Whenever a golfer has an issue with pulling the ball, it's usually a sign that his or her alignment is slightly off. However, it's surprising how many students of mine insist that their alignment is perfect, when it really isn't.
But, for the sake of argument, let's say that your alignment really is perfect. But, you're still pulling the ball. What could be the cause? That's the question Phil D. sent in and one in which I'll provide multiple answers for.
Hi Don,
In reference to this question raised by Jim Perlman. If the alignment is okay; what could be the cause(s) for the pulls?Thanks and a Blessed New Year continuing through all of 2014.
Phil D.
One of the things that can cause a pull is having a closed clubface at impact. Regardless of how good your alignment is, you'll never be able to hit the ball straight with a clubface that is either open or shut at impact.
Another possiblity is that your torso is misaligned. Even if your feet are aligned properly, you can still pull the ball if your knees, hips, shoulders, or head aren't parallel left (or right) of your aiming line.
Watch the video for some visual demonstrations on how to avoid all these minor issues that can hurt your golf game.
Keep it vertical!
The Surge
If you can't view the YouTube video above try CLICKING HERE. You must allow popups from this site for the link to work.
Comments
Closed clubface
I've had problems with an unintentionally closed club-face with my irons. I'll think I'm aligned correctly, clubface square to the target. I swing through with my 9 Iron, and I end up with an arrow-straight shot, pin high to the left of the greenside bunker. I look at my clubface, and it's shut. But I didn't set up that way! Why does that happen?
Closed clubface
Ed,
Been thinking this one through for you. Came up with some observations and possibilities that may apply. If the hands are facing each other in the grip, typically the v's of the thumbs and index fingers point to between the right cheek and right shoulder (for a righty). At that point in your set up with your spine tilted slightly right right shoulder back and forearm a bit under in the Master Set up position you are likely square and ready to go, correct?
If the grip remains firm throughout the swing the clubface always is reflection of the right hand palm. As it releases and turns over coming through impact this is when it returns to the original position and squares up for a split second as it impacts the ball. If we are returning to the same position through impact the ball should fly relatively straight. If we come across the ball on a path from out to in with the club face closing too early it can result in a pull. The right palm (and club face ) are pointing left through impact in that case, correct? The question then is, when bring your hands (and club) back in front of you (with out ever loosening or letting go) do you allow them to be placed back into the same original position and set up before judging the face position after the swing? If so and it's no longer appearing square as you stated then it could be that your grip was not firm enough throughout the swing and some how turned in your hands either at impact or you actually re-gripped before or during the swing unknowingly closing the club face.
When is the last time you put on new grips? New gloves? They make some awesome tacking grips now a days that can help keep the club from turning in the hands. Fresh gloves can help too.
Is the way you place your hands on the grip correct? Do you hold it securely in the fingers or too much in the palms? An older used glove can tell a story if looked at closely. You'll see wear marks at the top near the wrist of wear and slippage.
One last idea is checking your lie angles to see if they are correct for you or too up right. Too upright can have you pulling left just as too flat can cause pushes right. Too, the heel of the club may dig in early and turn the face left.
There is a process of elimination here Ed that should help you find out why you are finishing with a closed club face.
Let us know if any of these reasons apply.
Closed clubface
Ed,
One thing I discovered was that I would set up with a slightly strong grip. When I do that, my hands are rotated slightly open with the clubface square. When I swing, my hands return to impact at the neutral position, causing the clubface to be as much closed as my hands were open at setup. If I make sure my palms are perpendicular to the ground with the clubface square, I return to square at impact and the ball goes straight. I hope this helps.
Kevin
Pulls
Although many things can cause the club face to be shut at impact, a shut club face at impact is the only thing that can cause a pull.
85% of the starting direction of the golf ball is determined by the angle of the club face at impact. Only 15% of the starting direction of the golf ball is determined by the path of the club.
It also is the reason many golfers trying to hit a ball around a tree hit the ball right into the tree. The club face determines the starting direction. To hit a ball around a tree the club face has to face outside of the tree and the club head path has to be even farther outside of it. The ball starts on the club face line and curves from that point.
Why is that important? Because many people still think that if they pull the ball they must have had an out to in swing path when they may not have at all. Then they try to correct a perceived error that didn't exist while ignoring the true cause.
Pulls
Steve, my best shots and a lot of others are always left and was intrigued by your assessment and since being a PPGS player for the past 4 years, irrespective of laying markers at the range and a myriad of other attempts, nothing has changed. So, as per Surge's take on this issue, it's time I went to work on the club face and not on the BIG A, which is what Surge indicates causes 90-95% of all errors.
Just downloaded his "Ultimate Alignment Video" this weekend and latched onto a comment he made that said " the better the player, the more alignment is critical". This backs up my theory that if you have fundamental flaws in you swing, alignment isn't gonna be the panacea.
Panacea
True Neil. The correct alignment will however help eliminate alignment as the reason and then you can address path and face along with several other possibilities that I mentioned above. Again, Surge says to drop the club by your feet immediately after the good swing to a wrong place to help figure out if we were aimed and aligned correctly or not as part of that elimination process.
One of those are one I am guilty of and that is either having my upper body unknowingly open at address and or finishing faced left even though my feet (toes) show correct alignment.
Ball flight
One of the major things that cause the club face to roll shut is that both the hips and the shoulders are more open at impact than they were at address on good swings.
Since we all transfer weight at differing degrees and have differing degrees of secondary spine angle tilt the ball position as well as the grip and starting face angle all factor into where the face is at impact.
This is from a newsletter from Trackman:
"The horizontal launch angle is determined by only two parameters, the club path and the face angle. As a rule of thumb, the horizontal launch angle is 15% determined by the club path and 85% determined by the face angle. For example, assume a club path of +6.7 degrees (6.7 degrees inside-out for a right-handed player) and a face angle of -1 degree (1 degree closed for a right-handed player). This would result in a horizontal launch angle of 0 degrees (ball starting at the target line).
In other words, you are saying that the face angle is by far the most dominating factor for the initial direction of the ball. Is this not in direct contradiction with the "Ball Flight Laws"?
Yes it is. According to the "old" ball flight laws, the initial direction of the ball (HLA) is 100% dictated by the club path. All the scientific people in the golf industry know that this is wrong, yet still a lot of PGA professionals use the incorrect 'old' ball flight laws in teaching. And many PGA organizations around the world do not teach their apprentice and member professionals according to the 'true' ball flight laws."
The old theory that a golf club is going to somehow carry a ball along the path of the club head has simply been proven false, and everyone should have figured that out long ago anyway.
(I figured it out the first time I ever dead centered a tree).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AlFVMmBLcQ
Ball Flight
Went and played 9 holes ( with two balls ) after work yesterday and looked closely at my club face at setup, which looked good, but I do tend to close it slightly as soon as I set my grip which is very firm say 4/5, for me a firm grip is vital as anything weaker allows the hands to roll over/under easily. When I udjusted the club face to allow for my grip, I hit terrible slices, so went back to my normal setup and normal hits, slightly left. Then I adjusted my spine angle as I tend to over do it some times and started hitting some straight shots, next I'll look at my hips & shoulders like Steve mentioned to see if they are open or closed, can someone recommend a method of how I check this mysel when set-up, would be good to know. The pars are starting flow now and can feel my game getting to another level.
Set up/ Impact
We all know that with a "perfect" golf swing the club face will be square to the intended line both at address and at impact.
Since almost no part of the body is in the same place at impact as it was at address very few of us get the club face back to that place.
There are two things that can get us by.
1. Obviously develop a better swing where the face always returns square (easier said than done).
2. Have the club face mimic what it's going to be at impact (not the best option but better than hitting the ball off line all day).
It's pretty much the same as a lie angle. The lie angle at address means absolutely nothing if it is different at impact (and it almost always is).
Making a whole bunch of extremely slow motion swings returning the club face to the impact position (including the body positions) and making sure it is square each time can give a good feel for where the face needs to be and/or where the ball needs to be (assuming the impact position has been properly mimicked).
The reason the club shaft being in line with the back forearm (that I have talked about many times) is so important, and is constant in almost all top players, is that it's the one part of the body that can be counted on to stay the same in relation to the club face at impact on every swing.
It's also why players that can't achieve it and have the shaft above the forearm are always playing a guessing game from shot to shot.
In short, the best fix is a better swing but an adjustment in face angle is better than nothing.
BTW. I have absolutely worked my butt off all winter to improve the shaft to forearm relationship from the ridiculous place it was a few years ago in this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ir_FkxzH-eo
The Forearm
Steve, Just trying to picture the forearm.
looking Down The Line & Face On are you saying that the right forearm and the club should be a straight extension from the shoulder to the ball at impact position.
Shaft/forearm
Not at all Neil. I'm talking about the shaft being in line with the back forearm when about halfway to the ball in the downswing.
The link at the bottom of my comment above shows it.
BALL FLIGHTS
I agree with Steve but would add that the thinking that the same grip will work for every one I do not agree with. Some people have thick hands, short finger and a number of variations. In my case with my grip I have short fingers and thick hands for what ever reason my left thumb is on top of the shaft and the V points to the right ear if I deviate from that I hook the heck out of the ball.
I did have a issue at one time of regripping the club at address right before I started the BUS when I did this it would close the face 2 degrees every time when I hit a shot left and we found this with slow motion video and track man.
My opinion is we have to find what works best for us as individuals with in the parameters of the PPGS and go with it we are all different.
Just my opinion
Great discussion
Mike,
You are spot on. Steve's info is true and helpful as usual. On the path to ball thing, the new "correct" ball flight laws have been getting more attention lately from various sources. This is what actually lead me to my 'in the slot' discoveries that we talked about and Surge did a daily on a few weeks ago. The good news and bad news for me is that through all the practice and play over that couple of months I was hitting some of the best drives of my life. Long and with a beautiful draw. Finally was out driving my older brother:) However since my back strain I have had to be more and more careful and have given up 35-45 yards at least. For now at least I have to be happy with 220-240:( Just can't swing as fast without re-straining my back. My fade has re-appeared. Not the end of the world and I will get my form and the draw back eventually. Just glad to be playing golf again though not as often and often 9 rather than 18 for the moment.
If I can keep them on the fairway I will still be okay. And as for the grip yes experimentation as to what works best for us is very individual.
It's 70* and I am headed out for nine now.