Why Do Golf Shots Go Left?

Nothing's more frustrating than hitting what feels like a solid golf shot, only to see it veer off to the left of your target. Whether it’s a high shot that starts left and stays there, or a low screamer that curves hard out of control, that left miss can ruin a good round. This guide will break down the exact reasons your shots are going left, help you figure out which miss you have, and give you clear, actionable drills to straighten things out for good.

First, Is It a Pull or a Hook? Understanding Your Miss

Before you can fix the problem, you need to properly diagnose it. Shots that go left generally fall into two categories: a pull or a hook. They may end up in similar places, but their ball flights are different, and they are caused by two separate issues. Knowing the difference is the first step toward a fix.

• The Pull: This shot starts left of your target line and flies relatively straight on that path. Imagine a straight line from your ball to a spot 20 yards left of the fairway - that’s a pull. It doesn't have much curve.
• The Hook: This shot starts relatively straight, or maybe even a little right of your target, before taking a dramatic turn to the left mid-flight. This ball has significant sidespin on it. A milder version is called a draw, but an uncontrolled one is a score-wrecking hook.

So, which one is haunting your game? Take a minute at the range and watch your ball flight carefully. If it starts left, it's likely a pull. If it starts straight and then dives left, it's a hook. Once you know, you can focus on the right solution below.

Cause #1: The Over-the-Top Swing Path (The Pull)

If you're hitting pulls, the number one suspect is your swing path. More specifically, you have an "out-to-in" or "over-the-top" swing. This is one of the most common issues for amateur golfers.

Think about the ideal swing as a circle around your body on a tilted angle. In a proper swing, the club approaches the ball from the inside of the target line and travels out towards the target. An over-the-top move is the opposite. From the top of the backswing, your shoulders and arms lunge forward, throwing the club outside the target line. The club then cuts across the ball from out-to-in, which sends the ball flying directly left.

What Causes an Over-the-Top Move?

This move is usually a desperate attempt to create power with just the arms, not the body. Here are a few common triggers:

• A Bad Transition: The downswing starts with a powerful, aggressive move with the upper body - specifically the right shoulder for a right-handed player - instead of a smooth shift and rotation of the hips. Golfers think they need to "hit" the ball, so they throw their arms and shoulders at it from the top.
• Poor Alignment: Many golfers aim their feet and hips correctly but leave their shoulders pointing open (left of the target). This subconsciously encourages you to swing along Your shoulder line, resulting in a pull.
• Lack of Body Rotation: If your body isn't turning correctly through the ball, the arms are forced to take over. This "all-arms" swing almost always puts the club on an out-to-in path. Remember, the golf swing is a rotation, not a chop.

Try This: Drills to Correct an Outside-In Path

1. The Two-Ball Gate Drill

This drill gives you instant feedback about your swing path. Place a ball down to hit as normal. Then, place a second ball (or an empty sleeve of balls) about six inches outside and six inches behind your ball. From your perspective at address, they will form a small "gate." Your goal is to swing the clubhead through that gate without hitting the outer object. If you come over the top, you'll clobber the outside ball on your way down. This forces you to feel the club approaching from the inside.

2. The Headcover Block Drill

This is a classic for a reason. Place a headcover, a spare towel, or a water bottle on the ground just outside your target line, a foot or so in front of your ball. To miss hitting it a pure pull-shot is impossible, the ball will hit the blocking object every time. To start the ball straighter, and miss the blocker, your swing will naturally start coming more from the inside. Concentrate on making the club feel like it's swinging out towards "right field" (for a righty) to send the ball toward the target and away from object.

3. The Feet-Together Drill

Trying to make a big, powerful arm swing with your feet together is almost impossible without losing your balance. Hitting gentle shots with your feet touching forces you to stay centered and use your body's rotation for power. Take a 7 or 8-iron and hit some half-swing shots with your feet together. You’ll find that to stay balanced, you have to turn your chest and hips together, which encourages a much better in-to-out swing path. It quiets down the aggressive upper body move that causes you to come over the top.

Cause #2: A Closed Clubface (The Hook)

If you're hitting hooks - shots that curve hard to the left - then the main problem is your clubface. Specifically, it's closed at impact relative to your swing path. This means the face is pointing left of the direction your club is traveling, which puts right-to-left spin (hook spin) on the ball. Even with a perfect swing path, a closed face will make the ball dive left.

What Causes a Closed Clubface?

• The Grip is Too Strong: Your hold on the club is the steering wheel for your shot. The most common cause of a hook is a grip that’s "too strong" - meaning your hands are rotated too far to the right (for a righty). A good checkpoint is to look down at your left hand at address. If you can see three or more knuckles, your grip is likely too strong and promoting a closed face through impact.
• Overly Active Hands: Many golfers are taught to "release" the club, but they overdo it. They flip or roll their hands and wrists aggressively through the impact zone, snapping the clubface shut. This is often a compensation learned to fight an old slice, but it's now gone too far the other way.
• Hanging Back: If your weight stays on your back foot through the downswing, your arms and hands have to work overtime to get the club to the ball. This usually results in a rapid closing of the clubface as the hands flip over at the last second.

Try This: Drills to Square the Clubface

1. Neutral Grip Check

Before any other drill, fix your steering wheel. Take your setup and hold the club out in front of you. For a righty, your left-hand V (formed by your thumb and index finger) should point towards your right shoulder. You should only see the top two knuckles of your left hand. Your right hand's V should point to your right shoulder too. The palm of your right hand should feel like it's facing the target. Hitting balls with this neutral grip will feel strange at first - you may even hit some slices! - but stick with it. It’s the foundation for a consistent, straight shot.

2. The Split-Hands Drill

This is an amazing drill to feel how the larger muscles should control the club. Take your normal grip, then slide your right hand down the shaft three or four inches, leaving a gap between your hands. Now, try to hit some easy half-swings. You’ll find it's almost impossible to flip your hands over. Instead, you have to use your body pivot to turn the club through impact. This gives you the feeling of a quiet, "body-led" release instead of an aggressively handsy one that leads to hooks.

3. The "No Roll" Punch Shot

Take an 8-iron and hit low, intentionally punchy shots that only fly about waist-high. The goal here is to focus on the follow-through. After impact, try to hold off the rotation of your forearms for as long as possible. Feel like the clubface is still looking at the target well after the ball is gone, and the toe of the club isn't rolling over the heel. This drill exaggerates the feeling of keeping the face square, which can help tone down an overactive release that causes a hook.

The Double-Cross: When Path and Face Combine

What if your ball starts left and curves even more left? That dreaded miss is a pull-hook. It’s the worst of both worlds: an over-the-top, out-to-in swing path combined with a closed clubface. This shot goes a country mile offline and feels terrible.

If this is you, don't get overwhelmed trying to fix everything at once. Work on one thing at a time. The accepted wisdom is to fix your swing path first. Use the drills for fixing a pull until your ball starts straighter or even slightly to the right of your target. Only then should you start working on straightening out the curve with a better clubface angle. Fixing the path often calms down the hands, making the second step much easier.

Final Thoughts

Golf shots that go wildly left come down to the simple physics of a swing path going left or a clubface pointing left at impact. By figuring out whether you have a pull (path issue) or a hook (face issue), you can stop guessing and start applying the right correction to your swing and get back to finding the fairway.

Identifying the root cause - path or face - is often the hardest part when you’re on your own. That’s where we designed Caddie AI to help. Instead of guessing, you can get instant feedback and analysis on what’s happening in your swing when a familiar fault reappears. If you’re playing a round and that left miss crops up, you can ask for a quick drill or strategic insight to help you navigate the challenge and get back on track, all so you can play with more confidence and enjoyment.