Leakage hook or not?

[curtisj76]

OK, just got back from the course and I have a HUGE question (at least I think). How do you know if you're hitting a leakage hook or just a "regular" hook????? Makes a big difference doesn't it?

 

[fronesis]

I can't give a general answer that an expert might provide, but I can give you my own sense of things as I've been working through just this lately. So a few thoughts:

First, I'd say that the better I get at NOT flipping it, the better I am at being able to tell when I do flip it. So in some sense I know it's a leakage hook if I can tell I'm flipping it. But that's the obvious answer and is probably unhelpful.

All other things equal (i.e. the ball draws in either case), I'd say the following:

With leakage the ball tends to:
- start further left
- go higher
- go shorter

3. Without leakage the ball tends to:
- start right of target line and then come back to the left (because the draw isn't caused by flipping the clubhead but by hitting the ball with a clubface that is closed relatively to the path)
- start with a much lower trajectory
- go much further

So, I'm sure this isn't a hard and fast rule, but for me, if I start the ball right and hit it on a low piercing trajectory with a slight draw, it's a completely different shot then when I flip at it and hit the ball left to left on a higher, weaker trajectory.

 

[curtisj76]

Well my ball flight was low. I'm no expert either because I was thinking that it being low meant leakage hook since the club was being de-lofted.

Thanks for the comments.

Anyone else want to take a stab at it?

 

[Tball88]

For me, I can tell by my finish. When I hang back on the right side it's a leakage hook. It's hard to hit a leakage hook and get to your left side.

 

[Kevin Shields]

Well my ball flight was low. I'm no expert either because I was thinking that it being low meant leakage hook since the club was being de-lofted.

Thanks for the comments.

Anyone else want to take a stab at it?

Where does your divot, or lack thereof, start? And what is it shaped like?

 

[curtisj76]

Where does your divot, or lack thereof, start? And what is it shaped like?

Being the "hacker" that I am I didn't notice. I don't think there was much on these shots. I'll go out tomorrow and make sure to look.

 

[curtisj76]

PS I've been messing around with NHA for the past few days so I was surprised to see these right to left shots. I was expecting to see some fades today but not 1 ball went left to right.

PSS Almost made the UGLIEST hole-in-one shot maybe ever. High elevated tee and I hit that sucker THIN. Took off like a bullet, landed in the fringe and rolled probably 2 inches from the cup. MISSED THE 4 FOOTER FOR BIRDIE!!!!!!!!!!!!