Driving - Low Pull Hooks

[Art Oakes]

Usually I can hit my driver quite well 270 yards+. But the past few weeks i have hit nothing but low pull hooks to the left. Any thoughts on the reasons for this. Sometimes i feel like the driver gets trapped to far on the inside and i am struggling to get it back on 'plane' as i strike the ball.

Any tips please

[TeachingPro]

Re: Driving - Low Pull Hooks

I'd take an educated guess and say that the club is too far behind you coming into impact. To make space for your arms, hands and club to come through you have to release to the inside (left) instead of down the line ...

To solve the problem, try this:
<1> Stand a bit further away and flare your left foot out a bit
<2> Swing normally and stay connected until your arms and hands reach hip height on the downswing
<3> Then before you uncock your wrist angle, think of showing your backside DTL nice and early. To do that swing your hips into the ball, making sure that if you were looking DTL you could see your whole backside at impact
<4> While the hips are doing that, get the club through the ball and let it follow through impact stretching your right arm straight

[Art Oakes]

Re: Driving - Low Pull Hooks

Thank you for those tips Graham. I shall try that later on and let you know if there has been any improvement. It sounds like what i have been doing, with not much hip movement and trying to hit the ball rather than striking through the ball.

[TeachingPro]

Re: Driving - Low Pull Hooks

I think what you're doing is inside-square-inside, which is correct but that last "inside" is too sharp, caused by having release left and inside the line instead of at the target.

You're too cramped at impact and there is no where else to go but left. You need to make more space but clearing your hips earlier and encouraging a better weight shift onto the left side.

[chuckevans]

Re: Driving - Low Pull Hooks

Low pull hooks are caused by the clubface being closed at separation point. The CORRECT path of the club is from inside to out. The path would only be inside to square to inside if the ball was played at Low Point - the left shoulder.

So clubface could be closing too rapidly because of excessive hand rotation, or the ball being too far forward. Try your current ball position and "feel" like you're holding the clubface longer.

Usually I can hit my driver quite well 270 yards+. But the past few weeks i have hit nothing but low pull hooks to the left. Any thoughts on the reasons for this. Sometimes i feel like the driver gets trapped to far on the inside and i am struggling to get it back on 'plane' as i strike the ball.

Any tips please

[Art Oakes]

Re: Driving - Low Pull Hooks

Went to the driving range yesterday, to try out your tips and i have to say the results were amazing. Nothing but long drives with a hint of draw.

Standing further away from the ball seem to add a lot more width to the swing and stopped the feeling of being trapped on the inside. Then the mental image of showing my back side DTL and keeping my right arm straight helped me to strike through the ball rather than at the ball, which i have being doing recently.

This also helped a lot with my long irons.

Could i also ask a question about ball position for fairway woods from the fairway, as i don't seem to be getting maximum distance from these shots

Thanks for your help, its been a great relief, to get my driving back to how it was.

[TeachingPro]

Re: Driving - Low Pull Hooks

Well, teaching is what I do for a living so I hope I do it well.

Fairway woods need to be swept off the grass, no divot and again no hit at the ball but thru it. I like to teach hitting fairway woods with the ball just inside the left foot, hands level with the ball and tee'd up. Teeing the ball encourages a hit thru the ball and not a ball/ground impact.

After a few tee'd up swings we hit gofl balls off the deck but keep that wide arc'd swing and focus on sweeping the ball, as if it was hardpan instead of a fairway.

I also like to teach fairways with a swing that hits thru in the same way as you do with the driver ... it increases the space and width which generates a bit more power. But, with fairway woods distance is not always the priority but accuracy is very important too, so got go bombing them but rather a controlled swing.
You know, here's a true but funny story. I was teaching someone who was a habitual 'chopper'. Even dook divots with his driver. To stop him, we took those rubber tees from a practice mat and I made him golf balls off the asphault walking path. He didn't take a single divot. For weeks afterwards he'd stand there on the path and hit balls.

[Art Oakes]

Re: Driving - Low Pull Hooks

Thank you for those tips on the fairway woods. I shall try them the next time I go to the range. Went to the range today to test the driving, just to make sure yesterday was no fluke. It was'nt, still hitting great drives.

I have another follow up question. when you go to the range, how does the breakdown of your practice take place.

When I normally go to the range it usually follows this format.

60 balls with my wedges. Practicing shots from a 100 yards and in. Different types of shots ranging from knock-down shots to full out shots. This helps me with my tempo and just getting losened up.

60 balls with my irons. Usually working through 9, 7, 5 and 3 irons.

40 balls with my driver and fairway woods.

Finally about 20 balls just trying things out and just goofing around, trying to add an element of fun to my practice.

This roughly takes about 2 hours.

The putting i can practice at home.

Any thoughts or suggestions on how you breakdown you practice time or any different ideas i should introduce to my practice time

I shall let you know how i get along with the fairway woods.

[TeachingPro]

Re: Driving - Low Pull Hooks

The overall make-up of the practice appears to be well structured, the 2 hour sessions is also a good time.

But: 150/200 golf balls is too many if you are just swinging away without purpose or focus. When I practice (operative word is 'when'! ) I never hit more than 60 golf balls unless there is something specific I am working on and then I'll hit 300 golf balls throught the day, normally in 4 sessions of 75 or so with a good break in between.

I watched Vijay Singh practice in Orlando. He hit 1500 golf balls that day and the amazing thing was he focussed 100% on each one. His powers of concerntration are astounding.

I like your session, don't get me wrong but if you focus on each of the 150 or so golf shots you hit, then great. I know the 30 or so are just goofing around hitting those show off shots ... we all do that. They don't count! But what I'd like you to do is take those "goofing around" golf balls and in between each section, take a break and let your mind and muscles relax. Walk away and have a Coke and when you start his 5 or 6 goofers to get focussed again.

[Art Oakes]

Re: Driving - Low Pull Hooks

When i go to the range that is all I focus on. It's a chance to get away from your job and just focus on your golf. The breakdown of my golf is split into three sections, wedges, iron and woods. In between each section i will have a break, have a soft drink and talk to other people on the range, talk about problems or successes they are having with their swing or courses they have played recently.

But when I am taking shots i look an my basis, stance, grip, alignment etc.

Then at the end of each session I will try to analysize what worked well and did'nt work so well over a drink at the local pub and try and improve on them the next time I go to the driving range.