Another question on pulls . . .

[rsully]

Sorry to belabor this subject, but I still don’t get it!

At a range session a few days ago, of 286 balls, I had less than 5 or 6 miss hits and less than a dozen were dramatically off target. At the range session on grass prior to my round today, I am hitting my distances with nice tempo and trajectory over and over with every club – it was almost boring.

So off to the first tee I go in excitement anticipating a nice round, but and on the first tee I yank the drive left OB and continue to battle hitting the ball left the rest of the day.

Too often I battle yanking balls left on the course while doing fine at the range - and then I will compensate and start pushing the ball to the right. It can get ugly and it is so frustrating!

In another post on this subject Brian has said “If you are hitting a pull, you are swinging too far to the left, Period. It is a REALLY simple concept.” But I can’t seem to self correct because I don’t know what is causing it.

So what really causes the left pull during the round? Adrenaline? Other than pushing the ball right (often way to far), I can’t seem to adjust during the round. The ball trajectory is either straight (but left) or a slight draw/hook. Am I too quick with the body turn? Are my hips sliding? Is it an outside to in path? Too steep? Too shallow? Right elbow fly out? Stance too wide, closed club face??? Suggestions? Just plain old swing path? Where should I start?

 

[ggsjpc]

If it's an actual straight pull with no curve, I'd guess your backswing pivot isn't deep enough on the course.

 

[softconsult]

This could be way off base because we don't know your age or physical condition. This is my somewhat recent experience, I'm 63 and not exactly hitting the gym everyday.

During the early part of this season, I was beating a lot of balls. I developed the left snappers off the tee. Went to see Brian. Got it worked out. Then it came back. For about the last month, I have drastically reduced the practice time. I play twice a week and do warm up prior to the round. The snappers are gone. Playing better. Yesterday I had only two errant tee shots. Those were slightly left, but playable. The difference is that for the last month I have been able to slow down the move from the top. So instead of the right shoulder going out, it's going down the plane (or at least I think it is, one is never completely certain about feel versus reality).

My point is that you say you hit 286 balls a few days ago and then played. There may be physical effects from that. In my case, I'm guessing, that I was simply wearing myself out. So now I'm practicing 80% short game. That helped me tremendously yesterday when I chunked one lob wedge, and managed to double hit a difficult little shot off a high bank to the green to the green about 10 feet away!

 

[Steve Greffen]

286 definitely 286...not 287...definitely 286...

RM

 

[Shot Limit]

K-Mart sucks.

 

[savydan]

You're hooking - not pulling. Your path is too inside-out.

It's very rare that someone's path is left and then switches dramatically right on the next swing.

A lot of the time, a hook can be cause by a stalled pivot where the hands have no choice but to flip and turn over.

Lot's of us can time a flip on the range when we have ball after ball on a nice level lie and no pressure.

I'd suggest keeping your firm connection with the ground, and keep rotating all the way through the shot. This ought to minimize the hook.

 

[rsully]

Bolt: Well a Jumbo bucket is supposed to have 143 balls and I hit two buckets!

Savy: Fundamentally; I am playing great golf on the driving range, switching clubs for every shot, changing targets, challenging myself etc, but often can’t transition that to the course. I think it maybe that the adrenaline flows and I get too quick with the hand or the turn of hips, and yank left, than have to scramble. Tempo is not as good on the course, maybe the back swing gets real quick. I like your suggestion on rotation, but don’t think I am a flipper – at least try not to be thanks to Brian’s “confessions” video –

Again, I just can’t seem to figure out what really causes my occasional pull or pull-hook on the course

Ron

 

[savydan]

sul, I'm with you, man. I can hit a pull hook on the course I would NEVER hit on the range. I can move it both ways on the range at will and then get on the course and can hit it fairly straight or only move it one way. That's golf, I guess.

I can go through a bucket like a 1 handicapper, but play to a 5 on the course. I'm kind of a range rat. One reason is I can't stand slow play so I'd rather hit a bucket and supposedly get something out of it, than to get on the course and wait 5 minutes before every shot.

I don't have the answer. It's somewhere in trusting it, tension, steering, not expecting perfection, I don't know.

I've made a point a few weeks ago about not practicing full swing - only short game - and playing more.

 

[Shot Limit]

Go play alone and practice on the course. The only way to build the confidence you need on the course is to play on the course.

 

[softconsult]

I think this is simply inexperience.

In other words, when you say you are playing great golf on the practice
range, that is a clue. Hitting balls on a range is important, but, no matter how you structure it, it simply is not the same as playing golf on a golf course. The 286 ball thing simply is a personality type indicator. My bet is
tendency toward perfectionism and probably a very logical mind. I feel your pain.

Part of golf's allure is the challenge of conquering your mind. When you look down that tree lined fairway with three guys staring at you the stress, adrenaline, can produce some ugly results.

It gets better as the years roll on, but I can honestly say that I have never played a round of golf without at least a couple of these chokes. Golf is all about minimizing the inevitable errant shots.

So you have to play more and work on it. Breathing correctly, and having a routine setup sequence are two keys.

 

[Shot Limit]

I think this is simply inexperience.

In other words, when you say you are playing great golf on the practice
range, that is a clue. Hitting balls on a range is important, but, no matter how you structure it, it simply is not the same as playing golf on a golf course. The 286 ball thing simply is a personality type indicator. My bet is
tendency toward perfectionism and probably a very logical mind. I feel your pain.

Part of golf's allure is the challenge of conquering your mind. When you look down that tree lined fairway with three guys staring at you the stress, adrenaline, can produce some ugly results.

It gets better as the years roll on, but I can honestly say that I have never played a round of golf without at least a couple of these chokes. Golf is all about minimizing the inevitable errant shots.

So you have to play more and work on it. Breathing correctly, and having a routine setup sequence are two keys.

+1 Softy.

 

[birdie_man]

Post video if you can Sulls.

 

[dominicscaife]

One thing worth checking is the balls used.

My local driving range use rocks which don't compress so they slide up/out the club and give high fades, the same swing on the course with a decent ball will actually be small draws.

 

[Shot Limit]

Really?

One thing worth checking is the balls used.

My local driving range use rocks which don't compress so they slide up/out the club and give high fades, the same swing on the course with a decent ball will actually be small draws.

Strait shots on the range and pulls to pull hooks on the course. I don't think a swing that produces a consistanly straight shot on the range, with a range ball, would produce a pull or pull hook on the golf course with a non-range ball. Something in the swing is changing on the course.

I'd would buy slight draw (range ball) to a more signifigant draw (non-range ball).

Please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[rsully]

ShotL: Great response, good analysis. I chalk it up to muscle tension, adrenaline, getting too quick, too excited on the course, etc.

Granted, this is not an every shot isssue, but "Mr Pull" had been raising his ugly head 5 or 6 times a round. However, after reading the posts, the last round I really focussed on swing path and hips rotating (not sliding) on every shot, and only had a couple left yanks, and a couple pushes to the right, but nothing OB, no lost balls! Now if could've putted . . .

As for the ball: I generally play with whatever I find or whatever is on special, but that being said - I do notice that I generally strike the higher quality ball with much nicer trajectory!

 

[Shot Limit]

Good to hear it's coming around sully. It's damn hard to relax and just focus on tempo on the course rather than the golf swing mechanics.

Stick with it, you'll figure it out. Hopefully, someday I will too.