Correcting Pulling Drives In Your Golf Game
← Golf Instruction & Improvement | Common Faults & Fixes
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Quick Answer
- Pulling drives usually means your clubface is closing too early on an out-to-in swing path.
- Check your grip, stance, and swing path. A common culprit is swinging “over the top.”
- Fix it by getting your grip neutral, aligning square, and swinging from the inside.
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Who This Is For
- Golfers who keep sending their drives left of the target (if you’re right-handed, anyway).
- Anyone tired of drives that go nowhere straight and lose distance because of that annoying pull.
What to Check First
- Your Grip: Is it too strong? For righties, that means your left hand is turned too far clockwise.
- Your Stance: Are you aimed square to the target, or did you creep left? Ball position matters too.
- Your Backswing: Are you coming “over the top” – swinging outside the ball? Or are your wrists cupped?
- Clubface at Address: Is it already closed before you even swing?
Fixing Your Pulling Drives: Step-by-Step
Let’s get those drives heading where you want ’em. It’s not rocket science, just a few tweaks.
1. Adjust Your Grip: Loosen up your grip a bit. For righties, ensure your left hand is neutral – you should see about two knuckles when you look down. This is key to controlling that clubface.
- What to look for: A grip that feels solid but not like you’re strangling a squirrel. The “V” made by your thumb and index finger on your left hand should point roughly towards your right shoulder.
- Mistake: Squeezing the life out of the club. This kills feel and makes it way easier to shut the face unintentionally. I used to do this all the time on the range, just gripping it like a vice.
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2. Square Your Stance: Make sure your feet, hips, and shoulders are all lined up parallel to your target line. Get this right, and you’re halfway there.
- What to look for: Your whole body is aiming straight at your target. No sneaky aiming left. Imagine a train track – your feet are on one rail, the target is down the other.
- Mistake: Aiming left of the target. Your brain thinks it’s helping you avoid a pull, but it just encourages an out-to-in swing path, which is the opposite of what you want.
3. Promote an Inside Takeaway: Start your backswing by moving the clubhead slightly inside the target line. This sets up the correct swing plane.
- What to look for: The clubhead stays low and moves away from the ball in a smooth arc. It feels like you’re drawing a little “C” shape behind the ball.
- Mistake: Yanking the club straight up or taking it outside. This is a classic setup for an “over the top” swing and will get you pulling shots faster than you can say “fore left.”
4. Feel the Downswing Slot: As you start down, feel like you’re dropping the club into a slot on the inside. This is where the magic happens.
- What to look for: The club approaches the ball from slightly inside the target line. You should feel your arms dropping down and the club coming from behind you.
- Mistake: Coming “over the top” again. This is a big one. You’ll feel like you’re swinging out and across the ball, which is a sure bet for a pull. Picture your arms dropping down and then swinging through, not swinging down from the sky.
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5. Maintain a Square Clubface: Focus on keeping the clubface square to the target line through impact. This is the direct counter to the early closing you’re experiencing.
- What to look for: The clubface is pointing directly at your target at the moment of impact. It should feel like the face is “looking” at the target.
- Mistake: Rolling your wrists too early, closing the face before or during impact. This is a guaranteed pull. You’re essentially turning the steering wheel too hard, too soon.
6. Finish Your Swing: Don’t quit on the shot. A full, balanced finish is a good indicator of a good swing path.
- What to look for: A balanced finish with your weight on your lead foot and your belt buckle facing the target.
- Mistake: Cutting your swing short or falling backward. This often happens when you’re fighting a bad swing path and trying to muscle the ball.
Understanding Why Am I Pulling My Drives?
This is the core of the issue. Pulling your drives isn’t just a random event; it’s a symptom of your body trying to compensate for something that’s off in your swing mechanics. The primary reason, as we’ve touched on, is an out-to-in swing path combined with a clubface that’s closing too early through impact. Think of it like trying to throw a ball by swinging your arm across your body instead of forward. It just won’t go straight.
Your body is a complex system, and when one part is out of sync, other parts try to make up for it. If your backswing takes the club too far outside, your downswing often feels like it has to come back “over the top” to get square. This outside-in motion naturally closes the clubface if you don’t actively try to keep it open, which is hard to do consistently. The result? The ball starts left and often curves further left. It’s a frustrating cycle, but one that can be broken with the right focus.
Common Mistakes When Correcting Pulling Drives
- Incorrect Grip — Leads to an uncontrolled clubface and body compensations — Adjust to a neutral grip, showing two knuckles on your left hand. Make sure it feels natural, not forced.
- Over-the-Top Swing — Causes the club to approach the ball from outside, leading to pulls or slices — Focus on dropping your hands into the slot during the downswing. Feel like the club is coming from behind you.
- Strong Grip — Makes it easier to roll the wrists and close the clubface — Soften your grip and ensure a neutral hand position. This gives you more control over the clubface angle.
- Aiming Left — You think it’s helping, but it actually encourages an out-to-in path — Focus on aiming directly at your target and trust your swing changes. It feels counterintuitive, but aiming correctly is crucial.
- Not Trusting the Process — Getting frustrated and reverting to old habits — Be patient. It takes time to retrain the swing. Stick with the drills, even when it feels awkward.
- Trying to “Fix” the Clubface at Impact — Instead of letting the natural swing path control it — Focus on the swing path and grip, and let the clubface do its job. Trying to consciously square the face often leads to more problems.
- Ignoring Ball Position — A ball too far forward can encourage an out-to-in swing — Ensure your ball position is consistent and appropriate for your driver, usually just off the lead heel.
FAQ
- What is a “pull” in golf drives?
A pull is a shot that starts left of your intended target and continues to curve left (for a right-handed golfer). It’s different from a slice, which starts right and curves left. A pull is usually caused by an out-to-in swing path and a closed clubface at impact.
- How does my grip affect pulling my drives?
A grip that’s too strong (too much rotation of your hands clockwise for righties) makes it easier for your wrists to roll and close the clubface through impact, leading to a pull. A neutral grip gives you better control over the clubface angle throughout your swing.
- What is an “over the top” swing?
This is when your club approaches the ball from outside the target line during the downswing, instead of coming from the inside. It’s a common cause of both pulls and slices because it forces you to try and swing across the ball to make contact.
- Can I fix pulling drives just by swinging harder?
No, swinging harder usually makes the problem worse. You need to fix the swing path and clubface control first. Power comes from a solid, repeatable swing, not brute force applied incorrectly. Trying to muscle it will only exaggerate the existing flaws.
- How long will it take to fix my pulling drives?
It varies. Some golfers see improvement in a single session, while for others, it takes weeks of consistent practice to build new muscle memory. Be patient and focus on quality repetitions over quantity. I found that focusing on just one or two changes at a time made the biggest difference for me.
- Should I film my swing to diagnose why I’m pulling my drives?
Absolutely. Seeing your swing on video is a fantastic way to identify issues like an over-the-top move or a closed clubface that you might not feel. Most smartphones have great slow-motion capabilities that can really highlight what’s happening.
- What’s the difference between a pull and a hook?
A pull starts left of the target and can either stay straight left or curve further left. A hook also starts left of the target but curves sharply back to the right (for a right-handed golfer). While both involve the clubface closing, a hook often involves more exaggerated rotation of the hands and arms through impact.