A pulled golf shot is one that starts out left of target and continues to go further left. The first thing that needs to be done is to review what is causing you to pull the ball by reviewing these three basic golf swing fundamentals.

Alignment

If you have been asking yourself, why do I pull iron shots, checking your alignment seems like the obvious place to start. A perfect way to do this is with the use of alignment sticks. The most popular brand being “Toursticks” . The simplest way to explain the desired alignment is this; make sure that your clubface is pointing at your target and that your feet, hips and shoulders are parallel to your ball to target line. Assuming your alignment is proper, let’s look at ball position.

Ball Position

To understand the importance of ball position, you need to first visualize what your swing path is supposed to look like.

The six balls laid out represent the path that the club takes when it enters the impact zone. This natural arc exists because you are swinging the club around your body. Note that in the image above, the club is considerably closed when it reaches the ball that is opposite your left foot. Naturally then, moving the ball back in your stance will enable a strike with the club in a square orientation. (Although we are not talking about it in this article, if you are pushing the ball to the right, you might want to look at the problem being the ball is too far back in your stance)

Swing Path

After checking your alignment and ball position and determining that they are not the culprits, one must assume that your pulled shots are the result of a swing problem. The first thing to look at is whether you are “casting” the club. If you cast the club there is no way you can create an inside out swing path, which is necessary to form the arc in the picture above. Casting is a common problem often caused by excessive upper body movement as you start your downswing. Casting most often comes from the wrists coming un-cocked prematurely.

This drill may help you fix this.

Some teachers have students stick a tee in the end of the club's grip to help stop casting. Hold the club parallel to the ground so the tee points to the target. Then make short swings, trying to duplicate this position before you hit the ball. Learning to swing the club this way delays how soon the wrists straighten and helps stop you from casting.

It is possible to fall into the habit of an outside in swing path without actually casting the club. Even a slight out to in move can cause pulled shots. Something that might help you to work on dropping the club into the slot and avoiding the dreaded outside in swing path is more of a swing thought than anything else…as you start your downswing, imagine trying to put your right elbow into your right pocket while dropping your arms down. This should encourage a swing path that is inside out.