Going Left

[gesumsion]

Hooks and pull-hooks with the driver/3 wood, straight left with the medium irons, even the odd pitching wedge can go big style left! The majority of time the shot is off the toe of the club. I can be going along nicely and then the Lefties arrive! I sometimes think its like I'm going out and over the top, any ideas?

[aftford]

Re: Going Left

Hi Pal
In my opinion , you are correct, you are indeed comming from outside to in.
Let me explain.
OUT TO IN SWINGPATH
open clubface at impact = severe slice.
closing clubface = severe fade
closed clubface = pull hook ( varying in severity )
without seeing your swing it would be impossible to suggest a cure , however, i feel that you already know where your swingfault lies.
Go and visit a Pro and get him to video your swing , i think you will find that you only have to make one or two small changes in your set up or swing..

Good luck mate
Aft

[Timothy Slaught]

Re: Going Left

Hello:

Check to see if the reverse pivot is not the cause. You cannot shift the lower body correctly in the downswing if you do not shift your weight and load correctly to the back foot in the backswing. The reverse pivot forces you to use the upper body to start the downswing because the weight of the lower body is already on the front (target side) foot. With this situation you see the more severe pulls with the longer clubs and the same ballflight although less dramatic with the short irons. Remember that the pull hook and pull slice only have the clubface position as being different. Otherwise, they bear the same clubshaft/ plane delivery and it is incorrect.

I firmly believe that the reverse pivot has to do mainly with tension, both physical and mental. This, subconciously makes the golfer want to lock in on the ball with the eyes and mind and will not allow a proper but subtle movement of the head to get properly behind the ball in the backswing. Even though I never was instructed to keep my head still, I find myself doing this on occasion on the course and it causes a reverse pivot and pull most every time. I say this from experience as I had the tendency to hit these wild pulls on the course that never seemed to rear their ugly head on the range at any time. I thought there may be several causes to this including grip pressure, tempo, looking up early etc..... Turns out it was the reverse pivot as I would, without realizing it, keep my head completely rigid and reverse pivot, never getting close to a correct weight transfer. Without being able to use the lower body at all from this position, the only way back down to the ball was a nasty over the top move that created a smother hook. By using a little head swivel during the backswing ala Jack Nicklaus I was able to make a smooth move into the back foot every time and deliver a nice legs driven downswing which gave me power and a much better ball flight, especially with the driving clubs.

Maybe this will help you.

[takinitdeep]

Re: Going Left

Hello:

Check to see if the reverse pivot is not the cause. You cannot shift the lower body correctly in the downswing if you do not shift your weight and load correctly to the back foot in the backswing. The reverse pivot forces you to use the upper body to start the downswing because the weight of the lower body is already on the front (target side) foot. With this situation you see the more severe pulls with the longer clubs and the same ballflight although less dramatic with the short irons. Remember that the pull hook and pull slice only have the clubface position as being different. Otherwise, they bear the same clubshaft/ plane delivery and it is incorrect.

I firmly believe that the reverse pivot has to do mainly with tension, both physical and mental. This, subconciously makes the golfer want to lock in on the ball with the eyes and mind and will not allow a proper but subtle movement of the head to get properly behind the ball in the backswing. Even though I never was instructed to keep my head still, I find myself doing this on occasion on the course and it causes a reverse pivot and pull most every time. I say this from experience as I had the tendency to hit these wild pulls on the course that never seemed to rear their ugly head on the range at any time. I thought there may be several causes to this including grip pressure, tempo, looking up early etc..... Turns out it was the reverse pivot as I would, without realizing it, keep my head completely rigid and reverse pivot, never getting close to a correct weight transfer. Without being able to use the lower body at all from this position, the only way back down to the ball was a nasty over the top move that created a smother hook. By using a little head swivel during the backswing ala Jack Nicklaus I was able to make a smooth move into the back foot every time and deliver a nice legs driven downswing which gave me power and a much better ball flight, especially with the driving clubs.

Maybe this will help you.

Timothy Slaught:
Now that's a great post; please keep it up, you obviously have playing knowledge which is what I am looking for.
Good work.

[gesumsion]

Re: Going Left

Thanks Timothy, I think you may have hit the nail on the head there, so to speak. I played Thursday and despite half a dozen reasonable holes the lefties were again with me. I remember now that the main key thought that I had was to keep staring at the back of the ball and keep still. Reading your post brought back that point, so next time out I will look at a more relaxed head position and slower swing ( my partners pointed out that I was swinging very quickly )
Many thanks

[Timothy Slaught]

Re: Going Left

Hello:

Thanks for the replies and with respect to slowing your swing down, this may be good or not so good advice. Sometimes a consious effort to slow things down can disrupt your natural rythm. The goal should be to try and start away from the ball with a one piece unit of the shoulders, arms and hands for the first foot or so with a smooth tempo. From there you should let your instincts take over. The goal should be a swinging motion overall for the backswing. Golfers often get caught up in the manipulation of certain positions in the backswing and it becomes a forced, jerky motion and devoid of any flow. If you envision swinging the club away it can help as this will help set the wrists naturally. A preswing trigger is very advantageous here as well. If you watch good players they usually have some physical movement just before taking the club away. This sets the swing in motion and prevents jerking the club away. As I posted earlier, I like the Jack Nicklaus chin swivel because it reminds me and allows me to get behind the ball and make a good weight shift so it serves several purposes.

I also recommend using a metronome for tempo drills at the range so you can actually hear what your best working tempo is. Research shows that there is a specific backswing to downswing ratio of 3/1 that is most effective. Finally there is some good information in the Concept Golf line of instruction. Check it out on the web as it describes some interesting theories on relaxation in the golf swing.

Happy New Year and happy golfing.....

[pnearn]

Re: Going Left

When I go left its because im coming OTT and getting stuck on my back foot. I then end up flipping/hooking

Going left isnt a bad thing .. means you have a good free release. Now all you need to do is work on a weight shift BEFORE you swing left and release so that you swing left when on your front foot rather than your rear

Imagine the swing as a 'bump and throw'. The bump should be a little bump of the hips towards right field which will drop the right shoulder down (DOWN - not out/around). Then from there swing to left field. Just dont overdo the bump and get your weight too far left and outside your left foot else thats a slide

[msklar92]

Re: Going Left

If you are going straight left your release is ok but as mentioned above your path is out to in. A couple of simple things in addition to above
1) Make sure your alignment is correct - aiming too far right can cause a pull.
2) allow the backswing to finish
3) Aim for the inside quarter of the ball.