Fresh start for 2009.

[buteman]

In this particular part of the world ( Interior of B.C. Canada ) we are probably looking at eight weeks before the first practice range opens. Normally at this time of year I will be sitting with my Hogan ( five fundamentals ) book studying all aspects of what the great man was trying to teach.
I'm going to take a different approach this season, I found a very highly rated instructor and I have set up a series of five lessons with him. If I have a major flaw in my golf game it's the hook, it's my nemesis without a doubt. I have spent countless hours watching video clips on " You Tube " and have had lessons from instructors trying to restore confidence in my long game and eliminating that major flaw.
No doubt there is a mental block, all I have to do is hit a quick hook on the first tee and I fight it for the rest of my round, and it affects my fairway woods and hybrids once it starts. Sure it's a crazy game, I'm still a good enough player to comfortably shoot in the 70's when my hook is not around. I had a good run last season and had my handicap at 8 then I started hooking the ball and could not eliminate it.
The problem I've had in the past with various instructors is that none of their opinions ( regarding my hook ) were the same. I was of the opinion that my problem stemmed from my transition from backswing to down swing but none of them even touched on that.
In any event I'm going to give it my best shot, I guess if I knew what was causing it I would be part of the way there to curing it.

[BrianW]

Re: Fresh start for 2009.

Hi Buteman,

Not sure if you are asking for help but here's what helps me:

When I hook it's because my arms outrace my body and when I slice it's when my body outraces my arms. To keep both at bay I work on bringing my arms and chest to the ball at the same time or 'connected'. What helps me is to address the ball and think of keying in the coordinates of my setup, with them in my mind I then work to return the same coordinates at impact.

I hope this is of some help to you.

[rotator]

Re: Fresh start for 2009.

I agree with Brian, in the simplicity of his suggestion.

When I want to hit a hard hook, to bend around an obstruction, I could do that by either closing my stance and swing along my body line, or more basically as Brian says, hanging back with the body and throwing the arms ahead of the body and turning the hands over.

If the arms and body are in synch, all other things being equal, such as face angles and path, you should not hook.

Ted

[jbrunk]

Re: Fresh start for 2009.

Rotator,

A hook is nothing more than your clubface being too closed for the path you are swinging on and the path is too far inside out.

Many things can cause this, but you need to understand what really causes the ball to hook before you have a fix.

You have to learn what it feels like to hit a cut/slice to recognize what you must do to cure. I hooked for a long time, it is most easily cured by fixing the path first.

Without seeing your swing, I can only speculate that you need more 'up' in the backswing and less 'around'. You also need to learn to swing more left after impact. Assuming you are right handed, think of putting your hands in your left pocket through impact.

Another great tool I used was to go get a tringular shaped club box or a fedex box. This box simulates the plane angle. Tee up a ball on the outside of the box (about 5-6 inches) and hit a driver. Chances are unless you get more on top of the plane, you will crash through the box on the downswing.

Get it?

[rotator]

Re: Fresh start for 2009.

Rotator,

A hook is nothing more than your clubface being too closed for the path you are swinging on and the path is too far inside out.

Many things can cause this, but you need to understand what really causes the ball to hook before you have a fix.

You have to learn what it feels like to hit a cut/slice to recognize what you must do to cure. I hooked for a long time, it is most easily cured by fixing the path first.

Without seeing your swing, I can only speculate that you need more 'up' in the backswing and less 'around'. You also need to learn to swing more left after impact. Assuming you are right handed, think of putting your hands in your left pocket through impact.

Another great tool I used was to go get a tringular shaped club box or a fedex box. This box simulates the plane angle. Tee up a ball on the outside of the box (about 5-6 inches) and hit a driver. Chances are unless you get more on top of the plane, you will crash through the box on the downswing.

Get it?

I don't get why you're addressing me with your post. Brian and I were responding and commenting on what may be causing the original poster's problem, which is a bad hook.

I don't have the hooking problem.

I know what I do to hook intentionally, and I stated two ways that I do that. The one way re pointing the clubface to where you want the ball to go, closing the stance, and swinging along the body line is exactly what you are saying re the path and closed face. The other way, which I agreed with Brian, is the arms and hands outracing the body.

Ted

[BrianW]

Re: Fresh start for 2009.

I am hoping your post was in error as Rotator gives good help on this forum in a polite and professional way, he is a very experienced golfer. otherwise please show more respect and read the post properly.

Further to that it is quite possible to hit a hook with an inside-inside swingpath if your arms ad wrists get overactive and lead the body, the worst hooks are caused when the path is outside-in with a closed clubface. Clubface has more influence on the balls direction than swingpath.

[jbrunk]

Re: Fresh start for 2009.

Sorry, Rotator, I was referring to Buteman and just put the wrong name in.

Brian,

I was not trying to be rude in my post at all. You misread my intent. When I say 'get it' I was just making sure my box explanation was clear.

Sorry to anyone I offended, that was not my intent at all.


JB

[BrianW]

Re: Fresh start for 2009.

Sorry, Rotator, I was referring to Buteman and just put the wrong name in.

Brian,

I was not trying to be rude in my post at all. You misread my intent. When I say 'get it' I was just making sure my box explanation was clear.

Sorry to anyone I offended, that was not my intent at all.


JB

Thanks for the polite reply

[jbrunk]

Re: Fresh start for 2009.

I am hoping your post was in error as Rotator gives good help on this forum in a polite and professional way, he is a very experienced golfer. otherwise please show more respect and read the post properly.

Further to that it is quite possible to hit a hook with an inside-inside swingpath if your arms ad wrists get overactive and lead the body, the worst hooks are caused when the path is outside-in with a closed clubface. Clubface has more influence on the balls direction than swingpath.

It is extremely unlikey that the poster is hitting a hook with a perfectly on plane swing, but I guess anything is possible.

There are many things the body can do to cause the golfer to hit a hook. I was simply explaing THE ROOT CAUSE. Club is contacting ball on in/out path with a closed face.

http://www.golf.com/golf/video/artic...571098,00.html

Out to in path causing a hook is a pull-hook to be exact and that is bad. I assumed that when Buteman said he 'hits a quick hook' that does not mean he is pull hooking the ball.

Maybe I will ask him.

[rotator]

Re: Fresh start for 2009.

Hi jbrunk,

Oh, so the post was meant to be directed to the original poster. I'm glad you came back and explained this, as I was puzzled, because we were all really on the same track re swing path and closed face causing hooks.

The main thing is that the original poster resolves his problem and has his game in order.

Ted

[buteman]

Re: Fresh start for 2009.

You hit the nail right on the head Ted, resolving the problem, this may sound unbelievable but I've been fighting this ( hook ) for thirty years and without a doubt it's become a huge mental block. The first two holes at my club are very tight O.B. left from tee to green and for the most part I'm mentally hooped standing on the first tee.
I'm no great golfer by any stretch but I can play, I had a round last Fall that my pals still talk about, I snap hooked two Pro-V's O.B. on the first hole and took an 8 on the first hole. I hooked my tee shot on the par 5 second O.B. I hooked my #3 hybrid O.B. and took a 9 on the hole, brutal start indeed.
Then I proceeded to play the next 16 holes as follows, 13 pars, 2 birdies and 1 bogey and shot a 7 over 79. Goofy game, anyway as I said in my previous post I have had contact with an excellent C.P.G.A. instructor and I will work with him on a series of five lessons. I have had my swing on video, according to what I've been told my grip, stance and posture are excellent. My takeaway is a one piece ( I'm talking about my driver ) low and straight back from the ball and no indication that I'm taking it back on the inside.
I just feel that by coming into the ball with the clubface closed it may just have something to do with the transition from backswing to downswing, anyway thank you and the other members for the replies, I'll beat this thing before my golfing days are over ! Cheers, Buteman.

[jbrunk]

Re: Fresh start for 2009.

You hit the nail right on the head Ted, resolving the problem, this may sound unbelievable but I've been fighting this ( hook ) for thirty years and without a doubt it's become a huge mental block. The first two holes at my club are very tight O.B. left from tee to green and for the most part I'm mentally hooped standing on the first tee.
I'm no great golfer by any stretch but I can play, I had a round last Fall that my pals still talk about, I snap hooked two Pro-V's O.B. on the first hole and took an 8 on the first hole. I hooked my tee shot on the par 5 second O.B. I hooked my #3 hybrid O.B. and took a 9 on the hole, brutal start indeed.
Then I proceeded to play the next 16 holes as follows, 13 pars, 2 birdies and 1 bogey and shot a 7 over 79. Goofy game, anyway as I said in my previous post I have had contact with an excellent C.P.G.A. instructor and I will work with him on a series of five lessons. I have had my swing on video, according to what I've been told my grip, stance and posture are excellent. My takeaway is a one piece ( I'm talking about my driver ) low and straight back from the ball and no indication that I'm taking it back on the inside.
I just feel that by coming into the ball with the clubface closed it may just have something to do with the transition from backswing to downswing, anyway thank you and the other members for the replies, I'll beat this thing before my golfing days are over ! Cheers, Buteman.

If they don't fix your downswing plane, you are just kidding yourself. Trust me, I have been there.

Good luck.

[rotator]

Re: Fresh start for 2009.

As I recall, there are some past touring Canadian pofessionals who have been teaching in B.C., including at some of the great courses you have there in the interior. I believe there are a few of the courses that hooked up together and formed something analogous to The Robert Trent Trail courses in the Southern States. The names of those intructors slips my mind at the moment.

There was one course, which from it's description seemed to have golf holes like the ones in the famous calendar (with the tee and green on shelfs cut high on the mountainside and a goat trail winding between).

I was born in Vancouver, and got to go back for work, and I played the courses there in the mid 80's.

Ted