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?
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. ...
How do you hit a golf ball from the fairway?
The Fundamentals
- Stance – The position of your feet and legs as you prepare to hit the ball. ...
- Address – Once you’ve taken your stance, grip, and are set in your posture, you address the ball by placing the clubhead on the ground behind the ball.
- Grounding the Club – This term refers to the point when your club touches the ground while you are addressing the ball.
How to stop hitting the ball hard to the left?
Producing Power Like the Pros
- Balance is the Key Component of Power. Believe it or not, the balance that you maintain in your golf swing is one of the biggest pieces of the power ...
- Make Room for Acceleration. Swinging hard usually just means rushing the swing from start to finish, putting in a lot of effort without getting much in the way of ...
- Use Your Lower Body. ...
How to stop hitting the ground behind the golf ball?
Why am I hitting Behind the Ball?
- Your position over the ball.
- Movement during your swing.
- Improper weight distribution and/or transfer.
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 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 ...
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 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.
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, ...
How far will a golf ball curve if you drive it 250 yards?
Have an 5 degree right swing path (and square face) The ball will curve 50 yards to the left. For reference, here’s a 5 degree right swing ...
What is a golf hook?
The dreaded golf hook – a ball that can start any direction, but curves dramatically to the left (for a right-hander) – often into the trees or out of bounds. Amateurs try all sorts of things to fix their hook;
What is swing path?
Swing path refers to the direction the club is moving through impact (more right or left). All else being equal, a swing path that is more right will send the ball more left – a game of opposites.
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 hit curves?
By intentionally hitting a curve, golfers can rid themselves of the pressure of trying to hit the ball straight. With that said, you do want to be able to hit the ball relatively straight, even if you are using a fade or a draw at the same time.
What happens when you hit the ball at the apex of your swing?
At first blush, you might think this one is obvious – it makes the most sense to contact the ball perfect at the apex of your swing arc.
Why is my swing arc not going to trace the target line?
The problem is the fact that you are standing next to the ball , rather than directly on top of the target line. Since you are standing off to the side , your swing arc is not going to be able to trace the target line for very long.
What causes a slice in a golf swing?
Therefore, you assume that a clubhead traveling left after impact causes the dreaded banana ball. True, an over-the-top swing will send the clubhead left and the ball curving right. But if your swing is on line or, preferably, inside-to-out, ...
How to put a wedge in a golf club?
For your wedges, start by placing the ball right in the middle of your stance. As the clubs get longer, you are going to move the ball further and further forward in your stance – until you reach the driver, when the ball is placed just inside your left heel.
Do you need to match up swing path with face angle to chip the ball?
The story is largely the same when it comes to chipping the golf ball. Although your chip shots are going to get up into the air, they won't fly long enough for any spin on the ball to take effect. Therefore, you need to match up swing path with face angle in order to chip the ball toward the target.
Is a straight swing always going to be an arc?
With that simple explanation, you can put the idea of a straight swing path out of your mind once and for all. Your swing is always going to be an arc, and that arc is always going to have to meet the ball at a specific point along its path.
What does it mean when a golfer hits the ball to the right of the target but on a straight line
A right-handed golfer hitting the ball to the right of the target but on a straight line is hitting a push shot. Your divot, if there is one, will point right of your target line.
What causes a golfer to make contact with the ball?
Ball Position: The ball might be too far back in your stance. This causes you to make contact when the club is still swinging to right field. Backswing: You might be too far inside on the backswing, pulling the club away from the target line.
What is the difference between a right handed golfer and a left handed golfer?
If you are a right-handed golfer you are pushing the shot or pushing the ball. If you are a left-hander, you are pulling the shot or pulling the ball . 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.
Where should the golf club be on the downswing?
The club should be over your shoulder at the top, not over your head. Downswing: Your arms are likely pushing away from your body at the transition. Keep your arms in so that they pass close to the left pants pocket on the approach. Make sure your head doesn't move toward the target until after impact.
Is it a good sign to point right after a tee shot?
It's not usually a good sign when a golfer is pointing right after a tee shot, as Vijay Singh does here. Robert Laberge/Getty Images. Brent Kelley is an award-winning sports journalist and golf expert with over 30 years in print and online journalism.
