I hit all my 2nd/approach shots left!

[domc36]

I seem to be missing greens to the left regularly. I feel as though I'm making solid contact with out a pull. I hit 4 greens in a row, however they were all ridiculously left, and left me with a pretty difficult 2 putt that I cannot often convert. Is this an issue with aiming/alignment? Or should I practice putting?

[Huffy2k]

domc36 - I had the same issue with my irons and it turned out I needed a lie adjustment.  After hitting off a lie board, the club fitter determined that my lie was 1 to 2 degrees too upright on my irons.  Too upright of a lie causes you to hit the ball more toward the heel of the clubface, effectively pulling most of your shots to the left.  A quick lie adjustment on my irons has solved that problem and my irons are working much better for me now.

[dmagalhaes]

Aim further right. Assuming you were fit for your irons and your game is decent, you could ruin your season adjusting lie angles or tweaking your swing. Golf is a game of adjustments so try the easy ones first. Sometimes the simplest fixes are the most effective ones.

[zeg]

What's the ball flight?  If it's straight left without draw or fade, then you essentially have to be pulling it: your feel lies, the ball flight doesn't.  If it's left and drawing further left, then you may have a straight swing but a closed clubface (or lie problem).

I often pull approach shots, especially with short irons and wedges.  In my case, I'm pretty sure it's getting a little overexcited and letting my upper body get ahead and swinging out-to-in.

[domc36]

Yes, Clubs are already fitted for me. With alignment rods, I've determined it is an aiming issue. However, On the range(using the rods) I can hit the ball straight but once I get on the course I continue to hit balls left of my intended target. I force myself to aim further right and I feel like I am aimed WAY too far right. But according to my playing partners I'm aimed perfectly and just need to trust the alignment.

[Open-Faced Club Sandwedge]

Quote:

Yes, Clubs are already fitted for me. With alignment rods, I've determined it is an aiming issue. However, On the range(using the rods) I can hit the ball straight but once I get on the course I continue to hit balls left of my intended target. I force myself to aim further right and I feel like I am aimed WAY too far right. But according to my playing partners I'm aimed perfectly and just need to trust the alignment.

What method do you use to align yourself?  I've found that my alignment improves a great deal when I stand directly behind the ball and choose a blade of grass 3-4 feet in front of the ball along the target line.  Then I focus on that blade of grass as I walk up to address the ball, and look back and forth between the ball and that blade of grass while getting my feet set.  Only then do I lift my head and look back at the target.  The picture you get when you're standing sideways to the target and looking at it over your left shoulder will play tricks on you.  It's quite hard to tell when you're actually aligned to it.  It's much "truer" to use the target 3-4 feet in front of the ball.

-Andrew

[Pope33]

Have you tried to play the ball a little further back in your stance? I find that if I play it too far forward, I have already flicked my wrists and always hit the ball left. I have been working on staying down longer and playing the ball back further. Seems to be working

[The Recreational Golfer]

If you are, without knowing it, trying to lift the ball in the air instead of trusting the loft of the club to get the ball airborne, you might be hanging back on your right side coming through the ball. That can cause your swing to pull itself around to the left.

If that is the case, learn to have your club still in descent after it meets the ball. It's really hard to do that if you hang back.

[schuer03]

Originally Posted by Pope33

Have you tried to play the ball a little further back in your stance? I find that if I play it too far forward, I have already flicked my wrists and always hit the ball left. I have been working on staying down longer and playing the ball back further. Seems to be working

Exactly.  Check and see where the ball is in your stance.  This may help you straighten out.

[senorchipotle]

1st: check your grip

2nd: check your alignment

3rd: make sure you're not manipulation your wrists

4th: make sure you're not coming over the top