Golf irons are some of the trickiest clubs in our bag to hit correctly and consistently, particularly the long irons.
A common problem facing many beginner golfers on the golf course, and some more experienced golfers too, is pulling longer irons.
It’s not a major problem, but it will continue to cost you strokes in your iron play every game if you don’t put it right. You could try switching up your irons and reach for a forged iron, which could help you reshape your shots to your desired path. But this isn't necessary.
Luckily, there are a few pretty simple tricks you can employ to help cut pulls out of your iron game completely, keeping the ball straight and true, so you can reach the pin in record time.
Let’s take a look…
What is pulling your iron shots?
For a right-handed golfer, pulling your iron shots is the process of unintentionally hitting them left of the target.
This is different from hooking your iron shots, though, which also causes the ball to shoot left of the target.
However, while hooking the ball is a result of catching the ball with a more closed clubface, or catching it too close to the heel in a similar motion, pulling iron shots is usually due to mismeasured shots in which your iron head swings outward to inward across your desired club path, rather than along it.
How to avoid pulling iron shots
Check your ball position
This goes without saying, but you should always make sure your ball is in the correct position in your stance relevant to the club you are using.
For golf irons, generally, this is around the centre of your stance, though some players may find comfort in positioning the ball slightly on either side of this.
If the ball is too far forward in your stance, with irons especially, you’re increasing the risk of the clubface catching the ball while facing left of your target.
Why? This positioning encourages the outward-to-inward swing motion we mentioned earlier, whereas placing the ball in the centre of your stance encourages your club to follow the desired line straight towards your target.
Be sure to shift your weight
Another very simple yet totally forgettable element of your swing, you must ensure you’re shifting your weight effectively as you follow through your iron shots.
Shifting your weight not only helps you build awesome power, so you can boost ball speed and club speed and reach the green much faster, but it also encourages excellent accuracy.
By shifting your weight along with your body’s natural motion, you’re helping your clubface return to being square with the ball on impact, for unrivalled length and force. This naturally added power can help you avoid reaching for a specially-made distance iron to reach your intended target, if you have one.
However, if you hold off on shifting your weight until it’s too late, or don’t shift your weight at all, your arms and shoulders will be doing all the work.
This means as your shoulders tighten on the way down, there’s a good chance they’ll help tilt your club ever-so-slightly to the left, resulting in the ball flight aiming left.
So listen to your body as you follow through with your iron shots and don’t tense up. Otherwise, you’ll be veering left of the flag until the end of time.
Use a marker on the outside of the ball
This is a neat method that can help ‘trick’ your body into avoiding pull shots, if you’ve fallen into bad habits.
At the driving range, if you’re finding you’re pulling too many iron shots, try placing another golf ball approximately 1 centimetre behind the ball you’re planning to hit and 1-2 centimetres to the far side of it. It should still be pretty close to your original ball, almost at a 45-degree angle to the right.
When you swing your next iron shot, if you catch the secondary ball, it’s a surefire sign you’re still swinging from out to in, not along the correct path, explaining why you keep hitting pull shots.
So keep doing this and use the tips mentioned above until you can confidently hit your iron shots without catching the second ball at all - this means you’re catching the ball perfectly square and your swing is precisely in line with your desired path. But you’ll be able to tell this from how straight and powerful your iron shots are!
Explore new golf irons and golf iron sets at Clarkes Golf
If you’ve tried all of the above and you’re still hitting pull shots regularly, it could be a sign you’re in need of some new irons in your golf bag.
At Clarkes Golf, we’re an approved stockist of golf clubs, golf equipment and the best golf irons from some of the sport's leading brands. These include Ping irons and TaylorMade QI Irons, to name but a few, including both cast irons and forged irons.
Or if you need your irons to perform a specific way to improve your game, our selection is jam-packed with forgiving irons, cavity back irons, irons with a compact shape and some of the best players' distance irons
Better still, if you find a cheaper deal on the same clubs elsewhere, let us know and we’ll happily match the price - all part of our stellar service!
Take a look at our selection of new golf irons here. Or reach out to a Clarkes representative today if you require more product information.