Why Do My Irons Go Right? 

Written by Todd in Online Golf Instruction

Golf can be a complicated game at times.

Have you ever had the rounds where everything is going well and then all of a sudden you push an iron or miss a shot to the right?  At times this shot seems to come out of nowhere.

Then there is the golfer that misses to the right all of the time and can’t seem to figure it out.

No matter what category you fall into, we want to help you out and find the solution to the issue you are facing.

Below, I will dive into some common issues and then solutions that will help you fix this shot and play more consistent golf.

Why Do My Irons Go Right?

There are two key reasons why irons go right.  The first is an open clubface at impact.  This causes the ball to start to the right.  If the path is also to the right around the same number of degrees the ball will fly straight.  The second is a swing path that is too far left.  The gap between swing path and clubface causes the shot to curve to the right.

Let’s dive further into the relationship between swing path and clubface before getting into the issues and the solutions within the swing. Understanding why the ball curves or flies certain directions is vital to a golfers overall development. It allows the golfer to make adjustments as needed.

Pushing your shot to the right on the this hole will just about guarantee a bogey or worse.

TOPIC #1: Key Understanding On Why – The Golf Ball Flight laws

 Here are some of the basics of the ball flight laws:

  • The golf ball will start relative to the direction of the club face at impact.
  • The golf ball will curve away from the swing path.
  • So if your clubface is left of the swing path at impact, the ball will curve left.  If your clubface is right of the swing path at impact, the ball will curve right.

With the pushed shot we have a clubface that is too open at impact with a swing path that is also right or inside to out.  The over fade can have a clubface just about anywhere with a swing path that is too far left.

Hook vs Slice: What is the difference?

Here are some examples of a pushed or over faded shot in golf and the ball flight laws:

  • Shot: Ball starts right and continues right.  This is a clubface that is open at impact with a path that is also right.  Potential numbers could be a 7 degree open club face with a 7 degree path inside to out or to the right.  The clubface and swing path are somewhat aligned, but too far right to have an acceptable shot.
  • Shot: Ball starts left and slices right.  This is a clubface that is closed at impact with a swing path that is to the left of the clubface.  Potential numbers could be a 3 degree closed club face with a 10 degree swing path to the left.  We have a gap of 7 degrees between clubface and swing path.  This gap leads to the slice.  If the golfer had a 3 degree closed clubface with a 5 degree to the left swing path, the shot would actually work out in most cases.

Why do my irons go left?

Some key items to point out:

  • If the curve is extreme, there is a large gap between your clubface and your swing path.
  • If the curve is soft, there is a small gap between your clubface and your swing path.
  • Arguably the most difficult shot to hit in golf is the straight shot.  This requires a perfectly square clubface with a 0 degree path.
  • The slice is a result of too large of a gap between the clubface and swing path.  

While we don’t promote the perfectly straight shot in golf, too large of a gap between clubface and swing path is difficult to control and manage.  The opposite of the slice is the hook and has the opposite numbers of the slice and is a shot that many low level handicap golfers struggle with.  The pulled or pushed shot have a small gap between path and clubface but are both too far right or too far left.

Do you also struggle with distance with shots that fly right? Check out this post linked below.

What causes weak shots to the right?

Understanding ball flight laws will allow you to adjust on certain holes based on the ideal shot for the hole.

TOPIC #2: Swing Issues and Solutions

Swing Issue #1: Excessive Hip Slide.  When a golfer slides his or her hips too far forward towards the target, the swing path will often drop to the inside.  If the golfer also has a clubface that is too far right, the golfer will hit a pushed shot. For example, a swing path of 7 degrees to the right with a clubface that is open 7 degrees will more than likely result in a pushed shot to the right. The golfer will sometimes time it up with the hands and close the club face enough to hit a push draw, but relies too much on the timing of the hands.

How to fix the slice in golf with a driver?

Solution #1: Left Hip Away From Ball.  As the golfer reaches the top of the backswigng, the first move can be a slight slide or downward motion into the front leg, but the golfer must then rotate the front hip away from the ball and clear out.  This will bring the swing path more to the left and allow the golfer to properly rotate through the shot.  This clearing of the hips will allow the club to more naturally work through the hitting zone and require less manipulation from the hands in order to time the shot up right.

Swing Issue #2: Open Club Face.  Even the golfer with a path of 4 to 5 degrees right will struggle if the club face is also 4 to 5 degrees right.  The golfer might be failing to release the club and instead is tentative to release the clubface through the hitting zone.

Solution #2: Throw The Club.  While we don’t want you to actually throw the club.  The golfer should get the feeling of releasing the right hand in an underhand like throwing down the fairway.  This will help the club properly release and keep it somewhat stable through the hitting zone.

Swing Issue #3: Over the top move.  Some golfers will fire right away from the top, causing an over the top move and a swing path that is too far left.  If the golfer has an open clubface, the shot will slice to the right and end up right of the target.  When there is too large of a gpa between swing path and clubface, the ball will curve excessively.

Solution #3: Be patient.  Use the same squatting motion as above and let the arms come down naturally, before turning and rotating through the shot.  The golfer who tries to be too forceful from the top is going to struggle grealy with the pull shot or the slice shot in golf.

Tired of chasing positions in golf? I would highly recommend one of our top rated golf instructors in Shawn Clement! Read our review of him here and check out the video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRbRXXX1w28&t=9s

Topic #3: Excellent Drill For All Golfers!

Amazing Drill: The Stock Shot Drill

One of my go to drills for golfers of all skill levels.  The key is to develop a consistent start line and curve of the golf ball!  When we can do that, we can manage our game better and plot our way around a golf course!

  • At the driving range, set up an alignment stick about 6-8 yards in front of you, straight down your target line.
  • If you have a second alignment stick, set the stick 3-4 feet right of the first stick (for a draw) or left of the first stick (for a fade).
  • Complete your initial assessment see how many times out of 10 you can start the ball to the right or left of your target.  Pick one side and measure your game at this point.
  • The goal is to eventually get 7 out of 10 shots to start to the correct side and draw back towards the target.

We believe the swing path is only 2nd in importance to the clubface in the golf swing.

Check out this post: What is the most important part of the golf swing?

Whether you choose to play a draw or a fade, it doesn’t matter.  The key is to be able to hit your start line and have a predictable curve.

We believe in 3 keys to the golf swing:

  • The golfer must be able to control the low point (quality of ball contact).
  • The golfer must be able to hit a start line and have a predictable curve (stock shot drill).
  • The golfer must have enough speed to play the course (distance).
The Skytrak is a complete game changer! Check out some of the helpful links below.

Final Thoughts: Have Fun!

The journey in golf is supposed to be fun.  Trying and working to develop a stock shot can lead to more stress free and fun rounds.  I really enjoy the practice portion and working on little minor adjustments to get that stock shot back on line and hit consistent shot patterns time and time again.

Wish you hit the ball further?  Here are two great resources:

My Secret To Golf Improvement

Let’s face it, in order to get really good at golf, we must practice frequently.  About four years ago, I made the leap and invested in a golf simulator build for my garage.  I went with a SkyTrak Launch Monitor and the TGC software and can now play over 100,000 courses including Augusta, Pebble Beach, Bethpage Black, Whistling Straits. St. Andrews and many other of the top 100 courses in the world.

This golf simulator setup, which is more affordable that you might imagine, has been a game changer.  I can now play golf everyday of the year regardless of rain, snow, cold weather or time of day.  I can practice or play rounds of golf.  I can stand in the 11th fairway at Augusta and with the auto-rewind feature I am able to practice my approach shots from various differences.

It is worth checking out through Rain or Shine Golf as they offer some incredible packages along with financing offers that are difficult to beat.

Some direct links to Rain or Shine Golf for pricing and financing:

Take Action – What You Can Do Today to Get Better

What does this mean for you?  I believe in the following recipe to get better:

1 – Improve your motion in the golf swing by identifying a golf instructor.  Here are some options:

Here is a list of golf instructors that we have reviewed:

2 – Train to swing faster and improve your swing speed.  Here are some options:

Looking to gain more Speed and Distance in your swing. Two Options:

3 – Understand course strategy and work to break through your next barrier.  Here is a series on breaking through:

We have provided guides on how to break 100, 90, 80 and 70. Check out more below, if interested.

4 – Practice Frequently

Did you know that I build a golf simulator in my garage and have played over 500 rounds of golf on my SkyTrak system?  It has been a game changer and one worth checking out. Here are some of my other posts on golf simulators frequently asked questions:

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