One of the most frustrating moments in golf occurs when you step into the tee box, take your aim along a good target line and then randomly hit the golf ball straight to the left. The dreaded pulled shot! To get over this issue we need to learn as much as we can about pulls in golf.
We’ve all been there at one time or another. It’s frustrating. Maybe even more frustrating than when we hit a hook. Because a pulled shot travels straight, which is what we were trying to achieve, but it travels straight in the wrong direction.
We were so close to hitting a nice straight shot, which would have left us in the fairway or on the green, in a prime position for a look at birdie. But instead, we’re now in a bad place, facing a tough approach and hoping to get out of here with just a bogey.
So what just happened? How did our shot go so terribly wrong? What exactly causes a pulled shot? And most importantly, how can we fix it?
What Are Pulls in Golf?
In essence, a “pull “occurs anytime the ball starts to the left of the intended target following impact. A “push,” on the other hand, is the opposite, meaning that the ball starts to the right of the target.
Now, it’s important to note that not all pulls are created equally. There are three potential outcomes of a pulled shot.
The ball can either continue straight and left of the target, which is the standard pull. The ball can cut back to the right, which is known as a “pull-cut,” or in the worst-case scenario, the ball can curve even further to the left; this monstrosity of a shot is known as a “pull-hook.”
Most beginners who pull the ball tend to hit a pull-cut. In many cases, they aren’t even aware that an error occurred because the ball travels back towards their target.
Nevertheless, a pull-cut absolutely is an error and an error that dramatically reduces distance. So, what causes these sorts of pulls to occur in the first place?
What Causes A Pulled Shot?
All pulls are caused because the clubface was closed the moment that the golf club contacted the ball. Now, why the clubface was closed at impact is a much more important question.
There are a number of reasons for why the clubface could have been closed at impact. We should look at each one of them so that we can determine what’s going wrong in our swing and then fix it.
Alignment
Now, before we move on to diagnosing and correcting a pull. We need to make sure that we are actually pulling the ball. It may be the case that we are hitting the ball perfectly straight and are just lined up incorrectly.
Sometimes you may feel like you are aligned perfectly with the target that you’ve picked out when in actuality, you are oriented to the left.
Should this be the case, a small adjustment to your alignment can fix the problem. If you aren’t sure how to line up with your target, you can use alignment rods. These will help until you get a feel for lining up correctly.
If you don’t have any alignment rods, you can just use a club. Line up the shaft with your target line, and then make sure that your feet are positioned parallel to the shaft.
Are you are certain that you are lined up correctly and are still pulling the ball? Then the next thing you need to check is your grip strength.
Grip Strength
When new golfers first take up the game, almost all of them will intuitively grip their clubs as firmly as possible.
However, golf clubs are not baseball bats. If your grip is too firm, you are likely to pull the golf ball; this is because a strong grip encourages the clubface to close through impact, propelling the ball to the left.
Conversely, if your grip is too loose, the clubface will tend to open through impact, causing the ball to move to the right. The trick is to hold the club with neutral pressure, neither too firm nor too loose. When in doubt, err on the side of too loose.
If you find that you are pulling your shots often, try relaxing your grip slightly. However, if your grip strength is proper and you are aligned correctly but are still pulling the ball, then the problem is almost certainly with your ball positioning.
Ball Position
The number one cause of a pulled shot stems from improperly positioning the golf ball. If your ball is too far forward, then by the time the clubface reaches the ball, you have already rotated slightly to your left, hence the pull.
As a general rule-of-thumb, when you are hitting your driver, the ball should be positioned in-line with your left ear (or right ear if you are left-handed.)
If you are hitting a fairway wood or hybrid, then the ball should be in-line with your left pectoral (or the logo on your shirt,). And if you are hitting a short iron or wedge, then the ball should be positioned in-line with the buttons on your shirt.
Now, if you are properly aligned, are holding the club with the correct grip strength, have positioned the ball correctly for the club you are hitting, and are still pulling shots. Then the problem is with your actual swing mechanics.
Swing Plane
For the ball to travel straight, the clubface needs to be square when contacting the ball. To maintain a square clubface through impact, you need to make sure that you are bringing the club back on the correct swing plane. Then as your club starts downwards, you need to guide the club towards the ball on a swing plane that is in line with your target.
If you are pulling the ball often, it could be because you are taking the club off-plane in your backswing; if that’s the case, then practice hitting quarter shots. And then half shots and so on until you can return the club to address with a square clubface.
It may also be the case that your backswing is perfect. But when you start the golf club downwards, you are coming “over-the-top,”. This is promoting an outside-to-inside swing plane, which propels the ball to the left. Should this be the case, then there are a few handy drills you can practice which will help you get a feel for swinging along the correct inside-to-outside swing plane required to hit a straight shot.
The Back Foot Drill
For this drill, all you have to do is position your rear foot about 6 inches back of where it would normally be. The front of your back foot should come to about the middle of your front foot. Now, hit a few practice balls from this position at about half to three-quarters power.
To strike the ball from this position, you will need to swing with an inside-to-outside swing plane. Of course, this isn’t a quick fix. And you will lose massive distance swing like this. Because you won’t be able to keep your balance if you make a full swing.
The point isn’t to swing like this forever; it’s to feel what it’s like to come from the inside of the swing plane towards the outside through impact.
This is what it should feel like when you keep your downswing on the correct plane during your normal swing. After hitting a few balls like this, try to keep the feeling in mind and then make your normal swing; you might just find that the ball travels nice and straight towards your target.
The Club Line Drill
This simple drill can also help you ensure that you are swinging on the correct inside-to-outside swing plane. All you have to do for this drill is lay a golf club on the ground, adjacent to your ball, and orient the shaft of that club about 10-20 degrees to the right; when you make your swing keep your swing plane in-line with the line of the golf club on the ground.
By doing this, you will ensure that you push the ball to the right. Again, you don’t want to be pushing the ball to the right either. This is just as much of a problem as pulling the ball. But this will give you the feeling of swinging more on an inside-to-outside plane.
After hitting a few shots like this, you can put the guide club back in your bag and hit your normal shot. You will find that after doing this, your natural tendency will be to correct the push that you were just hitting. In doing so, you should find that you are striking the ball straighter and with a square clubface.
The Right Shoulder Drill
If you are indeed swinging over-the-top, and that is what’s causing you to pull the ball. Then you must pay close attention to what your shoulders are doing throughout your swing. Particularly in your downswing.
When golfers swing over-the-top, their right shoulder tends to aim up; in fact, many amateur golfers actually start their downswing with their right shoulder, but this is a big mistake. The downswing should begin in your hips, and to keep your swing on-plane, you must move your right shoulder downwards in your downswing.
So for this drill, all you need to do is spend some time hitting a few practice shots. All while keeping your right shoulder tucked in and heading on a downwards angle as you impact the ball. The trick to this drill is to slowly bring the club back to the top of your backswing while keeping your back to the target.
You want to keep your back to the target until your hands are at your waist; this will help you keep your swing plane oriented from the inside to the outside, which will allow you to hit the ball straighter relative to your target line.
Keep Practicing
Golf as a game presents many challenges to those who would call themselves good golfers. Golf is a journey, and there is always going to be something to improve.
The good news is that everything that can go wrong in your golf swing can be corrected. This can be done by understanding the fundamentals and practicing often. The best golfers in the world are the golfers who practice the most. Make sure that you are aligned properly with your target.
Double-check that you are not holding the club too tightly. Triple-check that your ball is positioned correctly, and whatever you do, avoid swinging from over-the-top.
If you practice the drills that we just covered, you will find yourself striking the ball more often on a good inside-to-outside swing plane, resulting in consistently straighter shots, which in the long run, will mean more opportunities to make birdie or better and score out on the golf course.
