Common casues's to Pull the ball.

[CrazyXGolfer]

heyy all!
It's very rare for me to ask for swing advice on the internet, but I have a comp tomoz and I can't get in touch with my golf coach.

So this morning when I was hitting some balls, all most of my shots were pulls. I no my irons are much to upright for me atm, around 6* to upright. (Major swing and setup change)
Now my swing looks as good as it ever has, but most shots I hit are just pulls, everything ends up left of the green.

I can post a swing vid laters, but just wondering what are common causes to pull the shot??

[motteler621]

Ball flight laws say the direction of the shot is caused by the angle of the clubface at impact. The curve of the shot is caused by your swing path. So if its just a straight pull your clubface closed a couple degrees to many at impact.

[TinCupTampa]

I think you answered you own question.

[zeg]

If it's a straight pull, then your swing path is out-to-in at impact and your face is square to the swing path (ie, closed to the target). The closed face is probably because of the upright irons---since you're holding the shaft lower at address and impact than they're designed for, the loft of the club is effective giving you a draw-biased club.

If it's tomrrow, you probably just want to aim right and play for the draw, I'd think.

[motteler621]

If it's a straight pull, then your swing path is out-to-in at impact and your face is square to the swing path (ie, closed to the target). The closed face is probably because of the upright irons---since you're holding the shaft lower at address and impact than they're designed for, the loft of the club is effective giving you a draw-biased club.

if he has an out to in swing he will have a fade curve on the ball too, right?

[golfro]

no, club face is square to the club path (out in) thus its literally as if you've readjusted your swing to hit straight... but a straight pull.

so relative to how much you swing out-in, if you close your face, then you're hitting a straight pull.

think of a club face like a car. if it hits you head on, you're falling straight back, regardless of what path the car was driving on. If the car was driving diagonally across the street but going forward and hits you head on... then you're gonna fall straight back.

similar to club face...if it hits the ball with a face relatively closed to how much you're swinging out-in, its still hitting it square and will send the ball flying straight...but with a pull.

*hmm, example might be a bit confusing...its late and i'm on a flight down to LA and the internet is awfully slow on this plain. anyway...im not too articulate right now.

[Shanks A Million]

So this morning when I was hitting some balls, all most of my shots were pulls. I no my irons are much to upright for me atm, around

Um... What? 6°! That's insane. With irons that upright, there's no way to

not pull the ball. However, I can almost guarantee that you can't make a swing change radical enough to need a 6° change. I was playing at one time with irons 4° too flat for me, and it was nearly impossible to even make contact with the ball, let alone know where it was going. The club banged into the ground so violently on the toe that every shot felt terrible, and even the best struck shots were awful.

[motteler621]

yea maybe iacas can clear this up a bit, I understand the face square with the plane out to in causing a straight pull, makes sense. My question is with the ball flight laws that say clubface controls the direction and the swing path controls the curve or spin; then the clubface cant be square with the swing path in order to get the swingpath curve?

[bwdial]

Um... What? 6°! That's insane. With irons that upright, there's no way to

It's almost like playing with left handed clubs.

[Shanks A Million]

yea maybe iacas can clear this up a bit, I understand the face square with the plane out to in causing a straight pull, makes sense. My question is with the ball flight laws that say clubface controls the direction and the swing path controls the curve or spin; then the clubface cant be square with the swing path in order to get the swingpath curve?

To some degree, yes, but there are other factors in play. Ball flight laws assume a lot that doesn't always happen. Things like off center hits do cause the ball to curve, even if the club path and face were straight. There are about a hundred other factors in play as well.

[CrazyXGolfer]

Yes it's I play 3* upright right now and they should be 3* flat.
Went out and played 9 holes before, finshed 1 under, every single miss was left. I just better aim well right tomoz :P
And yes it's a dead straight pull.
Thanks all.

EDIT SORRY 5* OUT, I SHOULD HAVE 2* FLAT, JUST RECHEAKED MY LAST FITTING.

I used to have my hands very high at adress, and now they are low, witch im really liking now.

[MJP]

yea maybe iacas can clear this up a bit, I understand the face square with the plane out to in causing a straight pull, makes sense. My question is with the ball flight laws that say club face controls the direction and the swing path controls the curve or spin; then the club face cant be square with the swing path in order to get the swing path curve?

Exactly, well almost exactly. Like shanks says there are a lot of factors. But, generally it goes something like this. A 10* out to in swing with a 10* closed club face will produce the most dead straight pull you have ever seen. A 9* closed club face and a 10* out to in swing path would produce a pull with the slightest bit of fade (you might not even notice it). A 9* closed club face with a 8* out to in swing path (relative to target line, remember) will produce a pull with the slightest bit of draw on it. If you're swing path is closed relative to the club face, you will fade. If it is open relative to the club face, you will draw. The pull/push part comes from I believe ~85% club face angle and ~15% swing path. I think you can +/- a few percentage points to the swing path affect on the starting direction of the ball due to an increase/decrease in swing speed. But I am not sure on exactly how that works.

Note: Someone with a better knowledge of this could clear up that last part I'm sure. Also, in my experience I've found that the club face angle should be about half the swing path angle. For example a 15* open club face would draw back very nicely with a 30* in to out swing path.

[Zeph]

To those who are unfamiliar or not quite sure about the ball flight laws, read and take it up in this article or this thread . The rules are not really up for debate, it's more about people understanding them.

To the OP, get your clubs properly fit, then see what happens. With that far off angles, you can't really judge the ball flight solely on your swing. 6º too upright means the heel is so close to the ground, it can nudge it and close the clubface before or at impact.

You can post your swing, but I would not change anything to fix the pull before you've gotten the clubs properly adjusted.

[DDSeabolt]

I'm wondering why handicap likes your would make such a drastic change to their swing to cause a 6* change. I don't too many + handicaps making drastic changes.