Can a ribbed grip cause my hook?

[ncologerojr]

I have been having a lot of trouble setting up with my clubface slightly open. It seems that when I loosen my left hand and rotate the club open it feels very awkward and seems to work its way back square through my swing! I swing in- to-out and prefer to hit a push draw, but with a square face at impact this turns to a hook. I play callaway X18r's with the original ribbed grips, can the grips be the cause of my problems? It seems to make sence to me, but I never like blaming my equipment for my problems. Anyone else have a similar problem with ribbed grips? Thx in advance for any input/advise.

[tws1098]

I would say it is an adjustment period, if the grips feel nice your hands will figure it out. If they have/develop an awkward feel, then its time to blame the equipment.

[Tomboys]

Possibly.  A ribbed grip has a ridge on the "underside" of the club that you can feel in the upper part of your hand.  The purpose is to help you align your hands and fingers on the club at address.  As such, if you're purposely setting up with a more opened clubface at address, this ridge will rotate into your fingers more which could be the "awkward" feeling you're getting.

While I'm sure there are some that swear by them, I didn't like them.  The main reason was because I used to be very crooked with my driver (still am, but not as severe now), and I had to hit a bunch of low punch hooks or slices to get my tee shots out of the trees back into the fairway.  So, I found that round grips were better suited for this from a setup/feel perspective.