HOOKING AND PUSHING DRIVES

Question
QUESTION: Hello Eddie,

From being a single figure golfer my game has deteriorated to the point where nowadays I struggle to break a ton. Main problem is poor driving from the tee with lack of distance pulled hooks and push to fade.At the driving range I hit it good - but on the course it's a horror story. Can you help! Thanks John

ANSWER: Hi John:

Common problem.  Your subject line says hooking and pushing drives.  That means your club is approaching the golf ball too much from the inside.  You are swinging too much in to out.  What that will do is you'll push balls straight right, hit shots thin or 6-8 inches behind the ball, then start hooking the ball when you get sick enough of hitting to the right, which then could turn into pull hooks and duck hooks.  If this is correct, then let's give you a drill.  I want you to picture your golf ball as a clock.  Remember the club / clubface tells the ball exactly what to do.  So, what you have described to me is your club approaches the ball from 7 o'clock and is swinging towards 1 or 2 o'clock.  You can see why you might push the ball to the right (if the face stays square to that path), and if you start rotating your hands over in an attempt to not push it, the clubface is closing, which would impart right to left (hook) spin.  Also, when the club approaches the ball from too far inside, it is on too shallow an approach, which means you could either hit way behind the ball or hit it thin if you happen to miss the turf.  So, as the club approaches the ball, you need to swing more on a 5 or 6 o'clock towards a 10 or 11 o'clock path.  No just imagine what that will do John.  It will steepen your angle of attack so you can start taking divots again and compressing the ball, it will lesson the sidespin as the clubface squares up against the back of the ball, and it will favor a slight fade (left to right) ball flight.  I would have you do this until you can control your club well enough to get consistent.  Eventually, we want a 6 to 12 approach, but to break the cycle your in, I would have you exaggerate a different path for a while.  Do this with an 8 or 9 iron at first, and work your way up to your bigger clubs.  It won't be long before you are hitting it much more solid and straighter.  

Eddie Kilthau
PGA Member

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Eddie,

Sorry but I'm not too sure what you mean with your "clock" description.

Can you draw a picture of your clock analysis so I can compare with my interpretation of your theory?

Are you suggesting I need to take the club back more upright?


Thanks John

Answer
John:

No I am not suggesting that.  This has nothing to do with your backswing.  Picture this in your mind.  

You are standing directly behind your golf ball, about 6 feet behind it.  You are looking directly at the back of the ball.  Now picture your golf ball as a clock.  If your ball was a clock, you would obviously understand that 12 o'clock is at the top of the ball, 6 o'clock is at the bottom of the ball, etc.  

So go back and reread what I have suggested.  You MUST focus your attention in how the club approaches theh ball.  Again, this has to do with your forward swing, not your backswing.  You simply need to get the club to approach the ball from a different angle (path).  

Reread what I said in the earlier answer, and go practice.  See what happens.

Eddie