Hooking the ball due to standing too close?

[CosmosMpower]

I've developed a nasty hook on my long clubs (3-4 irons and hybrids/driver) lately and not sure what it is. I was playing yesterday and a few buddies noticed that I was standing way too close to the ball. They commented the swing looks good but the distance to the ball was causing the hook. Is that traditionally a cause for a hook? I tried standing back further and had some pretty straight shots but also hit a few off the toe. What's a good way to measure how far you should stand from the ball?

[osean79]

I've heard that it's common to hook the ball when you are standing too close, because of your right arm getting caught behind the right hip at which point you flip your hands over for that ugly duck hook left.

My personal method is to position my hands so that they hang forward of the end of my toes. In that position, my arms are hanging down away from my body so they may swing freely and unhampered by my right hip.

[jambalaya]

One way is to address the ball with your hands stretched out in front of you, arms parallel to the ground. Bend your knees as usual, now with your arms outstretched bend down from the hips and lower your club until it hits the ground. Don't push your hands down or stretch your arms out. Just let them fall or hang naturally with no tension. Your hands will be closer to your body if you stand tall and further from your body if you bend over more.

[ks8829]

Does you ball travel down the middle then hook or is it pull hook?

Hands too close and not making a full shoulder and hip turn causes my pull hooks.

When I hit my driver I have my hands out further and make sure the swing path is not too much inside the line.

I also have to make sure I am taking a full shoulder and hip turn by taking some practice swings with my feet together

Also check you grip to make sure its not too strong.

[CosmosMpower]

Does you ball travel down the middle then hook or is it pull hook?

It pull hooks from the start, starts left goes even further left. I think I figured out the problem at the range last night. Standing further wasn't the solution. I was taking the club way past parallel on the backswing and with my arms straight the only thing the club could do was rotate in my hands. 9/10 times it rotated to shut the club face so it was completely closed on impact causing a dead left hook.

The solution was to take it back to what felt like a 1/2 or 3/4 swing but it was really a full swing and parallel instead of past it. That way my hands didn't shift on the grip and the ball went out straight.

[BigAl5150]

Had the same issue and it's something I have to constantly check on to make sure it doesn't come back.

Here's how I was able to get rid of them: http://thesandtrap.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5906