Hooking the ball

[Redvalic]

I usally can work the kinks out of what I am doing but for some reason I am still hooking the ball and when im lucky a pretty draw. I have read the thought process of what goes into a hook but are there any drills I can work on to practice and get out of this? I am making solid contact and if I can get this straightened out I will be playing decent golf.

[rustyredcab]

A hook is a path issue. Could be because of setup. Could be starting with a grip issue. Could be simply coming too much from the inside. Could be something funky in your backswing that puts you in a position to drop too far inside (this one and setup are my usual suspects). Could be snappy wrists (usually not alone if it starts straight and then hooks).

My anti-hook drill is to try and hit fades. I usually can not fade the ball but the attempt often gets me back on a better path. I need to feel like the club is going straighter back to stop the bad hooks.

If you're making good contact, it may be a little change makes a big difference.

[Redvalic]

I think that I may not be sliding my hips which is making me spin my hips and hands over through the ball. Hard to get that lower body into it I guess. I will hit the range tomorrow and keep trying to work it out

[Tumbler]

Well that last post should help me out!  I've only been golfing for a year after being away from the game for about 12 years, and I had no idea the hips were supposed to slide as well, I thought it was all just rotation.  I think that could very well be what's causing me to hook.

[ggolokin]

Originally Posted by Redvalic

I think that I may not be sliding my hips which is making me spin my hips and hands over through the ball. Hard to get that lower body into it I guess. I will hit the range tomorrow and keep trying to work it out

Sliding your hips is probably the worst thing you can do, if you slide your hips your weight is going to be too far on your left foot and your going to block the clubface. going from a hook to a slice.

i tend to hook it when i get bad habits as stated by rustyredcrab, either your grip is wrong, your backswing or your wrists.. generally it's your grip which is wrong, and that imo is the hardest to fix. if it's your backswing, just feel as though your taking the club outside the line. if it's your wrists, through impact make sure the back of your left hand is aimed at the target

[carpediem4300]

How is hip sliding going to block the clubface? surely spinning the hips to fast it making the club get stuck behind which results in the block/slice

as a matter of opinion I have recently started to purposely slide my hips, and went from a slice to a draw

Originally Posted by ggolokin

Sliding your hips is probably the worst thing you can do, if you slide your hips your weight is going to be too far on your left foot and your going to block the clubface. going from a hook to a slice.

i tend to hook it when i get bad habits as stated by rustyredcrab, either your grip is wrong, your backswing or your wrists.. generally it's your grip which is wrong, and that imo is the hardest to fix. if it's your backswing, just feel as though your taking the club outside the line. if it's your wrists, through impact make sure the back of your left hand is aimed at the target

[Stretch]

Originally Posted by ggolokin

Sliding your hips is probably the worst thing you can do, if you slide your hips your weight is going to be too far on your left foot and your going to block the clubface. going from a hook to a slice.

Please don't listen to this. In general, it's bollocks.

What kind of hooks are you hitting? Are we talking about pull hooks (start left, go further left) or overdraws (start right, cross the target, finish left)?

[mgolfer167]

No! Don't slide your hips! You will start blocking and/or slicing the ball. The hips need to rotate. Just like the rest of the swing.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by mgolfer167

No! Don't slide your hips! You will start blocking and/or slicing the ball. The hips need to rotate. Just like the rest of the swing.

Yeah, cuz what'd Ben Hogan know?

http://iacas.org/f/hogan_hip_slide_p1_p4_p7.5.jpg

mgolfer, we have another whole thread on sliding your hips .

[Redvalic]

A pro walking by advised me that my take away was offline coming inside immediately and that I was spinning on my backswing and not tilting. This stopped my iron hook but I cant get this to apply to my woods. Still hooking like a champ.

[blackxpress]

I've been fighting a hook off and on lately myself. I usually happens when I don't get turned which causes my swing to get to armsy. Today I knew I was getting turned but I was still hooking sometimes until I realized I was not keeping my arms connected to my torso (chicken wing?). Anyway, as soon as I started making sure I stayed connected the hook went away and I started hitting it nice and straight with the prettiest little draw you ever did see. Here's hoping I learned something that will stick with me for awhile.

[WUTiger]

Quote:

A hook is a path issue. Could be because of setup. Could be starting with a grip issue. Could be simply coming too much from the inside. ...

I know I'm not a scratch golfer, but it could be a grip issue. I know this from a pro I recently took a lesson with. He said I had an excellent grip... BUT, he found other things wrong with my swing (hence, my 19 HDCP).

On a personal note, he acknowledged he had started hooking the ball this year and was experimenting with a Neutral-Neutral grip to tame it down. If you're a right hander, most golf advice recommends a strong left hand grip, and variation on your R hand depending on how the ball flies. But, he's gone to N-N.

Besides the grip created by your hands, there's the rubber / composite-material grip on the end of your club. If the grip is too narrow, this would allow greater hand action which can translate into hooks for many golfers.

If you're making solid contact, at least look at your hand grip, and physical grip thickness.

[colnago1331]

Originally Posted by Stretch

What kind of hooks are you hitting? Are we talking about pull hooks (start left, go further left) or overdraws (start right, cross the target, finish left)?

This is a somewhat important question as it can tell you (and us) whether the clubface is square, open or closed to the target line at impact.  I would add in the option of "does it start straight and then start heading hard left?".

[Redvalic]

The hooks usually pull and hook into the ground, sometimes the start straight and hook hard. I just cant seem to fell what is off on my swing, although I do not feel comfortable in my wood swings, like something feels off.

[ggolokin]

maybe it's your allignment, try opening your stance and face up ie playing a fade. see if that changes it :)

[bkoguy07]

How is your swing plane?  I hook my driver (and most things with graphite shaft) right now and its mostly because of my extremely flat swing plane right now, and its bringing my swingplane way inside out = huge hook.  Right now I'm working on a more vertical swing plane.  I'm still struggling though lol

[colnago1331]

Try putting a tee in the ground about two or three inches in front of and one or two inches to the right of the ball and then work on hitting the ball and hitting the second tee.