What Does Pulled It Mean in Golf?

Nothing is more frustrating than hitting a purely-struck golf shot, only to watch it sail dead-straight but well left of your target. When that happens, you’ve just experienced a pulled shot. This article will break down exactly what a pulled shot is, what causes it, and most importantly, give you actionable drills and simple swing thoughts to make sure your ball starts on your intended line.

What Exactly is a "Pulled" Golf Shot?

In golf, a pulled shot is one that starts left of the target line and continues to fly straight on that leftward path without any significant curve. For a left-handed golfer, the opposite is true - the shot starts right of the target and flies straight.

It's important to know the difference between a pull and other common left-side misses:

• A Hook: This shot might start straight at the target (or even to the right) but then curves dramatically to the left during its flight. A hook is caused by a closed club face at impact relative to the swing path.
• A Pull-Hook: This is the most damaging miss. The ball starts left of the target and then curves even further left. It’s a dreaded double-cross.

A pure pull is often a sign of good contact but-poor direction. You’re swinging the club in a way that produces a straight ball flight, but you're just aiming that straight shot in the wrong direction. The good news is that this is often easier to fix than a wicked slice or hook because it points to a very specific swing characteristic.

The Real Cause: An "Out-to-In" Swing Path

Every pulled golf shot boils down to one fundamental issue: your swing path. Specifically, an out-to-in swing path. This means your club head is approaching the golf ball from outside the target line and then cutting across to the inside as it makes contact. Think of two railroad tracks stretching toward your target. An ideal, neutral swing path has the club traveling right down those tracks through impact.

For an out-to-in swing path causing a pull:

1. The Path is Out-to-In: Your club head travels from *out* (away from your body) to *in* (closer to your body) as it crosses the golf ball. This path dictates the initial starting direction of the ball, sending it left of the target.
2. The a Face is Parallel to the Path: Here's why it doesn’t curve back. At the moment of impact, your club face is pointed in the exact same direction as your out-to-in swing path. It's "square" to the path衛生部 not square to the target. This straight face/path relationship produces a ball with minimal side spin, so it flies straight on that pulled line.

Understanding this cause-and-effect relationship is the first step. The next is to figure out why you’re swinging out-to-in in the first place.

Common Reasons You're Swinging "Out-to-In"

An out-to-in path isn’t usually a conscious choice, it's the result of poor setup or an incorrect sequence of movements in the swing. Let's look at the most common culprits I see every day.

1. The "Over the Top" Move on the Downswing

This is easily the #_1 cause of a pulled shot_. An "over the top" move happens when you start your downswing with your upper body - your shoulders and arms - instead of your lower body. Your right shoulder (for righties) aggressively moves out and toward the ball, throwing the club onto a steep, outside path from the very beginning of the downswing. You're essentially "chopping" down at the ball from the outside.

The Fix: The swing should be a rotation, powered by the big muscles in your body. From the top of your backswing, the first move should feel like it happens from the ground up. Allow your weight to shift slightly toward the target and let your hips start to unwind or turn. This sequence "drops" the club into the correct slot behind you, allowing it to approach the ball from the inside instead of over the top.

2. Poor Alignment From the Start

This is a classic case of your body overriding your intentions. Many golfers who pull the ball are simply aimed left to begin with. Their feet, hips, and shoulders are all aligned well left of the actual target. When the body is aimed left, your natural athletic instinct is to swing the club along the line your body is pointing, which results in a predictable pull.

The Fix: Develop a consistent pre-shot routine where you check your alignment.

1. Stand behind the ball and pick a small, intermediate target just a few feet in front of your ball that's on your target line (a leaf, an old divot, a discolored patch of grass).
2. Step in and aim your club face at that intermediate target first. This is for your ball's direction.
3. Set your feet, hips and shoulders parallel to this target line. An easy way to visualize this is to imagine yourself standing on those railroad tracks again. Your ball and club face are on the right rail (the target line), while your feet are on the left rail.

3. Ball Position Has Crept Too Far Forward

Your golf swing moves in an arc. After the club reaches the low point of that arc, it naturally starts to move up and back inside the target line. If your ball position is too far forward in your stance (especially with mid to short irons), you might be making contact with the ball when the club is already on the "inward" part of your arc. This is an out-to-in path happening late in the swing.

The Fix: As a general rule for irons, keep the ball position somewhere between the center of your stance and just inside your a lead a heel.

• For wedges and short irons (8, 9, PW), the ball should be right in the middle of your stance, under your sternum.
• As the clubs get longer, the ball position inches slightly forward, but it rarely gets farther forward than the logo on your shirt. A a driver is the only club that should be played off the inside of your a front a foot.

4. A Lack of Body Rotation Through Impact

Golf power comes from body rotation. A common fault is when a player's body stops turning through the impact zone. When your hips and torso stall, there's nowhere for your arms and club to go except across your body to the left. The arms take over and sling the club across the target line, an instant recipe for an out-to-in path.

The Fix: Feel like your belt buckle and chest are continuously rotating towards the target *all the way through to a full finish*. A good checkpoint is to hold your follow-through position: your chest and hips should be facing the target, most of your weight should be on your a front a a foot, and your a back a heel should be up off the ground. You cannot achieve this position if your body stops turning.

Two Simple Drills to Straighten Out Your Pulls

Now let's head to the range. Theory is great, but physical feedback is what re-trains your body. Here are two drills that provide instant feedback on your swing path.

Drill #1: The Swing Path Gate

This is one of the best drills for fixing any path issue because it provides non-negotiable feedback. If you swing incorrectly, you'll hit something.

1. Setup: Place your golf ball on the ground. Place one object (like a headcover or a rolled-up towel) about six inches outside your ball and slightly behind it. Place a second object about six inches inside your ball and slightly in front of it.
2. The Goal: Your mission is to swing the club 'between the a gate's' without hitting either object. To avoid the a outside a object, you are forced to approach the ball from the inside. To avoid the an a inside a object after contact, you must extend the club a a down and through the target a a line, not a abruptly across your body. Start with slow, small a swings and gradually a build up speed.

Drill #2: The Downswing Headstart Drop

This drill helps you get the feeling of starting the downswing in the correct sequence - lower body first, allowing the club to "drop in the slot".

1. Setup: Take your normal address position without a ball.
2. The a Feel-based Move: Swing to the top of your backswing. As a your a first motion, feel your right elbow (for a righty) drop down toward your a right hip a or ribcage. Do a not a try a to hit anything a or a use a your shoulders. a Just a let a gravity and that first a a bit of a an a hip a rotation a drop the club a into position behind you. a Repeat this a feeling motion 5-10 a times.
3. Put It in Action: After getting that feeling, step up to a ball and try to replicate that same feeling: "Start down with the elbow drop, then turn through." This helps cement the feeling of the club approaching the ball from the inside.

Final Thoughts

A pulled golf shot is a clear signal that your swing path is moving from out-to-in relative to your target. By checking your alignment and focusing on starting your downswing with your lower body instead of your shoulders, you can correct this path and get the club swinging down the target line for more accurate, satisfying shots.

Diagnosing the root cause of a fault like a pull can be tricky - is it alignment, ball position, or my downswing? That’s where getting an instant second opinion helps a ton. On our Caddie AI app, you can describe what’s happening in your swing or even show it a clip, and we can give you a simple, personalized thought to work on. It helps clear away the guesswork, so you know exactly what you need to focus on to get your ball flying straight.