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 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 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.
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.
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, ...
Why does the ball go right on a long iron?
sounds like your lies could be off ( a little to much upright)....the reason the ball goes right for long irons, and short for left is because of the lofts in the clubs. You might have built a swing around your short irons ( most people do) so if you are going a little left with them you would adjust a little to make them go straight....then if you take that same swing to your long iron it produces a slice ( or slightly right for you). The best thing to do is go see a dynamic teacher/fitter to be sure. If your clubs are a little to upright you can see a lot of different compensations...out to in paths being one of them. so your club face is likely a little closed which would make the reading be on the lie board slightly on the toe even though it really should be slightly on the heel....because this could fool a lot of fitters, you should go see someone who really understands how to read lies correctly. Also keep in mind a perfect divot would be slightly left.#N#Good luck
Why should divots go left?
Your divots should go left because the head of the club is closing "after contact" where your divot should contact the ground, now this isn`t a radical left but the key is where your ball is going, if it`s going straight everything is fine Jim.
How to push off the ground when driving a golf ball straight?
How do I push off the ground when driving a golf ball straight? Community Answer. Begin your downswing with a push of your right foot sideways toward the ball. This foot motion will start your hips turning around to the left and drop your right elbow into the slot before your shoulders begin their powerful turn.
How to drive a golf ball straight?
If you want to drive a golf ball straight, try adjusting how you tee the ball and how wide your stance is. If you want to get some distance with your swing, tee your ball high in the ground and stand so that the ball is aligned with your left toe. You should also keep your stance wide to get more power in your swing.
How to get more power in golf swing?
You should also keep your stance wide to get more power in your swing. If you are going for accuracy on a shorter drive, narrow your stance and tee the ball about halfway into the ground for more control. Either way, you should draw the club up and back before swinging.
How to get a golf club to go up?
Pull the club up and back. Keep your weight distributed evenly, shifting only slightly to your right foot. Keep your head and torso straight and centered with the ball. Bring the club back at a moderate speed .
How to get the most distance from your swing?
Put your golf tee in the ground only slightly. Place your golf ball on your golf tee. A high tee will allow you to strike the ball on the upswing. Get the most distance from your swing by using a high tee. ...
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.