Pulling the fairway woods and driver left

[darkhunter139]

What are the most common causes of pulling the ball left? I finally stopped the ball from going right too often but now I pull it to the left occasionally.  Sometimes it will start off straight and end up way left and sometimes it just shoots out straight to the left.

I rarely do this with my irons, not sure what the problem is!

[newtogolf]

Could be a number of reasons, if I pull right (I'm a lefty) it's usually because i rolled my wrists.  Does your right wrist roll over the left at impact and follow through?   I never do this with irons, and much less on woods because I try to maintain a flying wedge.

[darkhunter139]

Originally Posted by newtogolf

Could be a number of reasons, if I pull right (I'm a lefty) it's usually because i rolled my wrists.  Does your right wrist roll over the left at impact and follow through?   I never do this with irons, and much less on woods because I try to maintain a flying wedge.

Hmm thanks,

Actually my instructor just told me I was not rolling my wrists enough and that's why I was slicing it right.  I must be over doing it, I never really had this problem before so that would make sense.

[saevel25]

to me pulling the ball its an over the top swing move. If a push and a hook are from an inside path, a pull and a slice are from an over the top path.

[MasterP]

Originally Posted by saevel25

to me pulling the ball its an over the top swing move. If a push and a hook are from an inside path, a pull and a slice are from an over the top path.

That's pretty much it.  If you're hitting straight pulls rolling your wrists over will just make you hook the ball more.  It's best to probably get a lesson from a pro who understands the ball flight laws.

[LankyLefty]

I struggle with an open face at impact with drivers and woods, to fix this I tweak my grip, to keep the face more closed. With this grip I occasionally roll the wrists creating a shot with almost no lofts pulled way off the right. I usually do this right after Ive hit a bad shot and left the face way open, I over compensate and pull the ball.

[camper6]

Originally Posted by saevel25

to me pulling the ball its an over the top swing move. If a push and a hook are from an inside path, a pull and a slice are from an over the top path.

I think you are correct here.

My pro told me "Too much upper body".

[darkhunter139]

This has only got worse and is now happening with my irons! It is so frustrating, I had like a week span where I though I started to figure this golf thing out.  Shot an 88, 95, and 40 (on 9) all in the same week and now I am back in the low 100's! GAHHHH

I am thinking it is an over the top move but I cant seem to correct it,  I really need another lesson soon.

[RyderJ]

Back in high school my coach told me I was pulling the ball left because I was "chicken winging it" resulting in an over the top swing. Not sure if this is accurate or not, but seemed to help me at the time.

[saevel25]

Well a pull, as in a straight pull, no cut or hook, is an over the top move. If you hit a draw, you can pull the ball, the ball will likely start off straight down the target line and curve more left, it wont be a straight pull, but have hook spin to it. I get that when i get to handsy and my right hand gets over to fast.

[darkhunter139]

Yea it is a straight pull, its not starting off straight just coming off the club way left.  What exactly is an over the top move? I want to make sure I understand that correctly.

[Nole77]

I just figured this out for myself last night.  For me, it was that I was using too strong of a grip.  About midway through my round, after pull hooking almost every drive/wood, I realized I had started using a really strong grip.  For some reason this seems really easy to do with the long clubs.  Next hole, I made sure to use a more neutral grip and presto!  No more pull.

[darkhunter139]

Hmm I think I might have been standing with the ball to far up in my stance, could this cause this?  At the driving range today I noticed I had the ball way to far up in my stance with my 7i, when I moved it back to the middle I was not pulling it to the left hardly at all.

Is there are right place to position the ball? I have read so many different things about ball positioning.

[gspjeb]

number of reasons you can pull but it is hard to see without a video....you are over the top to be sure but what is causing it is the question.  Not shifting your weight to start the downsing....throwing your shoulder at the ball.....swinging with too much arm movement and not enough body....too flat of a swing etc.  Definitely have a pro look at your swing and find out what it is that you are doing.  Videoing yourself can really help you see it.  In the interim try putting a glove in your left arm pit and keeping it there until well into your follow through.  keep your spine angle and that may help give you the right feel.  good luck