Irons are left now

[bames]

I'm hitting my irons left, with a slight draw. They start low and left and drop off at the end with a little draw. It isn't massive, I'm still on the left side of the FW or just left on the green, but I'm confused. I have made some changes to my clubs and am wondering if any of these things could be culpable, or if it is a swing defect that I need to correct. If it is a swing flaw, what would cause this?

Here is what I've done lately -
(1) I just reshafted my MP 60s with TT Black Gold Stiff shafts (Pics are on the way - I'm doing all sorts stuff to the set before I take pics ). I previously had TT DG S300 Stiff. (Love the BGs by the way).
(2) Was fitted to have my irons bent 0.5* upright but bent them a full 1.0* because I was working on a more upright swing at the time. I have taped and colored the soles of my irons and am hitting the bottom of them flush every time, I don't think that I bent them too much - but that could still be the case.
(3) The only swing change I've incorporated involves keeping my right knee angled in slightly during the backswing to ensure that I don't sway back, and to promote a strong right side on which to make a turn. Otherwise everything is the same in my swing - at least I think so anyway?!?!

[warbirdlover]

My swing and game is just starting to come around. I've had some odd shots in the mean time. I'd just relax and play awhile before I started worrying about it.

[SiberianDVM]

Make sure you're staying behind the ball at impact and not arm swinging too much.

Maybe.

[limpalong]

Originally Posted by bames

...but bent them a full 1.0* (upright) because I was working on a more upright swing at the time.

Bending irons upright will/can invite a right to left ball flight. Yes, I know you mentioned impact tape indicates the lie angle is close. But, if that toe is up a tad too much the heel will "drag" and the toe will close. That will give you the right to left flight. A slight draw isn't all bad... if you can make a slight adjustment and find a soft fade when you need it.

If I were guessing... and that's all we can do... I'd say your irons had been too flat and inviting a left to right ball flight. You made the necessary compensation in your swing to develop a relatively straight ball. When you bent the irons upright to the proper lie angle, the toe was no longer dragging and your draw swing now gives you just that.

As long as it is a controllable draw... learn to use it to your advantage and enjoy it. If it turns into a nasty hook that stampedes wildlife 2 fairways left...

[bames]

Originally Posted by limpalong

Bending irons upright will/can invite a right to left ball flight. Yes, I know you mentioned impact tape indicates the lie angle is close. But, if that toe is up a tad too much the heel will "drag" and the toe will close. That will give you the right to left flight. A slight draw isn't all bad... if you can make a slight adjustment and find a soft fade when you need it.

If I were guessing... and that's all we can do... I'd say your irons had been too flat and inviting a left to right ball flight. You made the necessary compensation in your swing to develop a relatively straight ball. When you bent the irons upright to the proper lie angle, the toe was no longer dragging and your draw swing now gives you just that.

As long as it is a controllable draw... learn to use it to your advantage and enjoy it. If it turns into a nasty hook that stampedes wildlife 2 fairways left...

I think you are right on two counts.
(1) I probably should have them bent back to 0.5* upright
(2) I worked very hard last year at having an inside-out swing path. I never accidentally slice a ball anymore. I wonder if I overcorrected. (Isn't that what engineers are for - overdoing everything? ) If I screw up now it is always left. I could live with a draw (although it feels less accurate) but what bothers me is when they start left and stay there!

[cypressperch]

of center, goes straight and then curves to the left is a slightly pulled draw. The club head path has to be somewhat from the outside to inside to get that initial straight left (though slightly) aspect. And the club face has to be slightly closed at impact to get the right to left curvature at the end.

Here are some common causes for this problem:

(1) Alinement is somewhat to the left. Many people get there feet lined
up OK (railroad tracks), but them have their shoulders open. Shoulder
alinement is actually more critical than the alinement of the feet.

If our alinement is not railroad track in nature, we can end up being
up to the right. This happens when we line the clubface at a target,
and then make the mistake of lining our feet, etc, at the same target.
Railroad rails never intersect. They are parallel. Our target line is the
upper rail; our toe line (shoulder line too) is the bottom rail. Now we
swing "parallel left" rather than pull across the target line.

(2) If alinement is the problem, and we correct that and still have the
curvature, we can rotate our grip just a bit counter-clockwise (slightly
weaker) to straighten that out.

(3) It is nice to swing the club back so that at the top the club's shaft is
parallel to the target line. If we come to the inside too much or too
soon going back, there is a likelihood of creating a loop which will have
us going outside in on our downswing.

(4) On the backswing, we need the clubhead to move straight back on the
target line as the first movement of the backswing. The last move-
ment will be the left heel coming up or feeling like it wants to come
up. The first move of the down-swing is for that left heel to move
down as we "bump" the left hip to the left and then start turning the
left hip out of the way. If this sequence is not followed, the lower
body is in the way, so we go over the top. Often casting occurs with
this over the top move. We will be coming at the ball from the outside
to the inside. If the club face is closed, we will have the flight pattern
that you have described.

(5) The golf swing is basically swinging the club back and then up on the
back-swing, so the down-swing must be down first and then through
the ball. This is a more simple way of stating what was in #4. The
main idea being to come down first which is how an attack on the ball
from the inside is made possible. Getting back to #4, if the lower
body has not turned out of the way, you cannot do the down part of
the down-swing at the proper time.

Best of luck to you with figuring this thing out. Sincerely, Cypressperch

[Augster]

CPerch is right.

The ball is the best indicator of what you are doing with your swing. If it starts right at the target and goes straight at it, you hit the ball on the target line with a square face. Simple eh?

If the ball starts left (pull) and stays there, you have come over the top and hit the ball on an outside-in swing with a square face to the line. For your shot, starts left and then draws, you swung outside the line to in, and had a closed clubface.

Everything pushed is the same thing, except you are swinging inside-out. Which is good.

[Pa Jayhawk]

Originally Posted by bames

(3) The only swing change I've incorporated involves keeping my right knee angled in slightly during the backswing to ensure that I don't sway back, and to promote a strong right side on which to make a turn. Otherwise everything is the same in my swing - at least I think so anyway?!?!

Different for every golfer probably, but a straight starting draw is my tendency for my poor shots and usually is a result of not getting my weight back to the front at impact. More than likely not only resulting in your problem, but also hitting it more off the toe of the club. You sure the change you made for a strong right side is still allowing you to finish your swing and not keeping your weight on the back throughout. I would give you tips that I work on, although from what you mentioned you may just need to go back to your old ways and find a new way to limit the sway.

From trying what you mention, at least to me, it seems difficult to transition back to the front without putting excess weight back on the outside of my left foot and inside of the right which seems to be causing resistance to remain comfortable throughout. It also causes me to lean back during my follow through to remain balanced.

Seems to me it may be better to train yourself to not sway, where you are likely changing many characteristics of your swing by forcing the issue.