Hooking With Woods and Hybrids

[cyclonez7]

Lately I've had a problem with hooking my drives and woods/hybrids. They're always low and to the left. I can hit my irons perfectly fine, but everything above the 5 iron i can't seem to hit straight. What can I do to fix this?

[Neco]

The first thing I would check out is your swing plane. Look at the few free vids on youtube about it and try changing some things.

What you will most likely do it bring the club back a little steeper or vertically then you do at the moment. The more horizontal swing is off plane and will result in a shot that curves left for the right handed golfer.

Try that.

[Ill St. golfer]

Try keeping your arms connected to your core. What I mean is do not let your arms hang straight out during your swing. Try to have your triceps rubbing against your chest. Should take the hook right away.

[misty_mountainhop]

You say "low and left". Do they start left with a gentle hook or do they start straight/slightly right and then snap hook?

[cyclonez7]

You say "low and left". Do they start left with a gentle hook or do they start straight/slightly right and then snap hook?

i think i've been getting both of those. Would using a weaker grip, choking up an inch, or moving the ball back in my stance help any?

[Kcas77]

A video would help if possible

Left could be caused by clearing you hips too early. The first move from the top should be your knees going torwards the target.

[Paddymaster]

The first thing I would check out is your swing plane. Look at the few free vids on youtube about it and try changing some things.

He's right

Hooks are from swing plane. Im 100% sure. You are most likely coming inside to out, having your club come inside on the upswing and downswing. Look videos on swing plane on google, it should explain.

[chspeed]

Where does your ball flight start out? Does is start out to the right of target and then hook? Start straight and hook? Start left and keep going?

The direction your ball starts out will tell you your swing path. If it starts to the right, your path is in to out, if it starts to the left, your path is out to in.

The direction and amount your ball spins tells you the clubface angle in relation to your swing path at the moment of impact. For example, if you are hooking the ball, the clubface is closed in relation to your swing path.

The most common malady with longer clubs for higher handicapped players is an outside in path, which makes the ball start out to the left. Then if your clubface is open in relation to the swing path, you get a classic slice, which starts to the left of target and then curves to the right. If, however, your clubface is closed in relation to your path, you'll get a low ball that starts to the left and hooks further left.

[JetFan1983]

This video about how to fix your hook is pretty good and may be what you're looking for.

[King Norre]

I had the same problem (and still hook 'm frequently) and it really took a looong time to find the problem. So whenever I start hitting hooks this is what I pay attention to (this works for me, don't know if it will help you).
- grip, obviously
- hands, arms, entire body relaxed
- keep head still and keep looking at the ball in my backswing
- keep backswing compact and hold my right elbow as close to my body as possible (in a natural way)
- and finally, for me this was really hard to learn, start the downswing from the ground up. If my hands go first I always produce real bad hooks.
As you may have noticed I'm high handicapper and still have soo much to learn.
Maybe my list is complete nonsense, but somehow it works for me.
Hope this helps. Good luck with the swing

[pjsnyc]

Where does your ball flight start out? Does is start out to the right of target and then hook? Start straight and hook? Start left and keep going?

I think chspeed is sorta right. Again - its hard to diagnose if we can't see it.

One of my main swing faults occurs when I reach for the club with my right hand instead of dipping the right shoulder (when addressing the ball). This causes my shoulders to point left of the target and makes me come over the top (basically starts left and hooks weakly a little bit more left - not a snap hook that starts right and hooks quickly left)...or I end up compensating and manipulating the club face on the way down which causes me to slice. So yeah - maybe its the shoulder alignment?