Help with Hooking

[merarmou]

Over the last couple of years my draw has progressively been turning hook. My hook is especially troublesome with my driver and longer irons. It is usually a push hook, however, occasionally it's a snap hook. It's frustrating because no matter what I do it seems to be getting worse and worse on the course. I understand in principal what the cause is - inside out swing through impact with the clubhead closed, but on the course I can't seem to get rid of it. I should mention that on the range, I am able to hit it fairly straight, however, on the course hitting when hitting a ball every 4 minutes I can't seen to straighten it out. On the course, when I correct for the hook (usually by maintaining, it's usually push it to the right which ends up being just as bad. Does anyone have any advice or some drills that I can work on? I'm desperate.

[1lostball]

Re: Help with Hooking

I have the same sort of problem but the opposite mine is a slice to the right. but mine is more pronounced if I have trees down my right hand side you can bet I land in them . so I am possative that its psycological you step up to the ball and you are already saying to your self in your mind that your going to hook it how you try and that is exactly what you do . Im convinced that this is my problem give me a clear fairway with hardly any trees and I will hit it straight or slice it slitly. trees on right ball goes right hope this helps a little

[merarmou]

Re: Help with Hooking

I should mention that I believe the cause of my problem may be at the top of my swing. On the range I am able to stop hooking it by cuping my left wrist (feels like I'm holding a waiters tray with my right hand over my head). I have been told that when I hook, my driver is pointing to the right, hence producing an inside out swing. I would prefer to get my club pointing straight to the target with a flat right wrist but haven't been able to do it. I can only seem to do it by cupping my left wrist. Any swing tips would be appreciated.

[lgskywalker37]

Re: Help with Hooking

Over the last couple of years my draw has progressively been turning hook. My hook is especially troublesome with my driver and longer irons. It is usually a push hook, however, occasionally it's a snap hook. .

the fact that you are inconsictantly missing it says it is a timing issue, not a swing issue. if you are consitantly hooking or pushing ect that is one thing, but you said you are push hooking sometimes snap hooking says that your swing is not natural and you are relying on correct timing to hit the ball square.

now you say that you are hooking or pushing? pushing is a swing plane issue and hooking is a club face issue. look at this web site to clarify
http://members.cox.net/gregjwillis/T...ALL%20RULE.htm

now i would say look at gregs impact drill and RHD on the same site to learn to have a consitant swing. i used to have timing issues from fanning the club from address instead of cupping the right wrist. that meant i had to fan in back to position exactly the same to get a strait hit (practically impossible). now i don't fan and i hit the ball with a cupped right wrist wich puts the club square at impact. that is why pros don't have horrible hooks or slices like you see amatuers do, with the right hand cupped the face is only about 2* open (basically square) a foot behind impact and 2* close a foot after impact. if you are hitting with your hand and not your body (right hand uncupped) then the club is usually 10-30* open a foot behind the ball and goes to 10-30* closed after impact. so within that 60* range they have to hope they timed it right to square it, whereas pros have 4* range to time, alot easier! so if they mistime, they get a slice, but not a 60yds+ like some amatures do or i used to do

also a loose grip and arms, too much tension makes the natural squaring hard.

don't know if that will help hooking, but it should help with spraying, and inconsistancy

[merarmou]

Re: Help with Hooking

the fact that you are inconsictantly missing it says it is a timing issue, not a swing issue. if you are consitantly hooking or pushing ect that is one thing, but you said you are push hooking sometimes snap hooking says that your swing is not natural and you are relying on correct timing to hit the ball square.

now you say that you are hooking or pushing? pushing is a swing plane issue and hooking is a club face issue. look at this web site to clarify
http://members.cox.net/gregjwillis/T...ALL%20RULE.htm

now i would say look at gregs impact drill and RHD on the same site to learn to have a consitant swing. i used to have timing issues from fanning the club from address instead of cupping the right wrist. that meant i had to fan in back to position exactly the same to get a strait hit (practically impossible). now i don't fan and i hit the ball with a cupped right wrist wich puts the club square at impact. that is why pros don't have horrible hooks or slices like you see amatuers do, with the right hand cupped the face is only about 2* open (basically square) a foot behind impact and 2* close a foot after impact. if you are hitting with your hand and not your body (right hand uncupped) then the club is usually 10-30* open a foot behind the ball and goes to 10-30* closed after impact. so within that 60* range they have to hope they timed it right to square it, whereas pros have 4* range to time, alot easier! so if they mistime, they get a slice, but not a 60yds+ like some amatures do or i used to do

also a loose grip and arms, too much tension makes the natural squaring hard.

don't know if that will help hooking, but it should help with spraying, and inconsistancy

Spraying isn't too much of a problem. Mostly, it's a push hook. I guess the real problem is the inside to out swing. With this swing path, even when I keep my right hand cupped, I end up pushing the ball. By swinging inside out, I am compensating by turning over early. I thoughts on fixing this swing path?

[lgskywalker37]

Re: Help with Hooking

oddly enough, golf is a game of opossites i am told.

maybe you can take the club back more inside that might help you have more of a out to in swing

Originally Posted by gregjwillis
Let's start you out with the bench drill. You take it way too far inside, that you have nowhere else to go but back out for a wicked out-to-in path.

(Drill for takeaway)http://www.golf-tuition-online.com/s...71&postcount=2

that is an example of someone with a too out to in so they need to take it back more out.


try that bench drill, and taking it back way inside, see if that helps

[grandslam]

Re: Help with Hooking

Try standing a little closer to the ball, it will make your swing more upright and help to promote a straighter ball flight

[spankit]

Re: Help with Hooking

Hi: i fought this problem and finally realized that halfway back my club face wasnt square..it was shut.If its shut halfway back then you can pretty much be assured it will be shut back into the ball.Try to get your swing more compact..in other words you may be overextending the swing arc..so try and swing more WITHIN yourself..this helped my ball striking immediately.David

[merarmou]

Re: Help with Hooking

Thanks. I'll give it a try and see how it works out.

[Timothy Slaught]

Re: Help with Hooking

Merarmou:

You mentioned in your earlier post that you were across the line at the top of the backswing. Is your ball flight probem a hook or a pull/ pull hook? Generally the across the line move is a result of too much arm swing basically breaking down the left arm totally at the top of the backswing. Try to swing relaxed but keep your arm motion connected with the shoulder turn. When you feel the shoulders stop their turn stop the arms as well. This will keep you connected and should keep the club shaft pointed more at the target at the top.

[merarmou]

Re: Help with Hooking

Merarmou:

You mentioned in your earlier post that you were across the line at the top of the backswing. Is your ball flight probem a hook or a pull/ pull hook? Generally the across the line move is a result of too much arm swing basically breaking down the left arm totally at the top of the backswing. Try to swing relaxed but keep your arm motion connected with the shoulder turn. When you feel the shoulders stop their turn stop the arms as well. This will keep you connected and should keep the club shaft pointed more at the target at the top.

Ball flight is a generally a push hook. I have seen noticed and believe that the problem is a cupped left wrist at the top of my swing. I think this inadvertantly closes the clubface at impact. When I maintain a flat wrist it fixed the hook, however, in maintaining a flat wrist at the top I am now pushing the ball without the hook. I still need to figure out how to swing more on line rather than inside out to the extreme.