# Pulling Left



## beachbuzzard

Hey everyone...

I have this year begun to swing the clubs much better, I'm making solid contact and have taken most of the fade/slice out of my driver. I pretty much now hit everything dead straight... and when not pulling shots, I can hit fairway after fairway with my driver... and green after green with my irons. As a result I am approaching a single digit index (not there yet, but getting closer).

What I'm trying to figure out is why I go into these multi-hole stretches where my timing seems to abandon me and I start to pull everything left. When I do it with my iron shots into greens it gives me these bad lies deep off the back left side of the green, because I know when I do it the club face closes some... so the shots tend to go long and left. I've seen some talk of this in this forum and I guess it's my hips getting ahead of my arm swing, so that by the time my arms catch up I am no longer square to my target. 

Anyone here have any ideas on how to stop this from happening? I'd like to prevent it from ever happening, but even if I can't prevent an occasional pull, how do I correct it prior to my next shot. To date, the only way I seem to get out of doing it is to just pull 15-20 shots in a row and then I slowly get my groove going again. 

Any thought processes or drills would be appreciated!!


----------



## 65nlovenit

I think if you take a look at all the big guns, the one thing you'll notice for sure is the left shoulder is always higher then the right at impact, or at least it should be. I started pulling shots to the left similiar to what your describing. I found a video that dealt with Pulls and Hooks, and the instructor pointed out that if you drop the left shoulder for what ever reason, at impact your going to pull or hook depending upon how far you dip the shoulder. I can't say for sure this will help you, but it did fix my problem. Hope this helps.


----------



## 300Yards

65nlovenit said:


> I think if you take a look at all the big guns, the one thing you'll notice for sure is the left shoulder is always higher then the right at impact, or at least it should be. I started pulling shots to the left similiar to what your describing. I found a video that dealt with Pulls and Hooks, and the instructor pointed out that if you drop the left shoulder for what ever reason, at impact your going to pull or hook depending upon how far you dip the shoulder. I can't say for sure this will help you, but it did fix my problem. Hope this helps.


Dang, beat me to it! I second that! This can also cause some nasty hosel shanks too...


----------



## beachbuzzard

Nice to hear two agreeing opinions. It is very possible I drop my left shoulder when I'm pulling. I will take notice of it we'll see what happens!

Thanks...


----------



## Foster4

Yea third that ...I will play this shot when i need to hook it hard left or keep it really low i basically push my left shoulder down and that closes the clubface hard and will hook it if i let my hands/arms twist..


----------



## beachbuzzard

Ok, so I played a quick 9 (+10 & 11) after work last night to see if I could pick up on the left shoulder. And for whatever reason, it didn't help me to know that. I honestly can't tell if I'm dropping the shoulder or if not.

So, I struggled some throughout most of the 9 holes, playing bogey golf but pulling left often. Then on the 9th I hit a couple dead straight shots again. So, when the guys I'm playing with said they're going to squeeze in a couple more, I decide to also. I hit a dead straight drive on 10, hit my 7 iron approach right at the pin (ball mark was pin high, 3' to the right). Then on the par 3 11th... I pull left. AGGGGGHHH!!!

One thing I did notice as I played. I figure on about 95% of my layup shots on par 5s, I hit them perfect with no pull. I know I feel very little tension on those shots... no green to hit, you know? So I remember thinking that when I hit the 7 iron approach on 10... I told myself to make believe I was just hitting a layup out onto a big fairway. BAM! Even though it didn't work on the tee shot at 11, I was wondering if tension in my swing could be causing this?

Anyway, if it is the left shoulder or is tension, i do need to find a way to stop it from happening. Nothing is working on my own. Time for a pro?? Maybe, we'll see.

Thanks for any input and thoughts...


----------



## 65nlovenit

I found reading your posting very interesting. When I first started playing I used to concentrate so hard on making the perfect swing and hitting it as far as I could, that invariably I screwed up a good portion of my shots. Now after a couple of years of practice and playing I've gone the other way, I really concentrate at telling myself to lighten up, let the muscles relax, take a 3/4 swing instead of going for the moon, and believe it or not a good percentage of my shots go further and straighter then I've ever hit before. Its really a revelation when the light bulb goes on and you start to make good shots, and realize that the game is not about how hard you can hit it, but choosing the right club, using a 3/4 swing, and giving your muscles a break, I honestly hope I never have to use a 90+ percent swing ever again. I'll tell you a round is now a lot less stressful, actually almost enjoyable.


----------



## beachbuzzard

You know, the more I think about it, the more I think that's it. But I KNOW I need to relax and not overswing, yet I know I let tension creep in. I guess it's a mindset. I read somewhere you just have to not really care about the outcome of the shot... just relax and let it go... easy that is. I guess I haven't figured out how to always do that... but once I do, watch out!! LOL.


----------



## 300Yards

Having no tension, is the secret I think. Most of the long drives I have hit, were on shots where I didn't intend the ball to go that far. I was aiming for about 280, and end up hitting well over 300..that doesn't always happen, but it's happened more than a few times. One thing I do to make sure I am tension free, or close to it, is to makes sure my arms aren't too close together at address. That causes a world of problems..


----------



## Foster4

First of all, Why are you thinking about your swing on the course. Practice your swing on the practice tee and then go on the course and play golf. That means forget your swing. Your now playing target golf. If your still tied up on your swing you already made the mistake. You can hit a good shot but have no target then that good shot is worthless if you don't know where its going.

My guess is your so worried about your swing your forgetting your fundamentals / target and wat your trying to do on the course and its causing you to hit bad shots. 

Example: say your hitting over a hazard (a body of water, bunker, etc), and the last thing that goes through your head is DON'T HIT IT IN THE HAZARD! Tell me what are you going to do ?

same thing is happening with the pull, it seems to me you can't get it out of your head and every shot is like DON'T PULL IT PLZZZZZZ and WHAMMMMEEEE PULL!


----------



## beachbuzzard

Foster4 said:


> First of all, Why are you thinking about your swing on the course. Practice your swing on the practice tee and then go on the course and play golf. That means forget your swing. Your now playing target golf. If your still tied up on your swing you already made the mistake. You can hit a good shot but have no target then that good shot is worthless if you don't know where its going.
> 
> My guess is your so worried about your swing your forgetting your fundamentals / target and wat your trying to do on the course and its causing you to hit bad shots.
> 
> Example: say your hitting over a hazard (a body of water, bunker, etc), and the last thing that goes through your head is DON'T HIT IT IN THE HAZARD! Tell me what are you going to do ?
> 
> same thing is happening with the pull, it seems to me you can't get it out of your head and every shot is like DON'T PULL IT PLZZZZZZ and WHAMMMMEEEE PULL!


I know this. But saying it and doing it are two different things!!

I'm driven right now to get this out of my system, so it was back to the course after work last night. I was a single (the weather scared most away, but it turned out to be fine) and had the run of the front 9 to myself. I played 2 balls, so in effect by the end of the round I had played 18 holes... in 2 hours! It was great.

So, my only thought last night was RELAX. That was all. Just relax and swing easy. I know it's still a "thought", but I think its a good thought. Overall, it was a huge success. I only pulled a few shots and when I did, they weren't pulled too badly. I hit a bunch of greens. No birdies, but a few close ones. 

As i finished the round and I was feeling really grooved and confident with my irons again, I noticed that when I'm relaxed, my hands stay a little forward of the club head at impact. I think when I tense up my hands release too soon and closes the club face down... probably because my arms are lagging a little behind in the swing? But again, I think the root cause is the tension... so if I just remember to relax, all will be very good on the course.

Now if I could only read putts better...  

Thanks everyone...


----------



## Foster4

well yea its hard to do but if you concentrate so much on your target you can do it ..and how you wanna execute the shot...pros' are very good at this...btw that reminds me Did you see tigers shot today on number 1 ?


----------

