Golf-FAQ.com

why do i keep hitting golf ball left

by Dr. Stevie Labadie PhD Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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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...
  • 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. Even if your body is in proper alignment at the point of impact, your ball...

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.Apr 18, 2019

Full Answer

Why does my golf club swing to the 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.

Why is my golf ball lying above my feet?

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.

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 I miss the golf ball to the left?

The other common cause for misses to the left is when the arms try and dominate the swing. This fault often goes hand and hand with the first one, but not always.

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How do I stop hitting the golf ball left?

2:205:48How to Stop Pulling the Golf Ball - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipOr hit some balls close up to that cane there and just try and replicate that swing path. So you goMoreOr hit some balls close up to that cane there and just try and replicate that swing path. So you go into the top. Down from the inside so to speak up to the top.

Why does my golf ball always go to the left?

A strong grip is one of the biggest reasons for people who curve the ball from right to left. The strong grip often results in the right hand moving to the right and facing away from the ball. The hand slides right and moves underneath the club.

How do I stop hitting my driver left?

1:594:23How To Stop Pulling Your Tee Shots - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd just pull one left like I did in the intro. I would do what he does I would go that way at it.MoreAnd just pull one left like I did in the intro. I would do what he does I would go that way at it. So I just try to spin my hips. They just hit straight pull left I would have no inclination.

How do I stop pulling my irons to the left?

2:375:42Why You Pull Your Irons + How to Stop It For Good! - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSet up and then trying to move the club. Inside hitting the ball and avoiding. That head cover. I'llMoreSet up and then trying to move the club. Inside hitting the ball and avoiding. That head cover. I'll take that. Now that's not too bad at all so I just move the club slightly.

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 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 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.

Who is Brent Kelley?

Brent Kelley. Brent Kelley is an award-winning sports journalist and golf expert with over 30 years in print and online journalism. our editorial process. Brent Kelley. Updated April 18, 2019. Are you hitting lots of golf shots that start out left of the target and continue flying left, on a straight line, until they land left ...

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:

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.

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.

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.

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 ...

How to combat hooks?

To combat a hook, Spearman suggests widening your stance on the tee by moving the right foot back -- away from the target -- several inches. Also, as a drill, take a 6-iron to the practice tee and grasp the club near the bottom of the grip. Hitting the ball properly will require keeping your hands low and your rear end down, Spearman explains, ...

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.

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.

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.

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 does my golf club face close?

If your stance is too closed, meaning your front foot is too far forward, it can also cause your club face to close at impact. A good stance allows for a controlled and athletic swing, but a poor stance forces you to reach or adjust your swing when the ball is too close or too far away.

What happens if your golf club shaft is too short?

If your shaft is too flexible or not flexible enough, you can pull the ball. Also, if your clubs are too short and make you reach or too long and force you to put the ball too far forward in your stance, you have the wrong clubs. I would suggest getting fitted for clubs and allow the golf pro to tell you which clubs fit best with your height, power, and swing.

What is the first move in golf?

Your first move when you start the swing, your takeaway, usually dictates how your downswing will go. Many golfers, when they are struggling with their golf game, immediately try to fix what is wrong at the top of their swing or during their downswing.

What does it mean when a golf club is pointed in the right direction?

Alignment sticks (or a golf club pointed in the right direction) can show you the natural direction the ball should be taking based on where you are aiming. If you are aiming left, you may not actually be pulling the ball, you may just be hitting a good shot aimed in the wrong direction.

How to get a better grip on a golf club?

If your grip is too strong for your swing, you may just have to move to a more neutral grip. Simply rotate your hands backward on the club until the “V” shape between your thumb and index finger are pointing straight down or slightly backward. A strong grip helps players who slice the ball or who desire to draw the ball, but it can also cause your club face to be closed at impact.

Why does a pull happen?

If you boil it down to a single sentence, a pull happens because the club face is closed at impact. That is the easy part. The difficult part is figuring out why the club face is coming to a closed position at impact. In general your club face is closed at impact for 2 main reasons:

Why does my shot go left of the target?

There are a variety of reasons that your shot could end up going left of the target whether you drew the ball too much or did not fade it quite enough. The problem with the pulled shot is that the ball starts left of the target, in a direction that you did not think you were aiming. It is like everything else went right except for the direction ...

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 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!

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.

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 does the bottom of the swing move?

The position of the bottom of the swing arc may have moved from where it should be thanks to the swaying swing error. Specifically, a golfer who is said to sway will move his hips laterally during the course of the swing, moving them back during the backswing before bringing them forward during the downswing.

What is a thin shot in golf?

In golf a thin shot – or a golf shot hit thin – is one that see the club hitting the ball below its equator. But in contrast to a better shot that sees the clubface striking the ball inside the sweet spot hitting it thin will often see the leading edge of the club making contact with the ball. This results in a ball that doesn’t travel as high ...

What to do if you are using the ball forward positioning option?

If you are using the ball forward positioning option and are struggling with thin shots, move to a positioning mechanism that sees the position of the ball vary according to the club in hand.

Why is my right shoulder lower than my left?

Because your right hand is positioned lower on the grip of the club than your left hand, it is natural for your right shoulder to find itself slightly lower than the right. Some golfers fight this natural stance and position their shoulders level to the ground instead. Doing so can produce thin shots.

Does flipping the club head cause swing error?

Specifically, it involves letting the clubhead catch up to your hands at impact instead of seeing your hands ahead of the club and ball at impact. Doing so, while not a swing error per se, can result in one when it is not done purposefully. Indeed, flipping the club will tend to move the bottom of the swing arc back behind ...

Can the bottom of the swing arc be too high?

Alternatively, the bottom of the swing arc can also be too high in contrast to where it should be. A pure strike at the ball will see the clubface hitting the ball in the sweetspot whereas a thin shot will see the bottom of the clubface and oftentimes its leading edge hitting the ball instead. This can happen as a result ...

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