ballaholic
New
Real quick background - I've been playing a little over three years but practice daily - index down to 3.5 but over the past several months I've been battling a bad hook. It used to be a mix of pushes and hooks but now it's just hooks, pull hooks, occasional straight ball. I used to have pretty darn good ballstriking stats and weak short game and putting. Now I rely on short game and putting to get me out of all kinds of bad situations. Swing speed is good - about 115 mph with driver and 7-iron distance around 185-190 yards. Misses are off the planet.
I'd been assuming it was a PATH issue all along and have worked hard on NHA pattern as well as picking up several other anti-hook swing left nuggets. As a side benefit, my short game improved dramatically because I was definitely not swinging left enough on short shots and other than a low running short game shot I didn't have much to work with. Now I can hit a variety of good shots with wedges. However, the hooks on full swings (irons and woods) got nastier and nastier.
Prior to spending some time on the Trackman and also seeing myself rope hooking down to 8-iron with a divot that is slightly left, I started to wonder if in fact my path was the culprit. In fact, now with a much more out-to-in path, if I get the face closed to path the results are two fairways to the left. For me it's not path... (actually it's path to the extent that my face is too far left of path). I would prefer to hit a fade since I've grown to despise any right to left movement.
ANY ADVICE on clubface control "feels" and how to keep the face open?
I've heard about setting up with clubface open, but I think my face-closing action is too violent and I don't know if that's the best long-term fix.
Obviously I've tried "holding off" the release but as you can tell I must not be doing it correctly. In looking at the club and release indoors in slow motion, it seems like if I can feel the left hand stay ahead of the right hand through impact, that would delay the action that is producing my shut face.
I'd been assuming it was a PATH issue all along and have worked hard on NHA pattern as well as picking up several other anti-hook swing left nuggets. As a side benefit, my short game improved dramatically because I was definitely not swinging left enough on short shots and other than a low running short game shot I didn't have much to work with. Now I can hit a variety of good shots with wedges. However, the hooks on full swings (irons and woods) got nastier and nastier.
Prior to spending some time on the Trackman and also seeing myself rope hooking down to 8-iron with a divot that is slightly left, I started to wonder if in fact my path was the culprit. In fact, now with a much more out-to-in path, if I get the face closed to path the results are two fairways to the left. For me it's not path... (actually it's path to the extent that my face is too far left of path). I would prefer to hit a fade since I've grown to despise any right to left movement.
ANY ADVICE on clubface control "feels" and how to keep the face open?
I've heard about setting up with clubface open, but I think my face-closing action is too violent and I don't know if that's the best long-term fix.
Obviously I've tried "holding off" the release but as you can tell I must not be doing it correctly. In looking at the club and release indoors in slow motion, it seems like if I can feel the left hand stay ahead of the right hand through impact, that would delay the action that is producing my shut face.
!! I alternate between 300+ yard bombs and ridiculous low left snaps when it's not timed properly. 17th hole at my home course is a 560 yard par 5 (hard fairways and slightly downhill) and Friday I put driver to 198 yards with fade, 7 iron to five feet slight draw but ball was a couple inches above my feet. That same day I didn't get close to breaking 80 because I snapped the heck out of at least five tee shots and a handful more swings out of fairways and rough. By the second tee lately I'm putting a tee in the ground and trying to guess how much I have to hold the face open.