Some Drills to Address the Pulled Golf Shot Part 4
Even after you understand what is causing your pulled golf shots, you still might have a little trouble fixing the problem once and for all. To aid in that effort, the following two drills are designed to correct the mistakes usually encountered by golfers dealing with a pull.
Slow motion swings. Since correcting your pull is all about proper timing, slowing your swing down on the practice range is a great way to feel your sequencing and make sure all parts of the swing are working as they should. At the driving range, set aside a few balls for this simple drill. Take your seven iron and get into a normal stance just as you would for any other shot. You should have also picked a specific target out on the range that you are going to aim for. As you start your swing, make an effort to swing at only about half-power from start to finish. You don’t want to make a shorter swing – still go all the way up into your full backswing position. The only difference is you want to club moving only about half as fast as usual. If your timing is good and balance is in order, you should be able to make this kind of swing without much trouble. However, if you are turning your lower body too slow or too fast, it will quickly be exposed in this drill. After hitting a few shots at half speed, slowly work your way back up into your full speed swing. Hopefully, when you get back to full speed, your pull will have disappeared.
Punch shots. Not only are punch shots a highly useful tool when you are actually on the golf course, they are a great way to practice as well. When you hit a punch shot, it is easier to feel the position of the club face at impact because you aren’t swinging as aggressively up into a full finish. For that reason, hitting a few punch shots can help you to get rid of the pulled golf shots from your game. Use the same seven iron you used for the previous drill and set up on the range to hit a few punch shots at a specific target. These shots should fly lower than your normal swings, and they will hopefully track straight toward your target. Choke down slightly on the club for control before starting your swing. If you notice that you are struggling with the pull even on your punch shots, try using your hands less during the swing until the ball flights straighten out. Just like with the drill above, start to work from a punch shot back up to a full shot gradually. Make longer and longer swings until you arrive at your full swing and you are still hitting the ball straight at the target.
These two drills are very simple, but could have a powerful effect on your game. By investing just a little bit of time and effort on the driving range to sort out the problems you are having with the pull, you just might be able to quickly fix the problem. It is important that you work on solving the pull on the driving range instead of on the golf course as there are too many other distractions when playing your round to worry about your swing technique. Get the details sorted out on the range, then go out and enjoy the rewards on the course.
