Pulling irons left is a common issue, especially among amateur golfers and newcomers to the sport. When an iron is pulling left, that means the (right-handed) golfer's shot pulls to the left when hit with one of their irons. As you can imagine and have probably experienced, this makes sending the ball where you want it a major hassle. Unless you correct this issue at the source, you'll be in danger of inaccurate shots during every game or - even worse - developing bad habits to try to compensate.

AccuGOLF shares all you need to know about how to stop pulling irons left to up your golf game and improve your average.

Techniques 

A number of mistakes can cause your shot to pull left. Having the ball placed too far forward can be a culprit, with the head of the club angled slightly to the left by the time it makes contact. When using your long iron, remember to place your ball approximately two inches behind the lead heel (the heel of the foot that's forward in your stance). This is the optimal position for making contact with the ball at the bottom of your swing, ensuring you properly get under the ball for maximum power and a reduced chance of your swing drifting to the left as it moves further forward.

Your form is also likely part of the problem. Some golfers have an issue with their right shoulder pushing out as they move through the swing. Combined with the twist of the body, this pulls the ball to the left instead of sending it forward. To fix this, make sure your shoulder tucks down instead of pushing forward during your swing (a good measure of this is that your elbow touches near your hip).

Routines

A practice routine to help fix your iron shots going left involves mastering good form as you swing. Fundamentally, you need to ensure fluid motion throughout the shot, engaging every part of your body as you swing back and then forward again.

If your shoulder is the issue, you can try holding a glove, piece of paper, or other small and unobtrusive object under your arm as you swing. This trains you to keep your shoulder tucked during swings, preventing it from moving forward and disrupting the path of your ball.

Sometimes, it can be useful to retrain yourself in the proper swinging form. You can do this slowly by hitting the ball with increasing amounts of power, starting with similar strength to a putt and advancing up to a full swing. Observe the way the ball moves as you hit it since, even on this small scale; you can see which direction it drifts and make corrections to your form to keep it moving straight.

There can also be times when you aren't making proper contact with the ball. If your club face is closed and only hitting the edge of the ball, you're quite likely to cause it to drift left. Adjust your stance and swing as needed to ensure your club face makes contact with the center of the ball. You can experiment with adding a bright mark on your balls to give yourself a target to aim for as you improve your form.

Improve Your Game with AccuGOLF

If you've ever asked, "Why do my iron shots go left?" the answer likely lies in your form or positioning. Making just a few small adjustments to how you move through your swing and hit the ball can prevent that leftward pull that makes your golf game so much worse. To improve your golf swing and learn more about our golf simulator, contact AccuGOLF today.

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