Jump to content
IGNORED

Club twisting at impact


ProStuart
Note: This thread is 3234 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

Recommended Posts

This is my first post asking for assistance here - hope someone can post something useful!!

I've been playing golf now for 9 years and my current handicap is 8.5. I had some trouble around 3 months ago with my driver where I'd get a horrible snap-hook and I'd often hook my irons too. So, I took a lesson and the guy advised that my right hand had moved to a very strong position. He said I'd need to move it back to a more neutral grip and that my game would get worse before it got better. Well.....

My game has gone downhill BIG TIME - I've probably played 20 rounds since then and not once have I hit any better than 14 over par.

The biggest issue I have is a horrible shot that looks like a sh*nk but it's not. With any iron (even a SW), this shot can appear from nowhere, sending the ball off at a 45* angle from the intended target. I can feel it's the club twisting in my hand at impact - forcing the clubface open. Linked to this is the fact that my glove has severe wear on the palm under my pinkie despite ensuring that I'm holding the club diagonally across my fingers and not in my palm.

It feels like I'm "letting go" of the club at some point in my swing. I've tried gripping harder but it still happens.

Does anyone have any good drills/tips/exercises that will identify/fix this?

Thanks

Stu

Mizuno MX500 10.5*
Mizuno Hi-Fli CLK 20*
Mizuno Hi-Fli CLK 26*
Nike Pro Combo 5-PW
Mizuno Black Ox 52* & 56*

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Do you overlap or interlock your grip? I tried for a little while to switch to an interlock grip, which consequently neutralized my right hand a bit and I had this happen. Just curious, because I couldn't hit the ball for the life of me that way.

The bag:

Driver: Taylormade R7 Limited (10.5*)
3-wood: Taylormade R7 st (15*)
5-wood: Titleist 909 F2(18.5*)Irons: Taylormade RAC TP MB; Project-X 6.0 (3-PW)Wedges: Vokey Spin-Milled 52.08 Vokey Spin-Milled 58.12Putter: Odyssey White Hot Tour #1 (33")Ball: Titleist ProV1

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Put a tee between your grip and pinkie/ring finger of your left hand.

If at any point in your swing you loosen your grip, the tee should fall out.

To notice at which point it falls out, you might have to tape it...


G.

In my ⬠49.95 bag :

Driver : Euhm... not there yet, but hopefully getting closer
Woods : Superfast Burner 3 Wood 15°
i4-PW : CG GoldGW : 252.08SW : CG12 56°Putter : Rossa Suzuka 35"Balls : Gold FX Long

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Wow Stu, sounds serious. I know that's not what you want to hear, but as an 8.5 index I'm sure you can typically work out your problems. So I'm guessing this isn't your average, everyday problem.

I like Gilles advice, you need to identify where in the swing things begin to go wrong, and work backwards from there to find the true cause. I wonder if it is a tempo issue? i.e. getting a little quick from the top and jerking the club down to begin the downswing, if done severly this could cause these problems, I know from experience!

Regarding the hooks, anytime I hook is from my body not rotating fully through the swing (not clearing my hips) my hands then take over with a very armsy swing causing the hook. I do get the feeling that the club has twisted when that happens, for what it's worth, but i think it's just over rotation of the hands combined with no use of the body.

Open up your stance a little to promote a clearing of the hips, helps me a lot. This has actually resulted in a power fade with my driver, which I really like opposed to a draw that can get hooky on occasion.

Good luck.
Link to comment
Share on other sites


I've always used an overlap grip.

Giles, I've heard of this before - using a tee to check if you're re-gripping the club at the top of the backswing.

Let's assume that I do this and I find that I'm loosening my grip at a specific point in the swing. What sort of drills would help me to ensure this is fixed?

Stu

Mizuno MX500 10.5*
Mizuno Hi-Fli CLK 20*
Mizuno Hi-Fli CLK 26*
Nike Pro Combo 5-PW
Mizuno Black Ox 52* & 56*

Link to comment
Share on other sites


What if the club is not twisting because you are letting go of the club? Where are you making contact with the ball? If you are hitting the ball off the toe of the club, the force of the golf swing will cause the club to twist in your hand. I think it is very difficult to actually let go of the club during the downswing. There is probably over 1000 lbs of force on the end of that club at the bottom of the swing. I don't think your subconscious will allow you to let go of that club enough to make it twist prior to impact.

What your ball does sounds like what I call a toe shank. If you weakened your grip, your right hand is in a different position at impact than what you are used to. Your hand, out of habit, wants to be in the position that feels natural, which is a stronger position. Grip a club and simulate impact with the new grip. Now from the impact position, rotate your hand to the position it used to be in (keeping hold of the club so it rotates too). What do you see? The club is going to be wide open. If you are hitting the ball from this position, the ball will go way right and feel very awkward.

Drills to help,... go to the chipping green and hit a bunch of 30 yrd shots with the new grip. Your body needs to learn what it feels like to be in the right position at impact. Work you way up to longer clubs, but still hitting only half shots for a while.

My swing thoughts:

- Negative thinking hurts more than negative swinging.
- I let my swing balance me.
- Full extension back and through to the target. - I swing under not around my body. - My club must not twist in my swing. - Keep a soft left knee

Link to comment
Share on other sites


First thing i suggest is slice all your balls to negate the hooking nature you have.. then you should alternate between slice and hook .. after you've done that you should be able to just throw your hand at the ball and towards the target...
Link to comment
Share on other sites


Re-reading your post, combined with MiniMoe's (who's handicap might make him a teeny-bit more experienced and knowledgeable than me) , it might indeed also be that your grip is too weak. Saying "just make your grip weaker" (as "the guy" did) without adjusting the other biomechanics seems a bit incomplete to me. How about your clubhead release for example? That one adapted too?

I think combining the tee-under-the-pinkie thing with either taping and reviewing in slow motion your entire swing or just swinging in slow motion might give you the answer. Freeze at different moments in your swing and check your hands/grip and the alignment of your clubhead. As soon as they're not right, you've isolated the problem.

And from there on, well, I guess it depends on the nature of the problem...


G.

In my ⬠49.95 bag :

Driver : Euhm... not there yet, but hopefully getting closer
Woods : Superfast Burner 3 Wood 15°
i4-PW : CG GoldGW : 252.08SW : CG12 56°Putter : Rossa Suzuka 35"Balls : Gold FX Long

Link to comment
Share on other sites


This is my first post asking for assistance here - hope someone can post something useful!!

I hate to say it,,, BUT,, are you still an 8.5 handicap?

20+ rounds at 14 over or worse? Unless your home course is really hard... I would go back to that golf pro and punch him in the face.

G10 (VS Proto 65 X) or 905S (speeder X) / X Tour 3W (VS Proto S) / Adams Idea Tour Proto 18* (VS Proto S) / S59 Tour, Z-Z65 Cushin (D2) / Mizuno MP-T 51-06 , 56-10, / Miz TP Mills #6 ~or~ Cleveland BRZ #5
 
 
85,84,85,84

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Let me clarify... I did not mean that your grip is too weak now, I just ment that you have to re-train your body to know what is the correct grip to have. The tendancy is to do what you have always done. Your subconscious is very powerful. It takes a lot of time to train your body to know what is the correct grip, movement, or whatever. Tiger made a very small swing change a few years ago and he mentioned that it took him a year before he was able to trust it. That is a small change. A grip change is very huge. It is going to take time to trust that it is right.

My swing thoughts:

- Negative thinking hurts more than negative swinging.
- I let my swing balance me.
- Full extension back and through to the target. - I swing under not around my body. - My club must not twist in my swing. - Keep a soft left knee

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Yeah my official handicap says 8.5 but I haven't entered any competition/medal rounds in 3 months intentionally because of this change.

I'll take on board everyone's comments and give the whole taping my swing a go. Hopefully something will jump out at me and I can start on the road to recovery.

Cheers guys.

Mizuno MX500 10.5*
Mizuno Hi-Fli CLK 20*
Mizuno Hi-Fli CLK 26*
Nike Pro Combo 5-PW
Mizuno Black Ox 52* & 56*

Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • 5 years later...

Hi Stu,

I was wondering if you ever resolved this club twisting issue? I am having the exact same problem. It's very frustrating! The only club I can hit well right now is my driver. My irons and fairway woods are really messed up. I hope you can help! Thanks.

ML "Golfer Diva"

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Note: This thread is 3234 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Welcome to TST! Signing up is free, and you'll see fewer ads and can talk with fellow golf enthusiasts! By using TST, you agree to our Terms of Use, our Privacy Policy, and our Guidelines.

The popup will be closed in 10 seconds...