hacker swing question

[token_hottie]

should your hands be in front of the ball/club face at address, or should they be lined up with the ball/club face? I have a tendency to put them ahead. Would this be the cause for my wicked hook?

-th

[Ravenous Bugblatter Beast]

I say, "it depends."

When I tee up my oversized driver, I play the ball in front of my left foot, and my left arm hangs straight with the shaft and clubhead just inside the big toe of my left foot. I then focus on an image of swinging well through and extending my arms to get the clubhead to travel a good path.

Now, with the irons, and ball farther back in my stance, the hands get in front of the ball.

Here's what you need to ask yourself. Do you know what causes a hook? It's the spin you put on the ball that causes a hook or slice. The way a hook is often created is by the arms and hands releasing the club head, turning it over. When the face of the club strikes the ball in that way, it will put a hook spin on the ball. The hook spin on a golf ball for a righthanded golfer is the same kind of spin a righthanded pitcher in baseball puts on a curveball, which is done by snapping the wrist, and causes the ball to break right to left.

If you envision that a board was just behind your ball, imagine what kind of spin would cause it to roll right to left, if you are righthanded.

Okay, I've probably babbled enough, but this is how I tend to think about these things as I've been trying to improve my swing, and understand what went wrong when something goes wrong. When I figure that out, it helps me understand why I didn't get the swing result I was playing for.

[token_hottie]

Ok, maybe it's not a hook then. It doesn't "spin" left, it just heads left from the start, about 45 degrees from the spot where I think I'm aiming. I know a couple of things: my feet are lined up with the target properly, and the clubface is lined up with the target properly at address, so it's not like I'm aiming it the wrong way to start. I feel like I'm doing everything right, but the ball goes way left every time, and it is very consistent... always hitting in the same area. I want to try to fix what's wrong, not just simply aim right of the flagstick every time to counteract it. I've gotten that advice before and it's frustrating.

I know it's hard to give advice on someones' swing when you've never seen it before, but I am just trying to brainstorm so I can try something different when I go to the range tomorrow to see if it works.

thanks

[Ravenous Bugblatter Beast]

When you don't pull it left, do you slice?

If so, that sounds more like a classice over-the-top kind of move, at the top of the backswing you might be casting out your arms and the clubhead is getting outside. You then start pulling the clubhead back in towards your body, and when going left, closing down the clubface. Clubhead comes in from right-to-left, the the clubface strikes the ball squarely, and voom, off to the left it goes.

I'd suggest concentrating that your arms aren't being thrown out away from your body.

I frequently have trouble with this because of the troubles with my right shoulder. But I've become a lot better at keeping my club on an inside path to the ball.

[token_hottie]

Originally Posted by Ravenous Bugblatter Beast

When you don't pull it left, do you slice?

If so, that sounds more like a classice over-the-top kind of move, at the top of the backswing you might be casting out your arms and the clubhead is getting outside. You then start pulling the clubhead back in towards your body, and when going left, closing down the clubface. Clubhead comes in from right-to-left, the the clubface strikes the ball squarely, and voom, off to the left it goes.

I'd suggest concentrating that your arms aren't being thrown out away from your body.

I frequently have trouble with this because of the troubles with my right shoulder. But I've become a lot better at keeping my club on an inside path to the ball.

No, I never slice, I always pull left or once in a while it goes straight. Never right. Like I said, I'm very consistent, so I think if I can fix it, I will be on my way to developing "a powerful, repeating swing".

I will try to "stay inside" like you said and see if that does anything for me. Thanks for the advice.

[Ravenous Bugblatter Beast]

Good luck. Sorry I couldn't help much.

[ualtim]

It would be very hard to determine whats causing the problem without a swing video or a series of swing photos. It could be your grip, ball position, stance, swing plane, etc. Having your hands ahead of the ball is not necessarily a bad thing. Harvey Penick taught the value of the forward press with his swing the bucket theory that has worked for decades.

I wish I could solve your problems with a few tips, but it sounds like a job for the local golf professional. If you have some video footage of your swing, I have seen some swing faults identified by some of the members on this board, but the local pro is probably the best method for getting to the bottom of your problems.

Hope this helps.

[Adam Pettman]

Some people that hit the ball to the left are swinging round there body.
To stop this check your shoulder alignment at address and make sure you transfer your weight as you swing through.

[token_hottie]

very good advice, all of you

I am too cheap for lessons (anyone want to give free lessons to a hottie?) so I would prefer to figure it out on my own.

ahhh... 3 beers at lunch makes me a fun girl

[ualtim]

Lessons are not always very expensive. Bought a series of lesson for my wife for $125 in which she gets 5 half hour lessons. The lessons are with an apprentice professional, so they are cheaper than going to the head pro. If the local course lessons are priced too steep, try the local driving range. It may only take a lesson or two to help straigten out your shot.

I also understand the desire to work it out on your own and I am the same way. I have never gone to a golf pro either, but if I had to do it all over again and was just starting out I would definitely go to a pro to get me started down the right path. I learned in my back yard hacking around with a couple of friends when I was 10 years old. Played a local par 3 growing up and learned more about the game by caddying for a few years. Since I played so poorly, I took a lot of time away from the game in my teens which I still regret. What really opened my eyes to instruction was when I visited one of those friends I learned the game with in the backyard down in Virginia (he had obviously moved.) We played a couple of times that week, and he just kicked my butt. I used to destroy him on a regular basis up in Massachusetts, and could not figure out what happened. He had taken a few lessons when he missed out on making the school golf team when he arrived in Virginia and his game improved immensly (he made the team the next year.) I still can not beat him even though I have improved quite a bit.

I understand the drive to be self taught, but that drive cost me several gaps in my golfing life when I got so fed up when I would plateau and could not improve. The only thing that saved me was the 6 weeks I spent down in Ft. Lauderdale when I was in dispatch school back in 1994. I spent about 3 hours a day on the driving range and chipping/putting green about 3 to 4 times a week after class got out. It took about 4 and half of those weeks to finally work out a swing that I could control and get some distance with. That, combined with the 3 to 4 times a week I was playing when I returned home, finally got me to a point where I had figured out my swing enough that I can now go back and correct myself when I start to have problems. 14 years of trial and error is too long.

Another option is to post some video of your swing on the board. There are some knowledgable folks on this board that may be able to disect your swing and provide some assistance.

Hope this helps.

[token_hottie]

If it turns out I can't fix it after a couple of weeks at the driving range, I will certainly invest in some lessons.

Thanks for the great feedback!

[token_hottie]

I had a very productive and rewarding day at the driving range. I tried to focus on keeping my hands on an inside path to the ball as bugblatter suggested and I was getting very good results. I had quite a few that I thought were perfect -- made good solid contact, went straight as an arrow and felt amazing. I can't wait to go back and keep working on my swing.

I appreciate everyone's advice and feedback. I'm sure I will have more questions in the future...

-hottie

[Ravenous Bugblatter Beast]

I'm glad to hear you feel like you've made progress, and hopefully you feel like you've gained more understanding of a golf swing, along with how alignment and the path of the clubhead will affect where the ball goes. Some people pick up on it intuitively, and for others, it takes more time. But if you begin piecing together what causes what, and over time you become more aware of your body, and how the club moves in response to your swing, you'll begin picking up on what you have to be mindful of.