The problem continues...

[cgrier]

I am still hitting hooks and full draws this year dispite my work in the offseason. I am in Myrtle beach now and i hate to spoil a nice week so i hoping to get a few words of advice from you guys.

Pretty basic problem. I am making good contact, my ball flys striaght at the target at first and then my ball just draws and draws and draws. Sometimes its a full out hook. My clubface is square in my backswing, but when i get to impact the face is closed. This is a problem with all my clubs. I also noticed today that i was hitting some of my shots off the toe of my clubs.

Whatever the cause is, it has been my problem for well over a year now, and i just cant change my ball flight. I cannot hit a fade if i tried with a full bucket of balls either. I have worked very hard with my alignment this past offseasn, and i was told today that my setup looks spot on. I also have a nuetral grip and i have worked with the momentus so i feel my grip is good.

Please help guys. ANY thoughts or advice is NEEDED!

[amcevoy]

Re: The problem continues...

I can only guess without seeing your swing but mostly you can fix this problem with your hips and hands. Try different things like restricting the turn of your wrists through impact and delaying your hip turn.

At the range get a bucket of balls and start with 50yard shots with a short backswing and follow through, concentrating on getting an out to in swing path. You should only get a very slight fade on such a short shot, then gradually build up your swing to a full backswing and f/t and you should start to feel a fade swing.

After all that you gradually decrease the fade with your swing path until you find the happy medium that is comfortable, normally a slight draw.

Hope this helps

[arch11]

Re: The problem continues...

I had the same problem two years ago until a gentleman at my golf club who is now in his seventies and use to play tour golf told me that when he had hooking problems on the tour he would just deliberately hit a cut shot. What you will find is that no matter how hard you try the ball will always go straight if you are cutting with your hips and not your hands. My handicap went from 10.7 to 7.7 in three months because thats how long it took for me to actually start hitting fades. Remember this is really a compensation and a quick fix rather than a lomg term one.

[Mizunoman]

Re: The problem continues...

It's just a suggestion, but why dont you measure how far you are pulling the ball off line and just aim for an imaginary target that far right of the pin/fairway etc.


If you hit the same shot over and over again, you are doing well. I thought that was the whole point of the game. If you know where its going every time you should never miss by much. Look at Monty, he knows he hits it with a 5 yard fade (or whatever, no pedantic corrections on the size of Montys ball movement, please, I'm using it as an analogy only ) So he aims 5 yards left of target. If he hits it straight, he's 15 feet away, if he hits double the cut, hes still 15 feet away if he nails it he's golden!

Maybe you dont hit the same amount offline each time (you didnt mention that, just that occasionally it becomes a hook) but you still know roughly the shape. There are a lot of guys out there not playing to their full potential because they are trying to hit a shot that they cant hit and always go straight at the target thinking "this time I will hit it straight". Try aiming right for a couple of rounds and see if that helps but remember to aim everything right clubhead shoulders hips and feet if you aim the body right but the clubhead straight the hook will get worse.

Good Luck,

D.

[Started2k3]

Re: The problem continues...

You say that the ball starts out directly towards the target, then draws. This sounds to me like your clubhead path is good but your clubface is closed. I am no expert but try opening your clubface a little at the address position, to try to either eliminate or reduce your draw.