over-drawing/hook?

[carpediem4300]

So, im a man of extremes, one day im battling shanks and push slices

yesterday i started with a really nice straight draw, employing new motions ive been working on,....all of a sudden those straight draws start turning more and more left until they are almost hooks

so starting straight down the middle of the range and taking a serious nose dive left (there wasnt any wind)

i know part of the problem is the lie angle of my clubs, they are standard lies and i need -2 degrees flat due to my physique,..but i dont think it accounts for the severity of this change

any ideas? I know my stock shot is a block/straight fade so im constantly battling that and occasionaly sway to far the other way

but to go this far is just weird :S

[iacas]

You tell us.

Knowing the ball flight laws, tell us what you were doing.

And lay some sticks down next time. Lots of the time people will think they're aimed somewhere and be 10° or more off (typically closed). Cuz right now I have no idea if you were pull-hooking or straight-hooking (different suggested fixes), etc.

[Adam Young]

It's going to be one of two problems - either path or face.

My guess is that your swing path is too much from the inside (to the right) so on some days you leave the face open and hit a block/block fade. Other days you start squaring the face and prduce a draw/hook. So for your long term, work on starting the ball more left and getting your divot more left with your irons. Simply feel like the club cuts across the ball left - although this is your feeling it will probably produce a straighter swing path through impact.

The majority of direction is caused by clubface, however. Over 80% of the starting direction, and then most of the overall direction too, is caused by the clubface at impact. The best thing you can do is experiment with trying to get the clubface in differing extremes of left and right - hit 10 balls left and 10 balls right, then work on controlling the amount of curve left and right.

Once you can control that reasonably well, work on calibrating a straight shot (less curvature) using your feelings generated from your experimenting with left and right. Some methods you can use to change the face are

• open the face more at address = clubface more right at impact. close the face more at address = clubface more left at impact 9probably the easiest change and the one Jack Nicklaus used to use
• Use more rotation (like hitting a topspin shot in tennis) = clubface more closed at impact. Use less rotation of the clubface through impact = clubface more open at impact (a la tennis cutspin)
• turn your hands more to the right on the grip = clubface more left at impact and vice versa

Experiment with all of the above and find out what works best for you. Dont be afraid to use extremes in your experimentation. If you can hit a snap hook, and a big slice, straight is in between. The better you get at controlling both, the better your feeling for straight will be. TIGER woods used to practice this - hank haney called it the 9 flights.

before a round of golf, go on the range and practice your routine. Try to think as little as possible and just see what comes out - then make a small PRE SHOT change to calibrate it to a better flight. If your pattern for the day is left, left, left then just open the face a little or turn your grip a little more to the left etc.

Short term results can be easily acheived by changing the clubface. But ideally, for long term, get a better swing path (divot direction) and your overall consistency will improve.

Hope that helps a lot

[carpediem4300]

Originally Posted by iacas

You tell us.

Knowing the ball flight laws, tell us what you were doing.

And lay some sticks down next time. Lots of the time people will think they're aimed somewhere and be 10° or more off (typically closed). Cuz right now I have no idea if you were pull-hooking or straight-hooking (different suggested fixes), etc.

that bit a challenge? lol i sort of know them

ball flight law for a straight hook would indicate an in-to-out swing path with a closed face angle compared to that swing path?

good point re: the sticks,...had them with me but forgot to lay them down

[carpediem4300]

thanks adam,..im always striving to groove a good swing rather than a good bandaid,..

i can shank a ball when i want, slice it, hook it, draw it,.......but gaining control over it is a big issue for me

[dak4n6]

I think many of us mid-low cappers know how to work a ball to some extent. But, executing that on course can be very difficult if we are not 'on'. Usually, the slightest bit of anxiety or doubt will cause rushing and bad tempo, and this then destroys our ability to perform the swing we had in mind. I have always said that you need to swing slow enough that your body/mind can execute what you intend.

[carpediem4300]

very true,....the amount of times i double cross myself is ridiculous

i had a decent tempo last night, but oh well

[carpediem4300]

So as u probably saw in my other thread, i hooked all my irons today I hit a few straight ones when i set up with an open face,..weird