went from slice to pull hook, need help?

[kamachi923]

So I had my first lesson a few days ago.

I used to:
1. have a weak grip, causing me to be to wristie, also wouldn't allow my hands to stay ahead of the club at impact.
2. couldn't roll my right hand over(by the way im right handed).
3. could square the club face a the top.
4. all of this caused alot of slice's and push's, as well as alot of topping.

Since my lesson the pro adjusted my grip so now I can basically do everything I couldn't do before but now im running into other problems that im hoping some of you guys can give me some things i can look at before i make another lesson.

Now I noticed that on a full swing I hook some, draw some, and every once in a while i push them. now i like the draw not to worried about the push as i know im just not rolling my hands over at impact. but I cant seem to get rid of the hook. I don't know how to stay straight through impact and still make sure I roll my hands over at the end. Here are the questions and some things I noticed, hoping somebody can give me some drills or tips as to why the happen if there common and drills or things to look at to fix them.

1. When switching to the grip and trying to keep square at the top, I seem to have lost power that I had before, now I would rather have the loss in power and the better more consistent shot but still curious. I think I might be hitting more fat shots and maybe coming into shallow but not sure how to tell. also noticed that the ball is not getting up into the air as high as I would expect it.

2. on 3/4 shots i seem to have a some what pull/hook, maybe more of a draw/hook but its almost 90% of the time. basically it starts of left of the target and draws it doesn't seem to have that screaming right to left like i used to have with the slice going left to right. Like I said when I take full shots I get about 40% hook 30%draw 10% straight and 10% fade/push.

So basic questions ways/drills to stop hook and reasons for the loss of power and low ball flight. sorry if this is long and redundant, and thanks for all the replies in advance.

[JonnyGolf]

A slice and a pull hook are related - they're ugly stepsisters. Both are over-the-top swings (outside to inside), but the face is either shut (pull hook) and open (slice). I'm sure every once in a while you time it just right and send it down the middle. But, your hands can't consistently compensate for an off-plane swing.

[kamachi923]

thanks for the resonse, so if im off plane is there any drills or things i can do, both when im by myself and with somebody else that can help me get on plane. what things can tell me im of plane, what things/drills can i do to correct this? thanks again for your response. ill keep working on it.

[barrycuda]

  JonnyGolf said:

A slice and a pull hook are related - they're ugly stepsisters.

can be. a hook is also caused by an inside-outside swing. i.e taking the club back too far inside on the backswing then swinging across the ball outwards. also watch your feet are not pointing too far right of the target, this will encourage a hook. ball position in the stance is important, too many people have the ball too far left (right handed), a reason for a pull. or you might be doing everything right except that your ''timing" is off. turning through before your hands have had a chance to catch up will cause a slice. swinging your arms and leaving your body to catch up through the shot will cause a hook.

[mikelz]

  kamachi923 said:

thanks for the resonse, so if im off plane is there any drills or things i can do, both when im by myself and with somebody else that can help me get on plane. what things can tell me im of plane, what things/drills can i do to correct this? thanks again for your response. ill keep working on it.

Your shoulder alignment (out of habit) may still open at set up.

That puts the trailing shoulder in a dominant position. Try hitting some shots with square shoulders. If your front shoulder feels like it's pushed too far forward, you are probably on the right track.

[kamachi923]

@barrycuda
Thanks for all the info I'll have to pay more attention to those things next time I go out to the range. Do you know of reasons for a really low ball flight I seem to be hitting alot of low balls that just dont have the distance they used to. But when i was slicing and getting that one good shot in out of ten it would go farther. Now I feel like I am getting more solid contact more often without the distnace and I think one thing is this low ball flight. My old shots used to have more of an arc with greater distance, the new ones have the better look going out at angle then dieing at the end just with out the real hieght or power( by power i am basing this off of distance only, I feel I am swing just as hard as before). thanks for all the replies in advance.

[mikelz]

  kamachi923 said:

@barrycuda

The first thing that comes to mind is a slice shot (like any open face shot) adds loft. Most of the good players I know are trying to keep the ball down. If you are hitting it straight and low, I'd stick with it what you're doing. The power will come back.

[Dave]

Set a head cover parallel to your intended direction to the outside of the ball. If you come from the outside, you'll hit the head cover. Helps groove a more inside swing.

[mikelz]

  kamachi923 said:

Oh, one more thing

-Colombo (19 seventy-something) I don't understand why, after just curing a slice, you already want to stop your hook. Seems to me you should be happy about that. You are doing something some people never learn: releasing your hands. Keep practicing and working with your pro. When you release your hands with confidence, that distance thing should take care of itself.

[hukdizzle]

Sounds like you may be swinging outside to in. Couple of drills I got from my teacher is to take an iron and address a ball with it in the center of your stance like you normally would. Then take the golf ball and move it about 1 ball lengths outside of the club (so move it directly away from you). Now just use half swings and make sure you're extending both arms on the backswing and the follow through (if your right handed you'd be extending the left arm straight on the backwing and right arm on the follow through). This will feel really goofy at first but it'll force you to get the club out there at impact and keep your shoulders down and free. I don't know about you but i had a pretty bad outside to in swing and at impact i'd bunch up my shoulders which would lock my club face open.

Another drill I do is to take a tee and put it in front of the ball about 8-10". When you strike the ball make sure your club head travels over the tee through impact. This drill will make you learn to extend your right arm post impact and keep the club on the proper path longer.

Give those a shot, hope it works for ya.

-huk

[bcoulter]

All good tips. I tend to come over the top when I "hit" at the top. I work on making a nice smooth transition at the top and pour on the speed once my hands are at about 9 oclock (hope that makes sense)