Golf Swing Pull

The golf swing pull is a shot that starts left and stays left, unlike a hook, which starts right of the target and curves left. The pull is caused when the club comes from outside the target line on the downswing and you pull across your body.

Players who suffer from a golf swing pull would do well to spend time hitting shots with the ball below their feet. This sets the swing on a more upright plane, and eliminates the excessively in-to-out wing path that cause big golf swing pull. Gradually the downswing attack is forced to become more on line and the tendency to pull will disappear. Or one could also use bigger grips that could then slow down your hands and help you beat the problem.

A lot of people who commit a golf swing pull can be traced to their improper backswing. Look for four things in your backswing:

1. Your left arm and your shoulders must be on the same slope. In other words, your arm and shoulders are parallel.

2. The top of your swing is basically controlled by your right arm, which forms a right angle at the top of the swing. Your elbow is about a dollar bill’s length away from your rib cage.

3. Your shoulders turn so that they’re at 90 degrees to the target line.

4. The clubface is angled parallel to your left arm and your shoulders. Your left wrist controls this position. Ideally, your wrist angle remains unchanged from address to the top. That way, the relationship between the clubface and your left arm is constant. If your wrist angle does change, the clubface and your left arm will be on different planes — and that’s a problem.

If your wrist angle changes, it’s either bowed or cupped. A bowed (bent-forward) left wrist at the top makes the clubface “look” skyward in what is called a closed position. From that position, a golf swing pull is likely. A cupped (bent-backward) wrist makes the clubface more visible to someone looking you in the face. A cupped wrist leads to an open position, which probably results in a slice.

Most of the time golf swing pull is caused when your shoulders “open” too fast in the downswing. For the proper sequence, your shoulders should remain as close to parallel to the target line as possible at impact. Here’s a checklist that will help you cure your golf swing pull:

1. Check your alignment. If you’re aimed too far to the right, your body will slow down on the downswing and allow your shoulders to open at impact to bring the club back to the target.

2. Check your weight shift. If you don’t shift your weight to your left side on the downswing, you’ll spin your hips out of the way too fast, causing your shoulders to open up too quickly and hit a putrid pull. So shift those hips toward the target on the downswing until your weight is on
your left side after impact.

3. Check your grip pressure. Too tight a grip on the club will cause you to tense up on the downswing and come over the top for a pull.

4. Check your distance from the ball. Too close and you’ll instinctively pull inward on your forward swing — which means pulling to the left.