If you are pulling your iron shots, they are going and staying to the left of the target (for right-handed golfers). This golfing mishap is similar to a gold ball curving while in the air, but it is fact going straight left.
This is due to an out-to-in swing path in which your arms cross the target line while swinging the club, delivering the ball straight left. There could be many reasons why you are pulling your shots to the left.
Keep reading to find the most common causes, and how to can fix them to improve your game next time.
What Does “Pulling Your Irons” Mean?
Pulling your irons is when the ball begins to go left across the body of a right-handed golfer.
A draw golf shot begins to the right or straight before turning left. With a pull shot, however, the ball doesn’t spin or curve in the air; it travels left straight off the tee.
When this happens, the club face of the golf iron is often square, resulting in a straight shot with little to no rotation.
A pulled shot often travels a considerable distance, as the clubface is typically square or even somewhat closed. However, it will likely be off the green or in the rough, which might negatively impact your score.
Top 4 Reasons Why You May Be Pulling Your Irons
1. The Face Of The Club Is Slightly Closed
Occasionally, amateur golfers purposefully close the clubface of an iron or even the driver to prevent a slice. If you have a difficult time releasing and spinning the club head, it will certainly reduce your likelihood of slicing the ball.
If the golfer then uses this iron when the club face is closed but doesn’t slice the ball, then it will affect the direction of the ball. You need to find out whether your club head is square.
Simply holding your clubface at a 90-degree angle is one of the most effective ways to do this. You may even place the club in a door jam to look at it. You should align the base or sole of the club directly with the straight edge.
For those closing the club face, the toe should touch the straight edge. Those who hold the clubface open will have the heel in contact with the straight edge.
2. The Ball Is Too Forward
One of the easiest and most frequent causes of golfers pulling the ball is a too-forward ball position. When the ball is closer to the front of your stance, it is much simpler to pull it.
By the time you make contact with the ball, your body will have already begun to spin toward your target, and your clubface may be somewhat closed.
Due to their lack of assurance, the location of the ball is a primary concern for many amateur players. In golf, the setup and posture are quite inconsistent.
If you observe expert golfers, you will see that they take some time to ensure that their setup is correct. For optimal impact, golfers must feel that their body and clubface may return to the square to get the best impact.
If you are pulling your irons but not your hybrids, wedges, or driver, then the wrong ball position may be a cause. Use golf alignment sticks and even a mirror to rehearse your setup and make sure that the ball position for each club is correct.
3. Over The Top Club Path
Have you ever been instructed to bring the club (see also: Can You Bring Your Own Clubs To Topgolf?)over the top during your downswing? This is a popular move for amateur golfers, and it can lead to an impact position with a slightly closed clubface and shots like hooks, pulls, and even slices.
There are most likely two causes for why your club path is elevated. The first is that you took the club outside on the takeout and never got it on the correct route.
The second reason is that when you attempted to transition from the backswing to the downswing, the club was never in the right position.
This transition between the backswing and downswing is difficult for many amateur golfers. If the downswing begins with the hands and arms at the top of the swing, the club will likely cross over the top of the path.
Instead, at the peak of the swing, the legs must start a rotation that pulls the arms into position. This is one of the most challenging shot corrections since it might take time to adjust the swing path.
Use an alignment stick, execute a flawless takeout, and then feel the club fall into position at the peak of your swing.
4. You Stop Turning Your Body
Timing is crucial in a golf stroke. If the upper and lower half of your body is not moving in sync, then you will look a lot of control over the golf ball.
Players must rotate their lower bodies backward and forwards with each shot. If the torso ceases to rotate but the arms continue to swing, the ball will go to the left.
Ensure that you are rotating your lower body as you swing the club back, and then continue this action as your arms swing back.
Golfers may practice this by hitting shots similar to chips. The chip shot represents a little version of the full swing. Getting your lower body to turn back during a chip will push it to turn through, resulting in a much straighter shot.
Summary
Sometimes a pull shot is a simple fix, but other times you may struggle to change habits and fix the issue. Taking a video of your golf swing is an easy way to pinpoint its flaws and fix them.
Use slow motion so you can get a better idea of how your body moves through a swing.
Changing the setup, focusing on greater body rotation, or straightening up the swing plane is typically all you have to do to fix this golfing problem.
Hi, my name is Garratt Shmidt and I have been playing golf in my spare time for almost a decade.
Before I found a passion for golf, I didn’t see the appeal. I thought it was slow, repetitive, and quite frankly boring.
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