Pulling left

[slackhouse]

So, I've suddenly started pulling everything to the left. I used to be able to hit my wedges-7 iron straight and had a slight slice on 6-4 and bad slice on everything else. Someone pointed out that I had an extremely weak grip. So, I've changed my grip and have a strong grip now and can hit my driver, 3 wood, 3 and 4 hybrids pretty straight. But, 5-wedges I'm coming across the ball and pulling everything left. At the driving range I've set a club down on the line I set up and hit many balls. My divots are going straight left. The crazy thing is that the ball has great height (which I've never had) and a perfectly straight flight (also didn't really have too often).

So, I can't figure out what is causing it. Lately, I just aim to the right of the green and hope I'm compensating enough. But, I'd like some tips on helping me fix this problem without losing the straight shot and boring ball flight.

Thanks. (I realize it is impossible to know exactly what is wrong without seeing a video of my swing. But, if you could give me several things I might be doing wrong, I can try to figure it out)

[Mats++]

When I pull a shot it's usually because I open my shoulders before impact.

So make sure that your shoulders are straight at impact.

[tm22721]

I pull a shot when I don't get off my right foot fast enough. Usually happens on an uphill lie or an upward sloped tee box where I have to make a concerted effort to turn my body quickly. I have read that Veejay Singh practices a lot on uphill lies.

[804golfer]

do not get quick with the hands or you will hook balls

[slackhouse]

do not get quick with the hands or you will hook balls

i'm not hooking. i'm hitting it dead straight, just left.

[blackxpress]

Someone pointed out that I had an extremely weak grip. So, I've changed my grip and have a strong grip now . . .

I think you answered your own question. I've had the same problem. I took a lesson a few weeks back and the instructor changed my grip from weak to strong. In the beginning it worked out pretty well but then I started pulling everything left, especially with my irons. Yesterday I pulled one straight left off the tee and one of my playing partners remarked that I had an extremely strong grip. I realized that over time I had actually exaggerated what my teacher taught me to the point that my grip was way too strong. I backed it off to a more neutral grip and, voila, problem solved (for now at least).

[DavidFehertysBike]

I think everything posters have said in this thread will cause a dead pull. If you do all of them, then im surprised the ball dosent end up behind you..lol. I dead pull alot myslef when I flare open my left shoulder too fast through impact. It is something Im constantly fighting, because im left hand dominant playing righty.

[MrKadash]

The way I understand it is an impossibility to pull a shot left without coming over the top (or in other words, outside to in club path), regardless of clubhead position. A closed clubhead when coming from the inside will produce a hook, but not a pull or pull hook. My misses with my irons are almost always pulls, so I concentrate on keeping my right elbow close to my body on the downswing. If I hook, then I know I need to either adjust my grip a bit or try to delay my release. Correct me if I have that wrong.

[barrycuda]

if your pulling a shot then your swinging outside-in, simple as that. i hardly doubt your divots are right of the target line if your pulling. so concentrate on swinging inside-out.

[dkglf98]

Over the top period, if you are battling it play with ball position and move the ball back in your stance till you pull it less.

[slackhouse]

Over the top period, if you are battling it play with ball position and move the ball back in your stance till you pull it less.

thanks guys. I'm gonna work on it some more and see if i can get this straightened out. I just don't want to go back to slicing my longer irons. I guess that's how golf goes. You fix one thing and 5 other things go wrong.

[beung]

You're probably not pulling it you could be just hitting the ball on the line your feet are lined up on.

Before you made your grip change, I am willing to bet that the ball used to start on the same line that the ball seems to being straight now on but now instead of it fading it just goes straight?

If this is the case, the the fix is simple. Either test with some different degrees of how weak or strong of a grip you use and try and work in the little fade. Or leave your grip as is and just aim more right to take into account that there is no longer the little fade you used to have.

At the range, take your normal address, then take your club and put in on the group - make sure that the heels of your feet are touching the shaft, when you step back with the club on the ground take a look at where your feet are aiming vs where your eyes were aiming at address.

If the ball goes where your feet are aiming then you only have to do some minor tweaking. If the ball is going left of where your feet are aiming then chances are you are coming across your body and hooding the clubface. The easiest shot to control is one where you aim a bit left of the target with your feet and have a slight fade of the ball, even if it goes straight but still slightly right of where your feet are aiming that is pretty safe.

[Avid Golfer]

I pull a shot when I don't get off my right foot fast enough. Usually happens on an uphill lie or an upward sloped tee box where I have to make a concerted effort to turn my body quickly. I have read that Veejay Singh practices a lot on uphill lies.

That is the opposite of what I find with my own game, and opposite of everything I've ever heard from the pros. Nick Faldo, Greg Norman, Ernie Els, Nick Price, Annika Sorenstam, Bobby Jones, and Ben Hogan have all mentioned that when their rear heel lifts off the ground too soon their alignment, swing path, and body all spin to the left, and that is where they miss the shot. They all made reference to trying to keep the back foot flat on the ground until around impact. If you look at the picture below it also supports the theory that the heel should

not be drastically elevated at impact. http://img366.imageshack.us/img366/7...timpactzi7.jpg

[littlefish]

Keeping both feet (front and back) firmly on the ground during backswing and not swaying seems to work well. Coil and only lift back foot heel during follow through. Timing and inside-out swing being important. I'm simple minded so need to keep things simple. The only other thing that might help is the alignment of your feet, in particular the front foot at address. I recently found much improvement in irons distance and control by opening the foot slightly (guess that's what your suppose to do?), rather than standing close to perpendicular. Makes it easier to complete the shot. Then aim correctly to fix left hits.

[Mr Eagle]

Aim further right

[Trevor07Silvy]

if your pulling a shot then your swinging outside-in, simple as that. i hardly doubt your divots are right of the target line if your pulling. so concentrate on swinging inside-out.

an outside-in swing (AKA over the top) would cause the ball to slice would it not?

[MrKadash]

an outside-in swing (AKA over the top) would cause the ball to slice would it not?

Not if the club face is square at impact.

[iacas]

Not if the club face is square at impact.

Square to what? If you swing over the top, outside-to-in, with a clubface square to the target, you'll get a pull slice, the degree of which will depend on how far outside-to-in you went.

If it's square to the path of the clubface, you get a pull (again, the direction of which depends on the path). Let's try to be a little clearer when helping people. If they get confused, it's not much help.