A golf pull is when your shot starts straight or right of the target and curves sharply left in the air for a right-handed golfer (or sharply right for a left-handed golfer). Can I fix a pull in golf? Yes, you absolutely can fix a pull in golf with simple steps and practice. This guide will show you how to correct this frustrating shot. We focus on making clear changes to your swing.
Deciphering the Golf Pull Shot
A pull happens for one main reason. The clubface hits the ball when the club path is moving too far to the right of the target line at impact. Think of it this way: the club is moving left across your body too much. This creates the leftward curve.
Often, golfers confuse a pull with a pull hook. A pull starts left and stays left (a pull). A pull hook starts left or straight but curves even further left (a pull hook). A common error is trying to stop slicing golf ball shots, which leads to overcorrecting and causing a pull.
Key Causes of a Golf Pull
To fix the issue, we must find what causes the leftward swing path. Most pulls stem from issues in the grip, setup, or swing mechanics.
Flaws in the Golf Grip for Pull Shots
Your grip is the only direct link to the club. A bad grip is a frequent culprit.
- Too Strong Grip: If your left hand (for righties) is turned too far to the right (showing three or four knuckles), it encourages the hands to flip or roll over too early. This closes the clubface too quickly through impact.
- Fingers Only Grip: Holding the club mostly in the fingers, not the palms, can lead to a loss of control. This makes it hard to keep the face square.
Setup Errors Leading to Pulls
Where you stand affects where the club goes. Poor setup habits are easy to overlook.
- Alignment Issues: If your feet, hips, and shoulders point too far left of the target, your body tries to compensate. This often results in an over-the-top move or a path that swings too far left.
- Ball Position Too Far Forward: Placing the ball too far toward your front foot can force your hands ahead of the clubhead. This promotes an out-to-in swing path, causing a pull.
- Posture Problems: Standing too upright or leaning too far over the ball can interfere with a free shoulder turn. This restricts the swing arc.
Swing Mechanics Causing the Wrong Path
This is where most of the action happens. The goal is to achieve an inside-out swing drill path, not an outside-in path.
- Over the Top Move: This is the classic pull cause. Instead of dropping the hands down the swing plane, the golfer lifts the hands up and swings them out and across the ball from high to low. This is often a reaction to trying to stop slicing golf ball shots previously.
- Casting or Releasing Too Early: Throwing the hands at the ball too soon throws the club onto the wrong path. This leads to an open face or a path that is too far left.
- Poor Weight Transfer: Staying too much on the back foot prevents the lower body from starting the downswing correctly. This throws the upper body out of sync, leading to an off-plane move.
Easy Steps How To Fix A Pull In Golf: The Correction Process
Fixing a pull requires a systematic approach. We start from the ground up: grip, setup, and then the swing itself. This focuses on Golf pull correction.
Step 1: Check and Adjust Your Grip
A neutral or slightly weak grip is best for Fixing a golf pull shot that results from an overactive release.
- Goal: Ensure the clubface is square at impact.
- Action: For a right-handed golfer, when you look down at your lead hand (left hand), you should see two or three knuckles. If you see more, your grip is too strong; weaken it slightly.
- Feel: The “V” shape made by your thumb and forefinger on both hands should point toward your right shoulder. This promotes a better release pattern.
Step 2: Perfect Your Alignment and Setup
Proper alignment sets the stage for a good swing path.
- Target Line vs. Body Line: Imagine two lines. The target line goes from the ball to the target. The body line goes through your feet, knees, hips, and shoulders.
- Fixing the Pull Alignment: Your body line should be parallel to the target line, pointing slightly right of the target. This setup naturally encourages the club to drop on a path aimed more down the target line or slightly in-to-out.
- Ball Position: Move the ball slightly back in your stance, perhaps one ball width closer to the center, especially with irons. This gives you more time to let the club drop down the correct golf swing plane fix.
Step 3: Mastering the Golf Swing Path Adjustment
This is the core of How to stop pulling golf shots. We need to shift the path from out-to-in to in-to-out.
Focus on the Takeaway
The first move dictates the rest of the swing.
- Keep it Wide: A common mistake is snatching the club inside too quickly. Keep your arms and hands passive early on. Feel like the triangle formed by your arms and chest stays intact for longer.
- Clubhead Outside Hands: In the first few feet of the backswing, the clubhead should stay slightly outside your hands. This sets the club on a good plane. Avoid letting the clubhead get pulled behind your hands instantly.
The Transition: Dropping the Club
The transition from backswing to downswing is vital for Correcting golf pull slice tendencies.
- Hips Lead: Initiate the downswing with your lower body turning toward the target. Feel your front hip pocket move slightly toward the target. This creates space for your arms to drop.
- Shallowing the Club: The feeling should be that the club drops down toward your inside trail foot area before moving toward the ball. This “shallow” move naturally brings the path inside. If you feel like you are reaching out for the ball, you are still going over the top.
Step 4: Incorporating Inside-Out Swing Drill Concepts
Practice drills help engrain the correct feeling without thinking too much about mechanics during the actual swing.
The Gate Drill
This drill directly addresses the outside-in path.
- Setup: Place your golf ball.
- Gate Creation: Place two headcovers or alignment sticks slightly outside and inside the ball, creating a narrow “gate” that the club must pass through. The path through the gate should guide the club slightly from the inside.
- Execution: Take half swings, focusing only on making the club travel through the gate. If you hit the outside object, you are coming over the top.
The Towel Under the Armpit Drill
This drill promotes proper connection and prevents disconnection, a cause of pulls.
- Setup: Place a small towel or headcover under your lead armpit (left armpit for righties).
- Execution: Take slow swings, trying hard not to let the towel drop until after impact. If the towel drops early, your arms have disconnected from your chest rotation, often leading to an outside-in path. Keeping the towel pinned forces your body to rotate and drop the arms correctly.
Advanced Techniques for Golf Swing Plane Fix
Once grip and setup are clean, you might need deeper adjustments to your swing plane.
The Plane Line Check
Professional instruction often uses a visual aid to check the plane.
- Visual Check: At the halfway point of your backswing (when the shaft is parallel to the ground), the club shaft should point between the ball and the target line, or directly over the ball if you are on a very neutral plane.
- If the Shaft Points Too Far Outside the Ball: You are likely taking the club too far inside early. This forces an overcompensation coming down, often leading to a pull.
- If the Shaft Points Too Far Inside (Behind You): This can sometimes lead to a blocked shot, but if you over-rotate to compensate, it can still cause a pull or a severe hook.
Focusing on the Trail Side During Downswing
To encourage an inside drop, focus on the trail side (right side for righties).
- Trail Foot Pressure: Feel pressure shift to the inside edge of your trail foot as you start down. This helps “kick” the lower body toward the target, allowing the hands to drop.
- Hip Clearing: Think about your back hip moving away from the target line slightly as the downswing begins. This “bump” or lateral move is crucial for an inside-out swing drill feeling.
Recognizing Overcorrection
A major pitfall when Fixing a golf pull shot is swinging too hard from the inside. This leads to a block (a fade that starts left and drifts right) or, worse, a severe pull hook.
- Block vs. Pull: A pull happens when the face is closed or square relative to the path, but the path is too far left. A block happens when the face is wide open relative to the path, and the path is slightly left.
- Checking the Face: If you are pulling the ball severely left, your clubface is likely closing too much during the swing sequence. Revisit your grip check (Step 1). A weak grip might be necessary if your timing is aggressive.
Drills for Fixing A Pull Summary Table
| Drill Name | Primary Focus | How It Helps Fix Pulls |
|---|---|---|
| Gate Drill | Swing Path | Forces the club to approach the ball from inside the target line. |
| Towel Under Arm | Connection/Synchronization | Prevents arms from moving independently, reducing the chance of an over-the-top move. |
| Step Drill | Lower Body Initiation | Teaches the lower body to start the downswing, naturally shallowing the club. |
| Pause Drill | Transition Timing | Forces a complete stop at the top, eliminating rushing and promoting a proper drop. |
Final Thoughts on Correcting Golf Pull Slice Issues
Fixing a pull is often about patience and feel over logic. When you try to force an inside path, you often make things worse. Trust the setup changes first. A square setup with slightly weaker alignment will encourage a natural swing path.
Remember the sequence: Grip $\rightarrow$ Alignment $\rightarrow$ Takeaway $\rightarrow$ Transition. If you fix the first two, the third and fourth become much easier. Work on these steps slowly at the range. Start with half swings until you consistently see the ball start on target or slightly right (for a righty) before drawing back toward the center. This indicates a neutral or slightly in-to-out path, the solution to How to stop pulling golf shots.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: My shots start straight but pull hard left. Is this a pull?
A: Yes, this is a classic pull. It means your club path is traveling too far left of your target line at impact while the clubface is square or slightly closed relative to that path.
Q: How does fixing a slice relate to fixing a pull?
A: Correcting golf pull slice issues often requires similar path adjustments but in different directions. A slice means an outside-in path. A pull means an outside-in path that is more severe or happens with a closed face. When trying to stop slicing golf ball shots, many golfers overcorrect by swinging too hard from the inside, which then causes the pull. Focus on squaring the face first, then smoothing the path.
Q: Should I use a driver differently to fix a pull?
A: Yes. With the driver, you need a slightly more upward angle of attack. Focus heavily on the golf grip for pull shots when using the driver. A very strong grip on the driver can cause severe pulls because the longer shaft magnifies any path error. Keep the grip neutral.
Q: I’m struggling with the inside-out swing drill. What should I feel?
A: Focus less on swinging out and more on letting your body turn under the over-the-top motion. Feel like your hips clear out of the way first. This creates space. The arms and club should feel like they are dropping down onto the proper golf swing plane fix line as your hips move toward the target.
Q: What if the clubface is open when I try to fix the path?
A: If you shift your path inside but the face is open, you will get a block or a weak fade that starts right. This means the Golf swing path adjustment is good, but the grip or release is too slow. Go back to Step 1 and ensure your grip is neutral or slightly stronger to encourage the face to square up naturally through impact.