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why do my golf shots keep going right

by Prof. America Conroy II Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Sliding the hips laterally toward the target, rather than rotating the hips, is a key cause of many shots that are pushed to the right, according to Jack Nicklaus. Nicklaus says proper downswing hip movement is set up by a full hip rotation on the backswing.

Problem: When the ball flies dead right, it means your lower body slid ahead, which drops the club too far inside. Golfers see their tee shots go right and automatically curse the slice. Sometimes those are blocked shots caused by swinging too much from the inside.Apr 13, 2009

Full Answer

How to stop pushing golf shots right?

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  1. Put the ball further forward in stance. Probably the most important aspect of set up is how far back or forward the ball is in your stance. ...
  2. Move feet closer together. Golfers who are prone to a push generally have their feet further apart than they should be especially when hitting iron shots.
  3. Make sure your body is aiming straight. ...

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Why does my golf ball keep going right?

Left-Hander Hitting It Right But On a Straight Line is Hitting a Pull

  • Grip: The grip is not normally a factor with a pull.
  • Set-up: Make sure you are not aiming too far right, or that your shoulders are pointing too far right.
  • Ball Position: You might have the ball too far forward in your stance. ...
  • Backswing: The club is likely being pushed outside the target line on the way back. ...

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How to fix pulling golf shots?

PULL FIX #2: Move to In-Square-In Club Path and Weaker Grip. In order to fundamentally fix the causes that produce pulled shots in your game you will need to work on your golf swing and the club path that it produces. Fixing an outside-in swing starts at the takeaway where you will want to take your club back square instead of back outside.

What causes pulled golf shots?

What causes a pull shot?

  • The clubface is closed at impact. The most significant cause of a pull shot is when your clubface is closed at impact. ...
  • Your alignment. A case of bad alignment can also be responsible for your pulled shots. ...
  • Your grip. ...
  • Incorrect ball positioning and stance. ...

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Likely Reason #1:Are You Aligned Right of The Target?

Before digging further into the causes of your pushed shots you need to make sure they do not occur simply as a result of bad alignment prior to hi...

Likely Reason #2:Inside-Out Swing and Weak Grip?

If you are correctly aiming at the target and are using a square stance to the target yet are still producing pull shots then your club path is mos...

Related Golf Swing Errors

It is also possible that you are pushing shots to the right because you are committing a golf swing error known as blocking shots. Indeed, blocking...

How to fix pushed shots in golf?

The first step into fixing an inside-out swing involves the takeaway where you will want to take your club back square instead of taking it back inside.

What is push shot in golf?

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

What does it mean when the ball shoots right of the target?

And because the ball shoots right of the target, it most likely means the clubface was open at impact, that it was aiming right of the target. But it also means the swing path was of the inside-to-in variety, resulting in a clubface that is square to the club path where both are pointing to the right of the target, and ultimately a pull.

What happens when you lie down for a shot?

The lie you face for a shot can also contribute to the direction the ball will take after being struck. Golf balls that are lying below your feet which happen when you are standing on a sidehill will naturally leave the clubface open at impact and will send the ball right of the target.

How to fix pushes?

In order to determine whether your ball positioning is to blame for your pushes simply try placing your shots a little forward in your stance , or at least more forward that you are used to.

What happens when the golf club is too low?

Rather, in these instances the heel of the club will be sticking out, which will produce shots that go to the right of the target.

Can high lofted wedges cause push shots?

For example, high lofted wedges can sometimes give golfers push issues and simply aiming left whenever using such a club can prove plentiful in not letting push shots ruin a golf round.

What happens when you release your hands from the top of the golf club?

When your hands release the club right from the top, you will force the club up and over the proper plane, and you will be forced to swing across the line as you come through the hitting area. If you fight a slice as well as an occasional block, you can bet that you are releasing your hands too early in the swing.

How to hit a golf shot at 75% power?

You'll find it impossible to slide the hips toward the target while maintaining balance. Instead, you'll have to rotate smoothly, allowing the shoulders and arms to keep pace. Bye-bye, block. Stop Blocking Golf Shots to the Right.

What does it mean to block a shot to the right of the target?

For a right handed golfer, blocking the ball to the right of the target is a common mistake that will often lead to a bogey or worse on the scorecard. Of course, if you play left handed, a block is actually a shot that flies out to the left rather than the right.

How to get your arms connected all the way up to the top of your swing?

The key to being nicely connected all the way up to the top of your swing is to make a good shoulder turn. Without a good turn in your shoulders, your arms are sure to 'run away' with the backswing , resulting in a position at the top where your arms are wrapped around your back.

What are the flaws in golf?

If you tend to block shots with the driver or fairway clubs, the culprit is likely one of these simple flaws: 1. Setting up with the ball too far back in your stance. 2. Taking the club back on an exaggerated inside arc. 3.

Why is my ball so far back in my stance?

If you are playing the ball too far back in your stance currently, that seemingly minor error could be the cause of your blocked shots.

How to hit a driver?

As for #3, try this drill to synchronize your upper and lower body movements: 1 Set up to hit your driver, but place your feet close together – no more than a foot apart. 2 Hit several shots while swinging at about 75% of full power.

Why do I miss right on the tee?

Why You Miss Right. Problem: When the ball flies dead right, it means your lower body slid ahead, which drops the club too far inside. Golfers see their tee shots go right and automatically curse the slice. Sometimes those are blocked shots caused by swinging too much from the inside.

What is a block in golf?

Blocks occur when you slide too hard with your lower body on the downswing (above). The club drops behind you and swings too much from the inside. You have too much lateral motion and not enough turn through the shot. The best drill to promote turn is to take a narrow stance, about a foot wide, and hit drives at 75 percent.

What happens when you block a shot to the right?

Checkpoints for Practice. If you tend to block a lot of shots to the right, you may be shifting your hips toward the target in the downswing. Shifting the hips moves the base of the spine, creating spine tilt and tilting the shoulder plane.

Why do golfers slide their hips laterally?

In order to give the hands time to get back down on plane, their hips will slide laterally toward the target while delaying the rotation of the upper body back to the target. This move drops the club back to the inside and is unnecessary in a more rounded type golf swing.

Why is the base of the spine important in a one plane swing?

The base of the spine in the one plane swing is very critical because that is your central point that allows you to rotate around and keep everything on plane and on axis.

How does the upper spine affect golf?

First, the upper spine tilts away from the target, which in turn, changes the plane angle of the shoulders. This change in the shoulder plane drops the right shoulder beneath the desired plane which, in turn, drops the club beneath the plane. From this position the golfer must rely on his hands to square the club and control the ball flight.

What happens if you don't square your club face back to square?

If the golfer does not have an overly strong grip and does not try and rotate the club face back to square with the hands, the ball will be blocked to the right.

Should your hips rotate or slide?

Your hips should rotate, not slide and your shoulders must rotate on the same plane back and through with no dipping of the right shoulder. Notice in the photo above that I have rotated my body aggressively through the shot while "swinging left" but the ball has come out perfectly straight and on line with the target.

Why is Jack Nicklaus' centered turn bad?

In short, swaying is bad, because it means the bottom of your golf swing is moving all over the place during your swing, which is makes it impossible to hit the ball with consistent contact — hence the chunked iron shots. As we wrote about here, weight shift happens in ...

How far away are your hips from the target?

GOLFTEC found in their study that higher handicaps slide their hips away from the target about 1.5 inches more than lower handicaps. It’s why, by the time they get to impact, their hips are about half-an-inch further away from the target than where they started.

Is hip slide bad?

Why hip slide is bad. If you’re reading this, you’ve probably heard about the concept of ‘shifting your weight’ in the golf swing. You set up to the golf ball, turn over to your trail side on the backswing, and then back to your lead side on the downswing. It sounds pretty simple, because in many ways it is. Shifting your weight like this is ...

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 ...

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 are the different types of pulled shots?

3 Types of Pulled Golf Shots. In each of the 3 types of pulled shots, the ball starts left. The pull/fade is the least bad of the shots, but you never want to pull the golf ball consistently. 1. Pull Fade/Slice. A pull fade/slice is when the ball starts left and then moves back toward athe right. You may be thinking that this is what you want your ...

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.

What to do when you hit a bad shot?

When you hit a bad shot, make sure you watch the entire flight and know what the ball actually does . Too many golfers turn in frustration instead of connecting the feel or the swing with the result.

What is the flight law of golf?

It is a rather simple ball flight law that the ball will curve away from the swing path. For example, if your club face is to the left of the target line the ball will still curve right if your swing path is even further left. Or your face could be right of the target line and if the swing path is left of the face it will start right ...

What is the first fundamental in golf?

The first fundamental is the golfer’s ability to control the bottom of the golf swing. The best golfers will hit the ground in the intended spot, close to 100% of the time. The second fundamental is the golfer’s ability to control the curve of the golf ball. The best golfers are able to start the ball to the right or left ...

What is a pull fade in golf?

Answer: The ball will start to the left and curve to the right. This would be a pull fade or pull slice. Keep in mind that even though the face is closed to the target line, it is open to the swing path and the ball will curve away from the swing path.

Where do you start the ball in golf?

The target line and the start line. The best golfers start the ball left or right of the target line and then curve the ball back towards the target. Let’s go over some examples to help you better understand the ball flight laws.

What is a stock shot?

A stock shot allows you to control your start line and your curve, which is the 2nd fundamental in golf. I would recommend the stock draw shot. Here is a drill you can practice at the driving range:

Which player aimed to the right in the game?

Ben Hogan played with a weak grip, while Lee Trevino had a strong grip . Lee Trevino and Fred Couples aimed way to the right, while Sam Snead and Arnold Palmer aimed well to the right. We explain all of this to help understand the importance of controlling the curve of the ball.

Golfers should keep their head down and shoulders back

If you’re a golfer, chances are that you’ve had this happen to you before. You go to take your shot and it curves way off to the left of the hole.

Grip the club with a firm grip, but not too tight

Golf is a game of finesse. The more control you have over your shots, the better off you are when it comes to determining where the ball goes. There’s an easy fix for all those golfers who keep pushing their shots left: grip the club with a firm grip, but not too tight.

Keep your weight on the balls of your feet for balance and stability

If you’re finding that all your golf shots are going left, it’s likely because you’re not keeping your weight on the balls of your feet. This causes a loss in balance and stability and leads to poor ball contact.

Take a deep breath before you swing to relax yourself so that you can concentrate on hitting the ball squarely

Every golfer has a different swing and a unique set of physical abilities. Unfortunately, the more you play golf, the more you develop muscle memory to your swing that can lead to bad habits.

Swing slowly through the ball to maintain control over it as long as possible

For many golfers, the ball always seems to head left, no matter how hard they try. This is because when you swing too quickly through the ball, the clubhead passes over it before it has time to react and fly in a straight line.

The club is too far from your body

Do you have a hard time hitting your golf shots straight? When I first started playing, I noticed that my golf shots would always go left. I tried to figure out what was going on and realized that the club was too far from my body.

The ball position is in the wrong place

Did you know that the club is too far from your body when you swing? It’s time to go back to basics and get in-to alignment! One of the most common mistakes golfers make is not being aligned properly. They are either too close or too far away from their ball, which can cause a lot of problems.

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