
At one time or another, almost every player pulls a shot, sending the ball left of the intended target for a right-handed golfer. 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.
What is pulling a shot in golf?
At one time or another, almost every player pulls a shot, sending the ball left of the intended target for a right-handed golfer. 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.
How do left handed golfers hit a push?
Here is Roger Gunn's checklist for a left-handed golfer hitting a push: 1 Grip: The grip is not normally a factor with a push. 2 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. 3 Ball Position: You might have the ball too far back in the stance. ... More items...
Why does my golf ball shoot left of the target?
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 and was also aiming left of the target.
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 do I keep pulling my golf shots left?
Work On Keeping Your Swing Closed Longer | One common cause of pulling your ball is opening your shot too early and not keeping your back to your intended target long enough. By opening your swing too early, your arms move too much, and your swing gets out of whack, which can cause you to pull the ball.
What causes me to pull my irons to the left?
0:505:42Why You Pull Your Irons + How to Stop It For Good! - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIt's when the club. Comes over the target line cuts. Across the body like this. But rather thanMoreIt's when the club. Comes over the target line cuts. Across the body like this. But rather than actually having an open Club face as you would with a fade shot the club face stay Square to that path.
Why am I pulling my driver 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.
Why am I hitting my golf ball to the left?
Another popular cause for a hook shot is failing to turn your body all the way through the shot. At that same time, you're likely not shifting your weight forward. So your body stops turning but the club doesn't. So as your swing continues, the clubface closes and hits the ball left upon impact.
How do you fix a pull in a golf swing?
5:5812:27How to Cure a Golf Pull - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo we can hit down on the golf ball. We start to tilt too far to the left and now when I make aMoreSo we can hit down on the golf ball. We start to tilt too far to the left and now when I make a swing doing this you can see that it's easy to pull a shot to the left every single. Time.
How do I stop pulling my driver left?
1:594:23How To Stop Pulling Your Tee Shots - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo if I wanted to aim straight. And just pull one left like I did in the intro. I would do what heMoreSo if I wanted to aim straight. And 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.
How do I stop hitting the ball left?
1:542:47Stop Pulling Golf Shots Left - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou've got to keep your hips. Your knees your ribs you've got to keep yourself moving forwards. AndMoreYou've got to keep your hips. Your knees your ribs you've got to keep yourself moving forwards. And turning all the way through to target. If the body stops turning.
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.
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 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 is a pull fade?
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 ball to do, but the problem is when you pull the ball just to fade it back towards the target, you lose a lot of distance and accuracy.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
What happens when you play golf left handed?
When a right-handed plays golf left-handed, or vice-versa, your dominant arm becomes your lead arm, which can make it harder to release the club. “Playing the other way around will make it harder to release the club, because your lead arm is stronger,” Rowles says, citing Spieth, who plays baseball left-handed but swings a golf club right-handed, ...
Is Spieth left handed or right handed?
Rowles mentioned Spieth there, who throws left-handed but swings right- handed. He’s probably best-classed as ambidextrous, and after his opening-round, five-under 65 at Royal St. George’s, he was asked an interesting righty-lefty question: “If you’re talking to a young player who’s left-handed or right-handed, do you tell them to go with ...
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 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 ...
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 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, ...
