How to Correct Pulling Golf Shots

Watching your golf ball start left of the target and stay there is one of the most frustrating sights in golf. That’s a pulled shot, and it’s a sign that your swing path and clubface are not working together to send the ball toward your target. This article will walk you through why you’re pulling your shots and give you clear, actionable steps and drills to get your ball flying straight again.

First, Let's Understand What a 'Pull' Really Is

Before we can fix the problem, it’s important to know exactly what we’re dealing with. A lot of golfers mix up pulls, hooks, and slices, but they are all very different shots with different causes.

• A pull is a shot that starts left of your target line and continues to fly relatively straight on that starting line.
• A hook (specifically, a pull-hook) starts left of the target and then curves even further to the left.
• A slice typically starts left of the target and curves dramatically to the right.

This guide is about the straight pull. The culprit behind this shot is simple: your club is traveling across the ball from outside-to-in relative to your target line, and the clubface is square to that misguided path. Imagine a line going from your ball straight to the flagstick. To hit a pull, your clubhead approaches the ball from outside of that line and cuts across it, moving back to the inside after impact. Because the clubface is pointing left (where your swing path is going), the ball shoots off in that direction. The mission, then, is to correct this swing path so your club approaches the ball from the inside, or square, to the target line.

Stop the Pull: An Action Plan

We're going to tackle the most common causes of the pulled shot, starting with the simplest fixes and moving to concepts that are a bit more about your swing motion. Follow these steps methodically, and you’ll very likely find the source of your problem.

1. Correct Your Alignment: The #1 Suspect

More often than not, a pulled shot is not a swing fault but an alignment fault. Many golfers who pull the ball are actually making a pretty decent swing, but they’re swinging in the direction their body is aimed - which is left of the target. Your brain knows where the target is, but your body is set up to go left. It’s an easy mistake to make, but thankfully, it’s just as easy to fix.

Here’s how to check and correct your alignment:

1. Get Some Visuals: The next time you're at the driving range, take two golf clubs or alignment sticks. Place one on the ground aiming directly at your target. This is your target line.
2. Set Your Body Line: Place the second club or stick on the ground parallel to the first, just inside where you’ll stand. This is your body line. Your feet, hips, and shoulders should all be parallel to this line when you address the ball.
3. The Walk-In Routine: A good habit is to stand behind the ball, pick your target, and then walk into your setup, setting the clubface behind the ball first. Aim the clubface down the target line. Only then should you set your feet, hips, and shoulders square to your body line. Many golfers do this in reverse, setting their body first and then trying to adjust the clubface, which often leads to misalignment.

Practice this setup routine until it's second nature. You might be shocked to find that what feels square is actually aimed way left. Trust the alignment sticks over your initial feelings.

2. Tame the "Over-the-Top" Move

If your alignment is solid but you’re still pulling the ball, the next place to look is the start of your downswing. The most common swing flaw that causes an outside-to-in path is the “over-the-top” move. This happens when your first move from the top of the backswing is an aggressive rotation of your shoulders and an outward push of your hands and arms. Your right shoulder (for right-handers) literally comes "over the top" of the proper swing plane, throwing the club out and away from your body and forcing it to cut across the ball.

This move often comes from a desire to hit the ball hard, an instinct to use the upper body for power. To fix it, you need to learn to initiate the downswing with your lower body, allowing the club to "drop" into place before you unwind.

Drill 1: The Pump Drill

• Take your normal setup and make your backswing.
• At the top, instead of swinging through, just start the downswing by feeling your lead hip bump slightly towards the target and your hands drop about a foot downwards, towards your back pocket.
• Go back to the top of your swing and "pump" this first move two or three times. Feel the sense of your torso unwinding and your arms following, not leading.
• After a few pumps, go ahead and make a smooth swing all the way through, trying to replicate that feeling of the lower body leading the way.

Drill 2: The Headcover Blocker

• Take a spare headcover and place it on the ground about six inches outside (to the right of) your golf ball. If your ball were the center of a clock face and the target is 12, place the headcover around 10 or 11 o’clock.
• Your goal is simple: hit the golf ball without hitting the headcover.
• If you make an over-the-top move, your club will swing out and clip the headcover on the way down.
• To avoid it, your body and brain will be forced to find a new path – one that comes more from the inside. This drill provides incredible feedback and quickly retrains your swing path. Start with slow, half-swings and build up speed as you get more comfortable.

3. Check Your Setup Foundation

Your setup influences your swing path before you even take the club back. A few small setup errors can put you in a position where an outside-to-in swing is almost unavoidable.

• Ball Position: With your mid-irons, the ball should be in the center of your stance. If it creeps too far forward (towards your lead foot), you might find yourself reaching for it, which can cause you to cast the club from the outside. Confirm your ball position is right for the club you are using. Generally, it's center for your short irons, then moves slightly forward as the clubs get longer, until it's off your lead heel for the driver.
• Distance From the Ball: Standing too close to the ball is a very common cause of pulls. It cramps your arms and body, leaving no room for the club to drop to the inside. The only space available is out and over. To check your spacing, take your posture by hinging at your hips, and then let your arms hang naturally from your shoulders. Where they hang is where your hands should be. If you have to reach or pull your arms in, adjust your distance from the ball.
• Lighten Your Grip Pressure: A "death grip" on the club creates tension all the way up into your shoulders. This tension restricts your body's ability to turn freely and prevents the natural shallowing of the club on the downswing. On a scale of 1 to 10 (where 10 is squeezing as hard as you can), a perfect grip pressure is about a 4 or 5. You want to hold it securely, but with enough freedom in your wrists and forearms for them to release the club properly through impact.

4. Promote a Fluid, Rotational Swing

Often, a pull comes from a "hit" impulse instead of a "swing" motion. Remember what you learned in the summary of the complete golf swing guide: the swing is a rotational action that moves around the body in a circle. It's not an up-and-down chopping motion. Your body is the engine. As a final thought, focus on rotating your torso through the shot. As you finish your swing, your chest and belt buckle should be facing the target. When players stop their body rotation too early, the arms take over independently and often pull the club across the ball to the left. A full, committed body turn through impact and into the finish helps keep the club and body synced up, promoting that powerful in-to-out swing path.

Final Thoughts

Correcting a pulled golf shot means troubleshooting your swing path, and the fix almost always lies in your alignment, your downswing sequence, or your initial setup. Work through these fixes in order - start with alignment, then analyze your downswing with the drills, and finally, double-check your fundamentals like ball position and grip pressure. Be patient and trust the process.

Sometimes you need a second set of eyes to diagnose a stubborn swing flaw. With a tool like Caddie AI, you have a personal golf coach in your pocket, 24/7. When you’re on the range hitting shot after shot to the left and just can’t feel what’s wrong, you can get instant, expert-level feedback. I can provide analysis and simple, clear instruction to help you understand if it’s a setup issue, an over-the-top move, or something else entirely, helping you get back on track right when you need it most.