That frustratingly pulled shot - seeing your golf ball start defiantly left of the target and stay there - is one of the most maddening misses in the game. It feels like you’ve made a powerful swing, but the ball simply refuses to cooperate. This guide will break down the true reasons you’re pulling your golf shots and provide clear, actionable drills to get you hitting the ball straight down the fairway again.
Before we can fix it, we have to understand what a "pull" actually is. A true pull is a ball that starts to the left of your target line and flies relatively straight on that leftward line (for a right-handed golfer). This is different from a hook, which typically starts straight or right and then curves aggressively left.
Every golf shot is a direct result of two things at the moment of impact: your swing path and your clubface angle. For a pulled shot, the combination is very specific:
Imagine setting up to hit a ball straight down a set of railroad tracks. An out-to-in path is like swinging your club from the right track, across the ball, and over to the left track. Since your clubface is pointing left (down the path you just swung on), the ball has no choice but to start left. Now let's fix that path.
The most common cause of an out-to-in swing path is poor alignment that leads to an "over-the-top" motion. This is the classic slicer's move, but it's also the engine behind the pull. Here’s how it usually happens: a player unknowingly aims their feet and shoulders to the right of the target. Then, from the top of the backswing, their subconscious brain knows the target is to the left, so they instinctively throw their hands and shoulders "over the top" of the proper swing plane to reroute the club toward the target. This forces that out-to-in, pull-inducing path.
Good alignment doesn't just point you in the right direction, it sets your body up to make a good swing. Getting this right can resolve many swing problems before they even start. Think of it like a train on a track - if the tracks aren't aimed at the station, the train will never get there.
Follow these steps to build a solid, repeatable setup:
To feel the difference between an over-the-top move and a correct in-to-out path, you need to sync your arms with your body rotation. An over-the-top move is often caused by the arms disconnecting from the body on the downswing.
Even with a perfect swing path, you can still pull the ball if your clubface is closed (pointing left of the target) at impact. Usually, this is a result of a faulty grip or incorrect ball position, both of which are thankfully managed before you even swing.
The hold you have on the club is the steering wheel for your shot. A "strong" grip (not in terms of pressure, but rotation) is one where your top hand is rotated too far over the top of the handle. When you look down, you'd see three or even four knuckles of your lead hand. While this can feel powerful, it naturally encourages the clubface to shut down through impact, sending the ball left.
A neutral grip gives you the best chance to deliver a square clubface at impact without any extra manipulation. Here’s how to build one:
The golf swing happens on an arc. The clubface is square to the target only at the very bottom of that arc. After that point, it naturally begins to close as it swings back up and inside. If your ball position is too far forward in your stance (too close to a your lead foot), you will make contact after the bottom of your swing arc, when the face has already started to close.
Instead of guessing, use your body as a reference point for consistent ball position.
By preventing the clubface from excessively rotating closed before impact, you take another major cause of the pull out of the equation.
Correcting a pulled shot centres on taming two things: your out-to-in swing path and your closed clubface. By setting up with neutral alignment, building a proper grip, and focusing on an "in-to-out" swing feel led by your body's rotation, you can turn that frustrating miss into a confident, accurate shot that hunts the pin.
Of course, knowing what to do and actually feeling it on the course can be two different things. This is where I find a tool like Caddie AI becomes a true asset for the everyday golfer. If you're on the range and constantly pulling shots, you can ask for a specific fix or drill in that moment. During a round, if you are faced with a lie on a sidehill that often causes a pull, you can snap a photo, and I can give you advice on how to adjust your setup and swing for that specific situation. It takes the guesswork out of your game and lets you commit to every shot with clarity and confidence.
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