Fix hook / closed club face

[DonRSD]

Let me start off my saying I'm not a scratch golfer. I’m a 15 handicap that’s been golfing for 2 years. I can teach anyone how to swing, but I can’t correct MY error(s).

 

I’ve been struggling with a hook lately. If I play it, it’ll be a push hook....but generally speaking....I line up center fairway and the ball starts straight and goes left and low.

 

I understand that my clubface is closed. How can I rectify the issue?

 

For my driver / wood tee shots....it’s straight and then hooks left.

For the iron tee shots & fairway lies....it’s just a simple pull that’s straight left.

 

I’m not a technical guy when over the ball, but I understand the swing from beginning to end.

 

Please.....someone....anyone......

 

What can I do to stop this hook off the toe of the club?

 

I’ve tried to “cover the ball” and “keep the right wrist angle” and when I do....it’s a push right.

 

I haven’t had this issue in a while, but it’s crept in lately and I can’t stop it.

 

I’ll say that I ASSUME that my body is opening too quick and / or my body stalls and my hands takeover.

 

Regardless of the error.....what is the correct feel / action to fix the hook?

Screw distance, I sacrifice it for accuracy until I get the feel ingrained.

[noddy]

is your right hand slipping strong even if you set up correctly? This happens to me sometimes.

Look at your right hand after you've finished your swing and see if it is too strong. Hope it helps.

[Ri_Redneck]

If you don't have an overactive right hand, simply weaken your grip about 1/16".

 

BT

[hacker49]

I'm nowhere near the handicap you are so take my advice for what it's worth. My instructor has been working on my hand position at impact. I have improved greatly in the past few lessons but still have a tendency to flip my wrists at the last moment which either causes me, with my irons, to push the ball, if I don't rotate my body fully or snap hook if I do. In order to work on my hand position my instructor had me hit 3/4 shots really emphasizing pushing my hands forward. So basically hitting a punch shot as my normal shot. It has helped me increase the consistency and direction of my strike, on the practice range at least. Last time out, I hit very few hooks and almost no pushes.

 

So if I were you I would focus on your hand position at impact. But the golf swing is so complicated it could be a number of things that cause your hook issues.

[coops]

Rather than try to 'weaken' your grip... I'd recommend gripping the same i.e. from front on view you maintain the same 'strength' of grip, whether that's two knuckles, 2-1/2, 3 or 1 or whatever your grip is... but **hold** or rotate the club so the face is more open at address.

 

This is most easily achieved by having ribbed (reminder) grips - you can build a rib under regular grips.

Personally, I have the rib on the **top** of the grip, rather than the usual underneath - but whatever helps you feel that you are aligning the clubface a bit more open than previously. You'll see and notice the clubface looks weirdly open at address perhaps to what you're used to, but ignore that and swing.

[LeftDaddy]

I’ve struggled with a smother hook for years. Sounds a lot like what you have. I’ve had to work on what seems like 10 things to try to correct it, but I’ll try to summarize at least what it is for me (and maybe you have a similar issue):

 

1. I get underneath the plane/too in to out on the downswing/throughswing . This causes a lot of hooks. To fix it, I had to fix my backswing. I was too shallow and outside going back, and it made me steep and underneath coming through. So now I take it back steeper and more inside which helps.

2. My bottom hand grip was always too underneath the club (too strong). I’ve had to strengthen my top hand grip and significantly weaken my bottom hand grip.

3. I tend to not turn my hips enough and get too over top of the ball. I’m currently working on this issue now, but it is hard to fix. So I was shifting weight too forward and trying to save the swing at impact by an early release.

4. I have an early release but I think it is both because my lead wrist cups a little at the top and because of the issue above. I have to release the club early to save it at impact.

 

I’m working on the last couple and it works on the range but not consistently on the course right now. But I’m excited, though, because my ball flight used to be low and right (lefty). Now I hit these towering push draws when it hit it right.

 

Anyway, maybe some of this will help you.

[Golfah]

Pick up a copy of the "Stock Tour Swing" by Tyler Ferrell. He does a great job of explaining the mechanics of all the common (poor) ball flights and their associated causes. What I like is he simplifies it by boiling it down to combinations of "path" and "clubface".

[mikpga]

Let me start off my saying I'm not a scratch golfer. _I’m a 15 handicap that’s been golfing for 2 years. I can teach anyone how to swing, but I can’t correct MY error(s)._

 

 

[BiggErn]

Over the top and steep.

[Birdie Mac]

Following. I tend to fight off a nasty hook with my driver and occasionally with my 3 wood off the tee. No problem with my irons. Also, it's only when I'm under pressure, like a forced carry or in tournament play. On the range or with the guys, I'm usually ok. I try to relax over the ball, but I can never tell what will happen until impact. So frustrating. Back to the range.

[Krt22]

> @BiggErn said:

> Over the top and steep.

 

Many hookers are actually too underplane/shallow with path too far to the right. Body compensates by closing the face so you dont block it 2 holes over, then you get the screaming hook.

[HitEmTrue]

> @mikpga said:

> Let me start off my saying I'm not a scratch golfer. _I’m a 15 handicap that’s been golfing for 2 years. I can teach anyone how to swing,

>

 

He lost me here.

 

 

 

[BiggErn]

> @Krt22 said:

> > @BiggErn said:

> > Over the top and steep.

>

> Many hookers are actually too underplane/shallow with path too far to the right. Body compensates by closing the face so you dont block it 2 holes over, then you get the screaming hook.

 

Except it probably wouldn’t be a low toe hook.

[Krt22]

It absolutely can be if the face gets shut enough.OP mentions his drives starting straight and then hooking, meaning relatively square face to the target and face closed to the path. I'm not sure how to get that ball flight with an OTT move

[BiggErn]

> @Krt22 said:

> It absolutely can be if the face gets shut enough.OP mentions his drives starting straight and then hooking, meaning relatively square face to the target and face closed to the path. I'm not sure how to get that ball flight with an OTT move

 

Because over the top and steep with a closed face will almost always be off the toe and you’ll get the low left hook. Actually your “assessment” is wrong with the ball flight you just mentioned anyway.

[Stanks]

Low and left for me always means busy hands in the the down swing or my OTT / Steep approach.

Do us and yourself a favor and take a down the line and face on video of your swing. Put that up on the ol' youtube machine so we can help you out. Monte might even come in and give you some love. I owe a lot of credit to my current swing from the insane amount of resources that frequent this section of this forum. People will help you out. You just need patience and understanding and trust me that, there is a ton of help in here. Chances are, you can fix your swing just by using the search feature on this section and implementing / practicing and PLAYING PLAYING PLAYING (not just dedicated time on the range, it helps but you need to play as well).

[Krt22]

> @BiggErn said:

> > @Krt22 said:

> > It absolutely can be if the face gets shut enough.OP mentions his drives starting straight and then hooking, meaning relatively square face to the target and face closed to the path. I'm not sure how to get that ball flight with an OTT move

>

> Because over the top and steep with a closed face will almost always be off the toe and you’ll get the low left hook. Actually your “assessment” is wrong with the ball flight you just mentioned anyway.

 

 

 

How so?

 

For a ball to start at the target and curve left, the face will be relatively square to the target and the face will be closed to the path. In order for the face to be closed to the path while being square to the target, path needs to be to the right. 85%ish of the start direction is dictated by the face, how the ball curves is dictated by the relationship between the face and the path.

 

OTT typically implies an out to in path which makes starting the ball straight and then curving left basically impossible unless its pure gear effect.

 

 

[Hackinator]

If you are coming too much from the inside try the Malaska move. When I was in a hooking rut that totally straightened me out.

[BigEx44]

> @coops said:

> Rather than try to 'weaken' your grip... I'd recommend gripping the same i.e. from front on view you maintain the same 'strength' of grip, whether that's two knuckles, 2-1/2, 3 or 1 or whatever your grip is... but **hold** or rotate the club so the face is more open at address.

>

> This is most easily achieved by having ribbed (reminder) grips - you can build a rib under regular grips.

> Personally, I have the rib on the **top** of the grip, rather than the usual underneath - but whatever helps you feel that you are aligning the clubface a bit more open than previously. You'll see and notice the clubface looks weirdly open at address perhaps to what you're used to, but ignore that and swing.

This has worked for me lately.