swing that will leads to a more aggressive release of the hands. This will naturally close the clubface and send the ball to the left of the target.

What is a pull shot in golf?

In golf a pull – or a pulled shot – is one that sees the ball starting left of the target initially and continuing on straight that line, without lateral spin. It is in effect a straight shot that misses left of the target. Because it ultimately misses the target it constitutes a golf shot error and should be avoided.

Why is the ball aiming left of the target?

And because the ball shoots left of the target, it means the clubface was closed at impact and was also aiming left of the target. But it also means the swing path was outside-to-in, resulting in a clubface that is square to the club path and ultimately a pulled shot. Likely Reason #1:

How to avoid over the top swing path?

In order to avoid an over the top swing path you will need to focus on the downswing. Rather than pushing the club outside of the target line as you begin the downswing you will need to focus on bringing the club down from inside of the target line as it should, rotating around your body in the process.

What does it mean when the clubface is closed at impact?

Clubface Closed at Impact, But Square to the Club Path. For a shot to produce no side spin, the clubface must hit the ball with an angle that is square to the club path. In effect, the path the club takes must match the direction of the clubface. And because the ball shoots left of the target, it means the clubface was closed at impact ...

Why is my golf club not flat?

If the lies of your clubs – the angle between your shaft and ground at address – are too high then your club will not be flat as it will penetrate the ground. Instead, the toes will stay off the ground, which may ultimately contribute to sending the ball to the left.

Should you aim right of the target when setting up for a shot?

If you find it too difficult to alter your swing and club path – or if you’d rather keep it as is – then you can opt to simply aim right of the target when setting up for a shot.

What is a pull in golf?

A right-hander whose ball starts to the left and flies left with no additional curve left (a straight shot to the left of the intended target) is hitting a pull. The divot, if there is one, will match the ball's direction. Here is Roger Gunn's checklist for a right-handed golfer hitting a pull: Grip: Not normally a factor.

What causes a golf club to make contact when it is still swinging to left field?

Ball Position: You might have the ball too far back in the stance. This causes you to make contact when the club is still swinging to left field. Backswing: You could be taking the club back too far inside, pulling the club away from the target line.

What is the best way to hit a push golf ball?

Set-up: Make sure you aren't aiming too far to the left of the target line, or that your shoulders are aligned too far to the left. Ball Position: You might have the ball too far back in the stance.

What is a left-hander hitting?

A left-hander whose shots start to the left of the target line and continue flying left, on a straight line ( not curving left), is hitting a push. Again, the divot, if there is one, will match the ball's direction.

Where should the golf club be on the shoulder?

The club should be over your shoulder at the top, nor over your head. Downswing: Your arms might be pushing away from the body at the transition into the downswing. Keep your arms in so that they pass close to your right pants pocket on the approach to impact.

Who is the golf instructor who mishits?

Below, golf instructor Roger Gunn gives us a checklist of possible causes for these types of mishits, but the faults and fixes differ depending on the golfer's handedness.

Why do golfers pull their arms to the left?

If a golfer has good rotation to the left, but then activates his arms too early by trying to apply clubhead speed with the arms, the arms will often be thrown over the top of the swing plane causing the ball to be pulled to the left. It is critical for the arms to stay more passive in the early stages of the downswing so ...

Why do the arms of a golf club close prematurely?

But when the body stops its rotation, the arms will be flung past due to centrifugal force. This causes the arms to outrace the body and the club face to close prematurely.

How do arms stay in a golf swing?

The arms stay passive in a proper Rotary Swing. The proper golf swing, in a one plane swing, the proper motion of the arms is simply for them to stay passive and relaxed. They don't require any effort. This golf swing should feel very, very effortless when you use your body correctly.

What is the spine in a golf swing?

In the Rotary Golf Swing, the spine is acting like an axis for the body and arms to rotate around. Because they arms and club are furthest away from the axis, they, of course, move the fastest. This, in turn, makes them more difficult to control through impact.

What is the most common miss in golf?

One of the most common misses in golfers learning the one plane swing is pulls or misses to the left. This is a very, very common cause. I see it all the time, every day that I teach. It's a very, very simple thing to fix, but you just have to understand what's causing this. When you swing to the back of the one plane swing, ...

Why do golfers pull their irons?

There exists only one reason why golfers pull their iron shots like baseball players smacking an inside fastball down the third-base line: they strike the outside cover of the golf ball.

Why do I hit a shot not where it was supposed to go?

It’s one of the most common, yet ignored, reasons why all of us hit a shot not where “it was supposed to go”: misalignment. Every time I misfire a shot that was yanked left, I instantly stare at the ground.

What happens when you hit a golf ball too far forward?

When the golf ball is too far forward in your stance, the club face has more time to release before impact, causing a closed club face at the point of contact and a pulled shot.

What happens if the toe of the golf club face points up?

Upon addressing the ball, if the toe of your club face points up, you’ll increase your chances of connecting with the outer-cover and pulling the golf ball. To correct this, ensure that the heel of your club face lays flat on the grass.

What happens if you hold your golf club too tight?

More often than not, such a tight grip will cause the club face to close during the downswing and through impact.

What does it mean when you pull an iron?

As previously mentioned, pulled iron shots are a direct result of making impact with the outside cover of the golf ball. Occasionally, this occurs when a players’ swing is coming from “over the top.”

Is the ball too far forward?

The Ball is Too Far Forward, or “Up” in Your Stance. Examining your ball position should be the first thing you address if you are pulling your irons. This is a common mistake amongst almost every golfer who has ever teed it up.

Ball position

The most common reason for a consistent pull is a poor ball position. An easy way to demonstrate how the club works on an arc through impact is laying down balls as pictured below.

Downswing drill

If your alignment and ball position are both good, the issue is likely with the swing itself. The first port of call would be to make sure you are not throwing the club outside the line at the start of the downswing.

How to pull shot golf?

The only way you can even achieve a pull shot is by striking the ball on the outside face first. That is, the face of the ball that’s pointing away from your body. The ball can’t have any spin on it for it to stay on a straight flight path the way that it does. This means you’re hitting the ball at a squared off angle with the face of the club.

What is a pulled golf shot?

A pulled golf shot is one that beelines off the tee to the left like a hard-hit line drive to left field. A regular pulled shot doesn’t curve in mid-air; that’s an even more serious problem with more mechanics involved. We’ll talk about cuts and hooks later, but for now, let’s talk about left-side misfires in general.

What happens when you land on a sidehill?

If you land on a sidehill, you run the risk of swinging down the hill and basically scooping the ball back towards you. Butch Harmon tells his golf students to lean towards the slope and swing up the slope.

How to keep your golf shot clean?

This results in a pulled golf shot. Keep your right shoulder in a bit as you start your downswing. Don’t let it flare out more in the direction of the ball. This will help you maintain your swing line to hit the ball cleanly.

What is crooked shot?

Crooked shots are the number one barrier inexperienced golfers face that holds them back from playing the game at the next level. Try as you might, there’s no way to “compensate” for badly pulled or sliced golf shots. At the end of the day, if you don’t get that shot straightened out, you’re never going to win a match.

What happens if you hit a golf ball too far ahead?

If your ball is too far ahead of you, you’ll double down on pulling because not only will you strike it with a closed club face, but you’ll be hitting it with the part of your swing that should really be part of the follow-through. I.e., you won’t make square contact with the ball.

What are the issues with golf swings?

A common fundamental issue some new golfers face is too much tension and motion in the lower body. While you definitely want to rotate and swing through all the way, the motion has to happen at the right time. One thing to watch out for – your knees. Keep them flexed throughout your follow-through.

What does it mean when a golfer pulls a shot?

A pull is a straight shot that travels left of where the golfer is aiming and is the result of an incorrect swing -- an out-to-in path. But you can cure the pull by attending to some simple fundamentals.

How to get a more violent pull in basketball?

Practice making your backswing while keeping your right knee bent. Hold a ball between your knees and try to drop it by moving your left knee first on the downswing.

Why should your spine be leaning toward the ball?

At the top of the swing, if you lean toward toward the target, either because your hips move away from it (a sway) or your shoulders move toward it (a reverse pivot), your right shoulder gets too high.

What is connected swing?

In a connected swing, your triceps rest lightly against your chest throughout most of the swing. Your right arm moves slightly away at the top of the backswing, then reconnects until the left arm moves away at the finish. Connection during your swing helps keep your arms from moving out at the beginning of the downswing, which can cause an out-to-in swing path.

What Causes a Pull?

For a shot to produce no side spin, the clubface must hit the ball with an angle that is square to the club path.

Related Golf Swing Errors

The reason your club path might be of the outside-in variety may have something to do with an infamous golf swing error. Yes, it is quite possible that you are “coming over the top”, or that your swing is “over the top”.

Other Possible Reasons

It is still possible that none of the previous sets of causes are to blame for your pulling shot issues. If that’s the case, read further for other possible reasons.

What happens if you hit the ground before the ball?

If you hit the ground before the ball, the impact could cause the club head to close just prior to contact with the ball. You have a high degree of offset in your irons that is not present in your driver.

Why offset golf club face?

In other words, offset can help a golfer come closer to squaring the face at impact because the club face arrives at impact a split-second later than with a club that has no offset. Thus a benefit of offset is to help reduce the amount the golfer may slice or fade the ball.

What is offset in golf?

Offset is a design condition in club heads in which the neck or hosel of the head is positioned in front of the face of the club head, so that the club face appears to be set back a little from the neck of the club.

Can you clear out of the way when aiming right?

Well, by aiming way right of your intended target, your body cannot possibly clear out of the way in time to allow you to get the club back on the aiming line square to the target. Your brain senses this as you begin your Forward Upswing and directs your arms to make a mid-course correction in the swing path.

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