7 replies to this topic

[WCGC72BE9]

I am usually a very straight driver hitting 75% of the fairways.

Driver goes about 235 yards with a slight draw.

However lately I have been hitting a few low pull hooks. 200 yards max.

Tried working it out at the range but could not find the cause. 2 of 3 will be great but then the third drive is the low pull again.

I have a simple swing with good tempo. I bring the club back low and slow on the back swing. I dont bring the club back past (or even close to) parallell.  

I dont **** the wrists early in the swing. I have tried moving the ball back and forward a bit and standing closer and further from the ball. No change.

Might be tension, sliding the hips, releasing the lower body or coming over the top (I dont even know what exactly that is)

Any suggestions as to what to look for?

Thanks.

[dfw1500]

It sounds to me like you are out if shape with your setup angles but you are moving too much laterally through the shot which is causing you to have to time the shot and you are reliant in this ........this lateral motion will cause the club to come from too steep and outside the body line.

[Bobby Uchida]

I think for the time being if you are playing any time soon and fear this shot I would try to hold the face off instead of naturally releasing the clubhead as you do in your natural draw.  I have fought the pull hooks before, and nothing gives me a better feeling than making nice smooth swing that produces a power fade down the middle.  I think that the fade is a more accurate shot, which is why i think many players on tour keep that shot in their arsenal because they don't need extra power.  When the fade starts to become overexaggerated and you are not starting the ball to the left anymore, go ahead and release the club and play the draw again.  I think some people try to fix their problems too dramatically and try to get back to what they were playing when they need to just play with what their swing gives them and staying in control.  I have played rounds with a dominant draw and a dominant fade; its just whatever my swing gives me for the day.

[iyan7]

I would agree with dfw1500, check your setup angles.  Check especially your grip, don't get that right hand way on top of the shaft.

[nsduff22]

I too fight a pull hook as my most common miss with the driver.  Most of the time my hooks are due to me trying to kill the ball.  I get too quick on the downswing and come over the top.  My key to reducing this is my right elbow.  If I concentrate on keeping it close to my right side throughout the swing, it helps greatly.  I sometimes get the dreaded "flying elbow" which results in casting the club and coming outside-in.  I also try to swing the head on toward the target line, almost exaggerated.  When I get quick, I wrap the club around my body too quickly.  Holding the follow thru down the target line and exaggerating that on the range a little bit may help.  

Just my .02.  Good luck with the problem!!

[ezra76]

"Over the top" simply means you get outside and over your swingplane on the downswing. Have you heard of Hogan's "pane of glass"? Basically if there were a pane of glass flat, from your shoulders/chest to the ball you would want to stay under this to hit the ball from the inside position. If you come out and over it, that is "over the top" and would break the glass.

A pull is pretty simple. The club is coming from the outside to the inside. When I start hitting pulls it's usually starting from taking the club back too inside too soon. Then I kind of cast/throw it out a bit from the top and have to swing hard with the arms to catch up. Setting up with my shoulders left of my target and trying to hit it straight at the target is usually the setup culprit.

[crew_138]

Get you an impact bag... one stop shop. It fixed me up with that same issue.

[WCGC72BE9]

Thanks for the suggestions

Went to the range today and worked on the drive.

Warmed up with a Medicus driver and could swing it easily without it breaking or hinging so I think my swing  basics are fine

Played around with the grip and some of the suggestions I received but nothing really helped. (but now I know how to hit a big fade)

I think I figured out what was happening.  

With the driver I was letting my right knee straighten out on the backswing and this was effecting my posture/spine angle and causing me to swing over the top.  I was trying to make too big a turn for my flexability. (I am 48)

If I concentrated on keeping the right knee flexed my drive was much straighter and solid. Nice high draw.  Cant bring the club back as much as I used to but it is still far enough.

This problem does not come about with the other clubs in the bag as I like to "overclub" and dont try to take it back as far as possible as I try with the driver.

Hope it works on the course under pressure

thanks again