How to Fix your Hook

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Hooking is really generally player's fault. When you see golfers who hook the ball, you'll find some common faults. If you hook the ball and want to fix it, see if you have any of the problems below.

 

1.Grip

The biggest cause for hooking is the grip that is too strong for you. You can read the book and grip it like it was illustrated but still hook the ball. The grip was too strong for you. So the correct grip changes from person to person. But generally, people who hook the ball have very strong grips.

 

Here is how you can find the correct grip for you. First, look at the left hand at address and see how many knuckles you see. If you can see 3 knuckles or more, rotate your left hand until you see 2 1/2 knuckles in your left hand. If you still hook the ball, try 2 knuckles.

 

Golfers sometimes forget to change the right hand grip. So try to rotate your right hand to the left as well to match your left hand. Feel like your hands are facing each other. If the V formed by your right thumb and forefinger points toward your right shoulder, try to point the V more toward your right ear. Some golfers have stronger right hand grip and weaker left hand grip. So pay attention to both hands.

 

2. Stop aligning to the right of target

Hookers tend to align themselves to the right of target because they hit the ball right to left. To fix your hook and start hitting it straight, you need to align your body parallel with the target line. I fyou weaken your grip, you will start hitting it right. After seeing the ball going to the right, you might think this grip is not going to work. But if you just fix your alignment, you might start hitting it straight with your new grip. So after changing your grip, you need to fix your alignment as well.

 

3. Ball Position

Hookers tend to put the ball more to the right to avoid duck hooks. The clubface is going to close at impact. So if your ball position is more to the left, the ball will go even more to the left. But if you put your ball too much right, you are going to swing inside out. The ball will start right of the target most of the time, so you almost have to turn the face over through impact. If this becomes your habit, you will have a hard time hitting it straight. At first, you might feel awkward to position your ball more to the left because you are worried you will hit it left.

 

But if you have a correct grip, your new ball position will help you swing inside in with a square face at impact. Your ball position has a lot to do with swing path. To fix your hook completely, you have to work on your swing path as well.

 

4. Face angle at address

Do you pay attention to the face angle at address? If your face is looking left of the target, you are likely to hit a hook. I know some golfers having closed face at address. They want to avoid right because they are aiming right to compensate for their right to left ball flight. So they are unconciously closing their face at address. Jack Nicklaus is known to hit a fade. He said he has an open clubface at address. He was aiming his clubface little right of the target to hit a fade. So if you want to avoid hooks or plan to hit it straight, make sure your clubface is facing directly to the target.

 

5. Shoulder Alignment

Shoulder alignment often determines your swing path. Hookers usually align their shoulders to the right of target. This promote inside out swing. Fixing your feet alignment might not be good enough. Pay attention to your shoulder alignment as well to fix your swing path.

 

Reference: http://www.golfsamurai.net/fault-fix/how-to-fix-hook.htm

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The Causes of Duck Hook and How to Fix it

The direct cause of duck hook is a closed clubface at impact. There are two types of cause.

1. Clubface is closed at impactc + Swing path is inside in

2. Clubface is extremely closed + Swing path is either inside out or inside in

 

Golfers hitting duck hooks tend to hit a hook or draw on regular shots. If your normal shots is right to left shot, you have to aim right of the target to work the ball to the target. But if you align your body square to the target, you are going to hit a hook or duck hook to the left. Golfers with this type of problems usually swing inside out to compensate for the closed clubface at impact.

 

But for some reason, if they swing inside in, they are going to hit a duck hook. So duck hooks usually happen when hookers try to hit it straight.

 

How to fix it

So fix your your duck hooks, you need to understand that your clubface is closed at impact if you swing inside in. If you swing inside out, you will probably hit it straight (at least it looks like a straight shot) or little draw. But this is not going to cure the root of the problem.

 

The real problem is somewhere else. First thing to do is to look at your grip. Rotate your left hand to the left until you'll see 2 1/2 knuckles of your left hand. Pay attention to your right hand. Make sure the V formed by your right thumb and index finger points more toward your right ear.

 

The Drill for Duck Hook

Here is the drill used by Jim Mclean to fix pros' duck hooks. Let's use 6 iron for this drill.

1. Position your ball in line with your left heel.

2. Flare your right toe about 45 degrees.

 

Now try to hit a fade from this position. Hold your wrist through impact and try not to turn your face over. This drill is for advanced players, but Jim Mclean said it work really well.

 

The Ball Position

When hookers position the ball too much left, they can easily hit a duck hook because they tend to close their face at impact. So if you normally hit a draw, move the ball a bit to the right to avoid duck hooks. But if you position it too much right, you are going to block the shot to the right so you need to experiment with ball positions. With a driver, you might want to try placing the ball one or two ball length right of your left heel if you draw the ball.

 

Reference: http://www.golfsamurai.net/fault-fix/how-to-fix-duck-hook.htm

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If you are having Hard Time Fixing Strong Grip

To fix your hooks, you need to change your grip. The grip that is too strong will cause closed clubface at impact. However, as you know, it's hard to change your habit. Some golfers tell me they changed their grip, but I don't see any changes. If you comfortable with your grip after changing it to weaker grip, you are not really changing it. It has to feel awkward at first. That's why most golfers hate changing their grips. I know a golfer who was fighting hooks. We changed his big hook to a gentle draw.

 

Here is how we did it. I asked him to grip club like usual. But before gripping it, I told him to rotate his club little to the right and grip it. This is like how we grip a sand wedge for a bunker shot. For bunker shots, you need to open your clubface first and then grip the club. By opening his club a little before gripping it, he was able to weaken his grip. When hitting ball with his new grip, I asked him to point his clun face directly at the target at address. He felt strange at first but soon started to hit a little draw. You may want to experiment how much you rotate your face open before gripping it. The ball flight will tell you how much you should rotate your club face.

 

Reference: http://www.golfsamurai.net/fault-fix/fixing-strong-grip.htm

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Hit a Big Slice to Fix Your Hooks

Friday, December 20, 2013

If you are hooking the ball, you might want to try hitting a big slice to fix it. Most golfers try hitting it straight. But instead of trying to hit it straight, you should learn to fade the ball. Once you understand how you can change your ball flight, you will better understand how to fix your hooks.

 

So let's start hitting a big slice.

1. Pick two targets

If  you hit it 140 yards with your 7 iron, your targets should be 130 yards away. Pick one target on the right side. Pick another target on the left side. Two targets should be about 50 yards apart.

 

2. Set up to the left target. Align your body parallel to the line from the ball to the left target. But aim your face to the right target. Position your ball one to two ball length right of center.

 

3. When you aim your clubface, you need to rotate your face open before gripping the club.

 

4. Swing along your feet line. Try to start your ball to the left target and then curve it to the right target.

 

You should swing with 60% of your power.

 

Reference: http://www.golfsamurai.net/fault-fix/how-to-fix-hook2.htm

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The Easy Way to Fix Your Hook

A hook shot is usually a good player's fault. Most golfers are slicers. The good thing is that hooks are easier to fix than slices. The reason why you hit a hook is because you closed your clubface at impact. This puts hook spin on the ball. At address, I suppose you set your clubface to the target.

 

But for some reason, you are closing your clubface during the golf swing.

 

1. Most of the Problems Come from the Grip

The main cause of your hooks is your grip. Most hookers have grip that is too strong. There was a golfer who was hitting a big hook. I checked his grip and found that his right hand was too strong. The V formed by his right thumb and index finger was pointing right of his right shoulder at address. For most players, this is too strong. But his left hand grip was not so strong. When he looked down he saw 2 1/2 knuckles of his left hand. So we didn't change his left hand grip. But I asked him to change his right hand grip. We made sure the V formed by his right thumb and index finger was pointing toward his right shoulder at first.

 

This is still a strong grip, but I asked him to hit shots with this grip. He did so and hit a strong draw with this grip. If he wants to hit straighter shots, he can work on his right hand grip. If the V formed by his right thumb and index finger points somewhere between his right shoulder and his chin, he would be able to hit straighter shots. But he was hitting a good draw, so I left it like that. I think it's a good idea to have either a draw or fade as your weapon because you can predict where the ball will go if you miss.

 

If your shot is a draw, you can aim the right side of the fairway and work your ball back to the center of the fairway. If you hook it too much, your ball is still on the left side of your fairway. You can use the whole width of the fairway with his strategy. But if you hit straight shots, you only have half of the fairway to work with.

 

Anyway, in his case, he only had to change his right hand grip. But most hookers have strong left hand grip. If that's your case, you might want to make sure you see 2 1/2 knuckles of your left hand when you look down. If you see 3 or more knuckles of your left hand, that may be too strong. In that case, rotate your left hand to the left until you see 2 1/2 knuckles.

 

The Habit of Closing the Clubface during the Swing

Some hookers have the haboit of closing the clubface during the golf swing. This causes a hook. So you might want to feel like you are even opening the clubface during the golf swing. The good point to check is when the clubface reaches parallel with the ground at the beginning of your backswing. Stop when the club reaches parallel with the ground. The club should be at your waist height.

 

Now, check the clubface angle. If the clubface is looking toward the ground, which mean you closed your clubface. If clibface is looking toward the sky, that's open. You will hit a slice. So  you want your clubface to point somewhere between those two. Some instructors say that the clubface angle should match the angle of your spine. But I think it's too hard to be aware of that during your backswing.

 

So try feel like the toe of your iron is looking toward the sky at this position. If you still hit hooks, try to rotate your clubface just a little bit at the start of your backswing. This is advanced technique for most players, but if you have the tendency to close your clubface during the swing, the technique might help you.

 

Reference: http://www.golfsamurai.net/fault-fix/how-to-fix-hook3.htm

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How to Hit a 3-Wood

When I was in college, lots of golfers carried long irons. But nowadays, most golfers have 5-wood, 7-wood, and utility/hybrid clubs instead. Some golfers are good at hitting them. But when you give them 3-wood, they can't hit them so well. If you do well with 5-wood but not with 3-wood, you must be doing something different with your 3-wood.

 

6 Tips to Hit it

 

1. Ball Position

3-wood has less loft, so you might think you need to do something to get the ball up in the air. Many of the golfers start to position the ball too much to the left to help the ball in the air. Some golfers pu the ball off the left heel like a driver. But this is too far forward for a 3-wood. You will pull it left or hit it thin if you try to avoid a pull.

 

Unless you tee it up, you should position your ball a ball-length or two right of your heel. You should experiment with it and find the correct position for you. If you pull it, hit it thin or slice the ball, check to see if your ball position is too far left.

 

2. Fast Tempo

Golfers have a tempo that's too fast when they grab a 3-wood. They swing too hard trying to hit it far. But I bet you will hit it further with 60% of your power. So before swinging it with more power, try to hit it on the sweet spot first. If you think you can hit on the sweet spot every time, start increasing your swing speed.

 

3. Distance Control

When you grab your 3-wood, you might start thinking about hitting it as far as you can. But this approach usually won't give you the good results. So think about your distance for 3-wood. If you hit it 200 yards, don't try to hit it 200 yards. Pick a point that's 190 yards away. You will have much better chance of hitting it well this way.

 

4. Check your 3-wood

Check your loft of your 3-wood. You should have 15 degree of loft or more. Also, 3-wood with a shallow face will be easier to hit the ball high than a deep face 3-wood. But if you use your 3-wood only on the tee shot, the deep face 3-wood might be easier to hit. In that case, don't worry about switching it to shallow face 3-wood.

 

5. It's OK to Take a Little Divot

In general, you should sweep the ball with your fairway woods. But lots of good players take a small divot with their 3 woods like Tiger Woods and Ben Hogan. So it's ok to take a small divot. But try not to help the ball in the air by trying to lift the ball with your 3-wood. This will cause you to hit it thin or fat. You just need to trust your loft to get the ball airborne.

 

6. Fixing Your Slice

With longer clubs, you will slice more because longer clubs has less loft. Less loft will take ball spin off the ball. But when your clubface angle is off at impact, clubs with less loft will create more side spin. So it's easier to slice it with your 3-wood. To fix your slice with 3-wood, try to the following.

 

1. Lower your right shoulder at address

2. Grip a club after lowering your right shoulder

3. Rotate your hand to the right until you see 3 knuckles of your left hand at address

 

If you slice, you might place your hands right on top of your grip (weak grip). For your right hand, instead of placing it on top of the grip, try to grip it from the right side of your grip (club). This will give you stronger grip that helps you turn the clubface over through impact for a draw.

 

7. Try to sweep the ball

When hitting fairway woods, players tend to swing up on the ball and end up topping the ball or hitting it fat. The tendency to scope the ball will also cause slice. So instead of trying to scope the ball, feel like you are going to sweep the ball off the turf. Because the fairway woods have a larger sole than irons, you should try to slide your fairway woods through the grass. Check the position of your hands at address. If your hands are positioned in front of your zipper, that's  too far right. This will cause lots of slice. So make sure that your hands are positioned toward the inside of your left thigh.

 

Reference: http://www.golfsamurai.net/fault-fix/how-to-hit-3wood.htm

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How to Hit a 5 Wood

Tiger Wood once talked about how he hit his 5 wood. He mentioned 4 key points.

1. Position the ball few inches inside left heel

2. Make sure your right shoulder is lower than left at address

3. Keep your chin up at address during the golf swing

4. It's ok to take thin divot with a slightly descending blow

 

You might wonder wether you should sweep the ball or hit it with a descending blow with your 5 wood. But Tiger Woods said it's ok to hit it with a descending blow. If you have a good liem then you can go ahead and sweep the ball. But if the ball is sitting down in the grass or in the rough, you should hit it with a descending blow.

 

Ball Position

Tiger mentioned that you should play the ball few inches inside your left heel. You need to find the right position for your golf swing. If you draw the ball, you might want to move it little more to the right. If you fade the ball, you might want to move it little more to the left.

 

When we grab the club with longer shaft loft like 5 wood, we tend to plat the ball more toward the left foot because it makes us feel like we have more time to accelerate the clubhead before impact, or it make us feel like we can hit the ball higher. But playing the ball too much left will make your shoulders align left. This means you are open to the target. You will easily hit slice from this position.

 

If you try to hit the draw from this position, you will hit a duck hook or push it to the right with a slice spin on the ball.

 

Reference: http://www.golfsamurai.net/fault-fix/how-to-hit-5wood.htm

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