dead left ball

[NeoSquid]

Hello everyone, new member here. I was browsing the internet looking for some tips to help cure my swing.

The problem I'm having is my ball goes straight left. I think I may have an idea as to what causes this, but I'm really unsure. I'm also looking for some advice on how to fix this.

Here's some facts about my swing.

-Ball doesn't hook or draw. It goes straight as an arrow left.
-I carry about 200 yards with my 5 iron.
-Contact feels solid.
-I show 3 knuckles on my left hand when I grip the club.
-9 iron goes a little left, 7/5 irons go WAY left, 3 iron goes a little left (about the same as my 9 iron)

I was thinking that my problem might be an overly closed face at impact, and a swing comming from the outside. I asked one of my friends to watch the club plane and he said its a little outside, but nothing major that would cause my call to go that far left.

Does anyone know what my problem is, and how I can fix it?

[GreeBoman]

Re: dead left ball

3 knuckles on your left hand would say to me that you rotate your hand counterclockwise at impact (back to a neutral position) this would close the club face and set the ball off way left or cause a hook depending on the rest of the swing.
It would also deloft the club and the ball would travel further ~ 500 yrds with a 5 iron.
Try a more neutral grip, the V's between thumb and firefinger should both point between your head and your right shoulder.
You might lose distance but accuracy is more important anyway.
Good luck.

[auldyn]

Re: dead left ball

200 yards carry with a 5 iron ? My advise, turn pro. Seriously you must be playing with a shut face and excessive wrist roll. Try to imagine or feel you are driving the clubhead along the target line for as long as possible, cut out excessive shoulder action.

[wildwilly911]

Re: dead left ball

it sounds more to me like your your starting the swing with your arm and coming over the top causing an out to in swing and a pulled shot. if its going straight club face is fine. fixing this is easy, your swing has to be initiated with your lower body start with 3/4 swings to get the feeling. stop trying to hit your 5 iron 200 yards your just getting out of tempo by doing so, try hitting it say 150 or so i bet it goes staight then. you might also be setting up to close or to far from the ball both can cause a pulled shot, but i think its more because your swinging way to hard, slow down and get in a good rythem. P.S. do you have to put your shoes back on after a two hunred yard 5 iron just kidding. hope it helps

[Marms]

Re: dead left ball

I have the same problem. I took a lesson last week and thru video the pro pointed out these two flaws:

1. During my backswing my spine angle tilted towards the target rather than away.
2. The path my hands took was headed right towards left field (across my toe line) - Over the top death move.

Here's what he's having me work on to correct it, until next time:

1. During my backswing, keep the spine angle tilted away from the target and get my left shoulder behind the ball.
2. Correct the path of my hands by swing to right field. In-to-Out path, aiming for the back inside quaderant of the ball. (He also cautioned me that changing the club head path will indirectly change the clubface at impact. This new club head path caused my face angle to be wide open, hence I have to make sure I rotate my forearms thru impact to square the face again.)

(BTW - I only got to this point once i learned to start the downswing with my lower body, as the last poster pointed out.)

I hope this helps!

[Yukon Jack]

Re: dead left ball

This is a very common problem (I do it also). Some of the best players in the world have this problem. Colin Montgomerie is a perfect example of someone who has learned to play with an outside-to-in swing path. He has a little fade at the end of his ball flight. Work on it but as long as its consistent don't worry about it too much.

[msklar92]

Re: dead left ball

If your hitting the ball well, lets consider something simple. move the ball back in your stance a bit. You may be hitting the ball after the peak of your downswing path

[msklar92]

Re: dead left ball

looks at the golf lessons section of this site. check out the ball position section

[GreeBoman]

Re: dead left ball

Work on it but as long as its consistent don't worry about it too much.

Well if its going straight left then he probably needs to work on it.

To the OP, how far left are we talking?

[NeoSquid]

Re: dead left ball

Wow, thanks for all the help guys. I'll try to respond the best I can.

Try a more neutral grip, the V's between thumb and firefinger should both point between your head and your right shoulder.

I have small hands. If I make the V's point between my head and my shoulder, it almost shows all 4 knuckles. When I hit a flop shot, I show 1 (2 max) kneckles.

1 Knuckle - Left hand V points to left shoulder. Right hand V points to right shoulder.

2 Knuckle - Left hand V points between neck and left shoulder. No change in right hand V.

3 Knuckle - Left hand V points at neck.

4 Knuckle - Left hand V points between neck and right shoulder.

200 yards carry with a 5 iron ?

Only if I kill it. The harder I hit, the less my balls roll. When I kill the ball, I hit 1-1/2 clubs higher. For instance, if my drive goes into the trees (It does this often) I'd hit like a 3 iron at regular speed and hopefor some roll. But if my drive goes good, and I only have 200 yards left to the pin, ill kill the 5 iron trying to make it stop.

stop trying to hit your 5 iron 200 yards your just getting out of tempo by doing so, try hitting it say 150 or so i bet it goes staight then.

Whenever I try to power down my shots my swing feels very unatural. Even when I hit wedge shots, I take a full swing (not full power, just a full swing) or I stay under 1/4 swing. If I try to take the club away 1/2-3/4 swing, I misshit. I've always had a hard time with shots in between.

When I chip, I either punch and roll (with 1/4 swing) or a full swing (not full power) and flop it.

you might also be setting up to close or to far from the ball both can cause a pulled shot, but i think its more because your swinging way to hard,

Someone at teh driving range told me the same thing about setting up. The thing is though, when I try to set up further from the ball, I feel like I have to "reach" for it. When I tried this, I almost fell over because I was standing with to much weight on the front of my feet.

When I tried putting it further in, I started making huge ass divots. The ball flew the about the same (little less distance), but it started to hurt my hands because I was taking so much grass. My divots were starting slowly inched behind the ball, and thats when I stoped.

I've noticed that even if I swing ultra hard, my balls don't go very much further. The only reason why I kill shots, is if I'm mad (lol) or if im trying to stop before a bunker, hazzard, or on the green.

Infact, sometimes when I hit harder, my balls cover less distance and simply go alot higher. This happens especially on my 7-Wedge shots.

To the OP, how far left are we talking?

3 Iron - About 40-50 yards left
5-7 Iron - 75 yards left
9 Iron - 1-30 yards left

With a three knuckle grip, you want the hand knuckles in the lead hand to be facing the sky through impact and then after impact you can roll the wrist or hands.

I'll give this a try. I've noticed though, that I loose ALOT of distance doing this and the contact never feels solid.

Always think of the clubface as being and auto, plane or whatever and you are driving it or flying it to the target.

I'll try putting some tape on my club in the shape of an arrow, and try to make that arrow point to where I want it to go.

[GreeBoman]

Re: dead left ball

I have small hands. If I make the V's point between my head and my shoulder, it almost shows all 4 knuckles.

Have you ever tried to use smaller grips?
Might be a simple solution!

Infact, sometimes when I hit harder, my balls cover less distance and simply go alot higher. This happens especially on my 7-Wedge shots.

.......


I'll give this a try. I've noticed though, that I loose ALOT of distance doing this and the contact never feels solid.

In both cases you are scouping the ball and not hitting down on it = more lofted clubface and a high weak shot...


I'll try putting some tape on my club in the shape of an arrow, and try to make that arrow point to where I want it to go.[/QUOTE]

[ChadCash]

Re: dead left ball

One thing you can try is ball position. If the ball is too far forward in your stance then it makes it very easy to hit pulls.