Hooker here (left shoulder ?)
- Thread starter curtisj76
- Start date
- Status
willimatic
New
Curt
Yes it will help. You just need to throw the drunk off the back later in the swing. So the feeling of you just moving the left shoulder back is a good feel as it will help you keep your left side bend longer. But you still will need to throw the drunk off at some point, you just need to try and throw "the drunk" off later in the swing.
Hope that helps!
Yes it will help. You just need to throw the drunk off the back later in the swing. So the feeling of you just moving the left shoulder back is a good feel as it will help you keep your left side bend longer. But you still will need to throw the drunk off at some point, you just need to try and throw "the drunk" off later in the swing.
Hope that helps!
curtis,
a lot of this was covered in this thread:
http://www.brianmanzella.com/forum/golfing-discussions/10899-underplane-downswing-fixes.html
a lot of this was covered in this thread:
http://www.brianmanzella.com/forum/golfing-discussions/10899-underplane-downswing-fixes.html
as a life long hooker (don't judge me, the kids gotta eat) i've now gone the longest i've ever gone without hitting one. about a month now. i'm hitting it hard and long with a fade. reading this post kinda led to a crisis moment because it's been so long i haven't thought about what i'm doing to not hook. it's a combination of things i then realised. probably the big one is not being scared of rotating forearms through the ball. once you realise that this will prevent and not promote a hook it's a beautiful time for your golf swing. i used to think this would make me hook it off the planet so....... why does it work? if you use the forearms and your pivot correctly you will always have your low point in front of the ball. if you freeze and block out those forearms you'll have a low right shoulder and an extreme inside-out path with high hands at impact and a backward low point. the other thing using the forearms does is it fixes your path. you can feel the clubhead being rotated onto a nice path and then swinging left after impact starts to mean something. it's no longer a move you make that seems to have little effect on your hooks. once your low point is forward, once your hands are forward from good forearm rotation and pivot, once your path is good, swinging left seems to be the only logical place for the club to go. it feels difficult to not swing left.
also, once your path is fixed, you'll be able to play with that neutral/weak grip you've always wanted to. playing with a weak grip while having 50 anti-hook moves is a recipe for disaster. right to right shots don't do much for the confidence. now the weak grip can be added to the mix and it will only add to the improvement. just don't do what miller did. weak grip, rotating hard with forearms = good path, higher right shoulder and forward low point = driving it like never before.
also, once your path is fixed, you'll be able to play with that neutral/weak grip you've always wanted to. playing with a weak grip while having 50 anti-hook moves is a recipe for disaster. right to right shots don't do much for the confidence. now the weak grip can be added to the mix and it will only add to the improvement. just don't do what miller did. weak grip, rotating hard with forearms = good path, higher right shoulder and forward low point = driving it like never before.
dsmith2296
New
If you were hitting in front of this grid, where would your left shoulder go on the backswing?
YouTube - Ben Hogan Swing
And since you don't have a grid to hit in front of, I find it helpful to use my reflection in a window (panes are the grids)- at night, of course (can't see reflection in daytime).
YouTube - myswing280808
here's some footage from my swing a few days ago. before i'd have my left shoulder too high and right shoulder too low through the ball. now the left side is really clearing and the right shoulder working nicely all from the inhibition in my forearms. so, the shoulders may not be the thing to focus on. they might be the result of other things as opposed to a cause of your problems.
from here i have been stronger with my pivot (no fear of hook) and generally hitting it harder and getting better compression than before.
the first shot i hit is 8 iron aimed at a pole to the left of the range but after that they're all 5 irons aimed at the white pole off in the distance, it's the 200 metre marker. might be able to notice that they all start straight at it. i hit 30 balls within about 20-30 ft of that pole. it looked like a bag of chips or short pitches. i don't say that to blow my own trumpet, just to say that there's no left shots and my ideas might be worth working on. in the past i would always have at least 2 or 3 that would miss the green left.
don't mean to hijack this thread, i thought it would work well as an example of a former hooker that's found his way.
here's some footage from my swing a few days ago. before i'd have my left shoulder too high and right shoulder too low through the ball. now the left side is really clearing and the right shoulder working nicely all from the inhibition in my forearms. so, the shoulders may not be the thing to focus on. they might be the result of other things as opposed to a cause of your problems.
from here i have been stronger with my pivot (no fear of hook) and generally hitting it harder and getting better compression than before.
the first shot i hit is 8 iron aimed at a pole to the left of the range but after that they're all 5 irons aimed at the white pole off in the distance, it's the 200 metre marker. might be able to notice that they all start straight at it. i hit 30 balls within about 20-30 ft of that pole. it looked like a bag of chips or short pitches. i don't say that to blow my own trumpet, just to say that there's no left shots and my ideas might be worth working on. in the past i would always have at least 2 or 3 that would miss the green left.
don't mean to hijack this thread, i thought it would work well as an example of a former hooker that's found his way.
Last edited:
Kevin Shields
Super Moderator
Good move but i can see how you battle a hook.
thanks Doubled. care to elaborate?
Kevin Shields
Super Moderator
Sure. Your hands dont reach the turned shoulder plane in the backswing. You then back up a little and cave in the right side of your body to seek out the plane. This move puts you under the plane with your trail side forcing your planeline to point right.
thanks doubled. i'm happy to hear that because it's what i've been working on. it used to be much much worse! i struggle to get the hands any deeper because i also fight a shut clubface so if i turn any more i accentuate the possibility of a hook. the shut clubface (i think) comes from my body leading the backswing leaving the hands behind and then i pick it up without any forearm rotation because i stop turning. also, i can't see very well out of my left eye so keeping my right eye on the ball severely restricts my turn. it's great to know i might be on the right track though. thanks again. Matt
benhogan55
New
In my lesson with Brian he had me staying more centered The thought that helped me the most was at the top of the backswing he wanted the "feel the fat"...(left love handle ..right above your waistline.) The downswing thought became "lose the fat" meaning to stretch the left side out as fast as possible. I use this as a warm-up drill to remind me of the centered feel.
jenhaoyen
New
right side of the fat or left side?
benhogan55
New
left love handle ..right above your waistline.
curtisj76
New
Eat more.
- Status