Why Do I Hit the Golf Ball to the Left?
- Club Face Contact. Regardless of the swing mechanics that may cause a poor golf swing, the ultimate cause of any bad golf shot lies in the way the club face ...
- Upper Body Rotation. One of the most common causes of hitting a golf ball left is an over-rotation of your upper body. ...
- Closed Club Face. ...
- Alignment. ...
- Ball Flight. ...
Why do I hit the golf ball to the left?
Feb 13, 2018 · Golf balls lying above your feet, on a sidehill, have a tendency to shoot left of the target. 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. FIX: Aim right of the target.
How do you hit a golf ball from the fairway?
Oct 02, 2006 · Downswing: The club might be swinging too much to left field at impact. Your left shoulder could be dropping too soon and/or your hips might be sliding toward the target, preventing the club from swinging back around to the right. Make sure your head doesn't move to the left in the downswing.
How to stop hitting the ball hard to the left?
Jul 08, 2011 · One of the most common causes of hitting a golf ball left is an over-rotation of your upper body. In order to make proper club contact, your upper and lower body should move as a unit through the golf ball. If your upper body rotates out of your backswing before your lower body, your angle of attack will be aimed to the left at the point of impact.
How to stop hitting the ground behind the golf ball?
This shot typically occurs when the club head moves across the ball from left to right, imparting side-spin on the ball. This is the same method by which …
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 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 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 does my golf ball curve left?
Even if your body is in proper alignment at the point of impact, your ball may curve to the left after you hit it. Known as a hook, this is due to a closed club face. A closed club face is one in which the toe of the golf club, or the point furthest away from you, reaches the ball before the inner half of your club. This will impart a right-to-left spin to the ball, causing it to curve towards the left as it heads away from you.
What does it mean when your golf ball flies in a straight line to the left?
If your ball flies in a straight line to the left, then your club face is striking the ball squarely.
What direction should your feet point when hitting a golf ball?
When you line up to hit your golf ball, your feet should point in a perpendicular line to where you want the ball to go. If your alignment at address is to the left, a correct golf swing will send the golf ball to the left as well.
What causes a bad golf shot?
Club Face Contact. Regardless of the swing mechanics that may cause a poor golf swing, the ultimate cause of any bad golf shot lies in the way the club face hits the golf ball. Any correction you make to your golf swing should have proper club fact contact as its ultimate objective.
What is the objective of golf?
By: John Csiszar. Published: 08 July, 2011. The objective of golf is generally to hit the ball in a straight line in an effort to achieve a low score. Hitting the ball right or left of the intended target is one of the fundamental causes of bad golf scores.
How to make proper club contact?
In order to make proper club contact, your upper and lower body should move as a unit through the golf ball. If your upper body rotates out of your backswing before your lower body, your angle of attack will be aimed to the left at the point of impact. As you finish your swing, the ball will fly in the direction you are now pointing, ...
How to avoid hooking the ball off the tee?
To avoid hooking the ball off the tee, all-time golf great Jack Nicklaus recommends playing a controlled fade, a shot which moves from left to right. To hit this shot take a smooth backswing “with very little wrist action,” Nicklaus says. At impact, be sure the palm of your right hand faces the target, and keep your right hand below ...
What is a hook shot in golf?
When a right-handed golfer’s tee shot curves to far to the left, the shot is described as a “hook.”. This shot typically occurs when the club head moves across the ball from left to right, imparting side-spin on the ball.
What does Rick Smith mean by "keep turning"?
Teaching pro Rick Smith says a slow body turn is often the culprit when a player hits a hook. He advises players to “keep turning” on the follow-through. Smith says the midpoint of your body -- he refers to the “shirt buttons and belt buckle” -- should be aimed to the left of your target when you’ve completed your follow-threw.
Can a golfer throw a curve ball to the left?
This is the same method by which a baseball pitcher throws a curve ball, but in the golfer’s case the excessive spin is unintentional. There are mechanical fixes that can help prevent a right-handed golfer from hooking the ball to the left, or a lefty from driving the ball too far to the right.
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, ...
What happens when you come over the top in golf?
Coming over the top with outside to in and how to fix. The over the top golf swing causes a multitude of problems in golfers, not the least hitting heel golf shots. It also leads to toe shots, fat shots and thin golf shots as well. When an over the top golf swing combines with a weak grip and an open clubface, heel shots often occur.
How to address a golf ball?
Next, bend your knees slightly, grip the golf club and let your arms hang down naturally by your sides. Now, the butt end of the golf club should be pointing at your belt buckle and your hands should be approximately right beneath your chin line.
How to know if your golf club grip is weak?
To fix you firstly need to grip the golf club correctly which means showing 2 knuckles on your left hand so your grip is strong enough so it squares the clubface on the downswing. No knuckles showing on the left hand is a sure sign your grip is too weak!
Why do my arms extend past the address position?
Because you are too close to the golf ball at address, on the downswing your arms will naturally extend past the address position pushing the golf club out pass the golf ball causing heel contact .
Why is my golf ball so low?
Hitting the ball too low can be caused by shifting your weight to your left side. By consciously planting your right foot and keeping your weight on it, you will prevent shifting your weight to the right.
How to fix a golf club that is too low?
To fix this issue, grip the club properly with the "V" on your right hand, created by your index finger and thumb, pointing to the inside of your right shoulder. Look down at your left hand; you should see only two knuckles. Place more weight on your right foot. Hitting the ball too low can be caused by shifting your weight to your left side.
How to make a V on a golf club?
If the face, or front, of the club is tilted in toward you, tilt it out until it is lined up straight with the ball. Grip the club properly. With both hands holding the club, form a "V" with your thumb and index finger. The "V" must point to the inside of your right shoulder.
How many holes can you dominate in golf?
By finding out what is ailing your shot and implementing improvements into your swing, you can dominate all 18 holes.
Where do you point the V on a golf ball?
The "V" must point to the inside of your right shoulder. You should see only two knuckles on your left hand if the you have the proper grip. Position the ball so that it is not too far back in your stance. If it is in line with your back foot, then it needs to be moved more towards the middle of your body. Align your shoulders so that they are ...
What happens if your shoulder is too far back?
If your right shoulder is too far back, it will be a contributing factor to hooking your ball. Shorten your swing. A swing that is too long can allow for the club face to open up.
Where can you miss your impact in golf?
There are two general places you can miss with your impact – off the toe, and in off the heel. Since toe golf shots are more common than are heeled shots, it is useful to take a closer look at what causes toe hits in golf, and what can be done to correct the problem.
Why is it not a strategy to get the club centered on the ball?
Leaving it up to hand-eye coordination at impact to get the club centered on the ball is not a strategy that is going to pay off because there simply isn’t enough time to manipulate the club effectively as it rips through the hitting zone.
How to keep your spine angle on the backswing?
Rotate the shoulders slowly right, then left, as though hitting a golf ball. Keep your shoulder level consistent and level from setup to follow-through. Watch yourself perform this drill with a mirror to your right. This will show you if you’re maintaining the spine angle on the backswing.
How to do a backswing with a golf club?
Stand upright and place a club across your shoulders, behind your neck, and hold it in place with the wrists or hands. Turn your shoulders to the right as you would when making a backswing; rotate back to the left in the same manner, all while remaining in an upright position. Repeat several times.
How to swing a golf club in each direction?
The club should stay parallel to the ground as you turn in each direction. Now, move into your golf stance , bending at the hips (not the waist), with the club across the shoulders in the manner described above. Rotate the shoulders slowly right, then left , as though hitting a golf ball.
What happens when your body lifts up?
As your body lifts up, it moves the club slightly away from the ball, causing impact to occur off the toe instead of right on the sweet spot. It doesn’t take much movement from your body to throw off an otherwise good swing, so carefully review your video for even minor movements up and away from the ball.
How to check your shoulder alignment?
Check your shoulder alignment by addressing the ball and looking at the position of your arms. If your right arm is above the left, or closer to the target line, your shoulders are open. Turn the left shoulder inward until the arms are even. This is easy to check before every swing, and to correct if necessary.
Beware, Low Flying Golf Balls
Many golfers struggle to get height on the ball, but why is this? There are many potential causes for this including an inappropriate shaft, set-up issue or swing flaw.
Inappropriate Shaft
Like the story at the start of this piece, trying to play with a shaft that is way too stiff for your can make it near impossible to get height on the ball.
Set-Up Issues
The set-up is a part of the golf swing that you have full control over so you need to get it right.
Swing Flaws
Okay, your shaft seems fine and your set-up is good, it’s time to look at your swing. The way that irons are designed is so that you hit down on the ball and compress it.
Drills For Hitting Your Irons Higher
Let’s now have a look at fixing those flaws. If your set-up is wrong then by using alignment sticks you can quickly work on correcting this.
Toothpaste Test
One reason for losing height can be that your grip is way too tight and it is restricting the club through impact.
Towel Before Ball Drill
This one is more of a mental trigger than anything, grab a golf towel and put it a few inches before the ball. Now your job is to start hitting balls but not hitting that towel.
