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why am i pulling golf shots

by Etha Schumm Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Why You’re Pulling the Golf Ball

  • The Ball is Too Far Forward, or “Up” in Your Stance. Examining your ball position should be the first thing you address...
  • Swinging the Club from Outside the Target Line. As previously mentioned, pulled iron shots are a direct result of making...
  • Having a Strong or Tight Grip. Golfer’s who handle their clubs with a “strong” grip are...

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,).Feb 24, 2013

Full Answer

How to stop pulling golf shots?

The good news is there are many great drills and fixes to stop pulling golf shots. You can try them out in just seconds and get instant results. The Golf Swing Shirt has also been proven to help better connect your golf swing and stop shots going straight left.

Why do I pull my 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. Indeed, 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 golfers pull their iron shots like baseball players?

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 pull the golf ball?

With that in mind, here are a few reasons why you might be pulling the golf ball: Positioning the ball too far forward, or “up” in your stance. Swinging the club from outside the target line. Having a strong or tight grip. Misaligning your body to the intended target.

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How do I stop pulling golf shots?

4:408:07How to Stop Pulling The Golf Ball | Cure Your Pulled Golf ShotsYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipFace is aiming in the same. Direction as the path. If my face is slightly open to that pull shotMoreFace is aiming in the same. Direction as the path. If my face is slightly open to that pull shot well that would result in a slice now the ball could still start right at the target and slice.

What causes me to pull my golf shots?

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 hitting pull hooks?

3:504:46Stop Pull Hooking the Golf Ball - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipDown don't try and start you know don't try and hit the ball further to the right you need to do theMoreDown don't try and start you know don't try and hit the ball further to the right you need to do the opposite to what you think it's a good grip. Good stance right foot square left foot turned.

Why am I pulling my drives to the left?

If it's a pull, there are two likely reasons why the ball is starting left: 1) your body and clubface are aimed left of the target at address, which promotes an out-to-in path; or 2) you're aiming properly but the clubface is closed too much at the point of contact.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

How to stop pulling golf shots?

Simple drill to stop pulling golf shots. Place an alignment stick or a thin piece of wood in the ground a few metres in front of where you are set up. Set yourself up parallel to this target with your feet and shoulders. Practice hitting shorter shots aiming at the alignment stick, but importantly get the ball to start on a path to the right ...

Why is it important to fix your pulled golf shots?

Fixing your pulled golf shots is just as important as fixing your golf slice as both cause lots of problems for golfers. The lag shot golf training aid helps straighten out your ball flight and hit your targets. You often make good contact with the golf ball and don’t understand why the golf ball keeps going left?

Why does my golf ball always go left?

Regardless of how good your path is coming into the golf ball, if the clubface is closed the ball will always go left. Most golfers that pull the golf ball do so because of an over the top golf swing.

Why does my golf club cut across the ball?

Most golfers tend to spin their hips and their shoulders open too early in the downswing which causes the club to cut across the golf ball and drag it left . Slices of the golf ball are notorious for this move. Instead, on the downswing try keeping your arms quieter and your back to the target a bit longer. This will force the clubhead ...

What happens when your arms and hands get too active?

When your arms and hands get too active they release the clubhead too early and close the face which leads to lots of pulled shots. Swing the golf club with the bigger muscles and let them lead the arms and hands through the downswing letting them catch up.

What is the role of the right shoulder in golf?

For a right handed golfer the right shoulder plays a major role in the downswing. As explained above when the shoulders spin too quickly it can lead to a steep downswing which results in the club path coming across the ball too much leading to a pull.

How to cure a pulled shot in golf?

Try this out in your backyard! Grab a head cover or anything that can be used as a visual reference and place it about 10 inches behind the ball.

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.

Why do golfers pull their shots?

Proper weight transfer with a balanced finish can help eliminate pulled shots. Pulling golf shots can hurt a golfer's confidence as well as his scorecard. Most pulled golf shots happen when a swing path goes from outside to in (commonly known as "coming over the top"). This means a golfer is starting his down swing with his upper body instead ...

How to swing a golf club down?

Start your down swing by shifting your weight onto your left foot. This will drop the club into an inside position that will keep the ball from being pulled. This is the most important step, so practice it to get it right.

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