Causes of a snap-hook?

danthefan

This shot has found its way into my game, hitting them semi-regularly at the moment. I'll be getting a lesson soon enough but are there any basic things that can cause a snap hook? Things I could be doing include keeping my wrists too rigid and therefore not really completing my backswing, moving my head, not shifting my weight properly.

IITYWYBMAD

Multiple causes tbh. Which club is it? Driver only, or all clubs?

When you aim down the centre of a fairway, does your ball go out to the right and then hook, or does it stay down the centre and then hook?

Probably the ugliest shot in golf, and one that I have suffered from in the past, thankfully it rarely rears it's ugly head now.

danthefan

IITYWYBMAD wrote: »

Multiple causes tbh. Which club is it? Driver only, or all clubs?

When you aim down the centre of a fairway, does your ball go out to the right and then hook, or does it stay down the centre and then hook?

Probably the ugliest shot in golf, and one that I have suffered from in the past, thankfully it rarely rears it's ugly head now.

Not just with the driver no, basically 7 iron and longer I've had it. The ball starts left and ends up much further left, it doesn't start straight when it happens.

GreeBo

Out to in swingpath with a closed (to the line of the swing) clubface.
Probably coming way over the top.

See here for a description of the 9 possible shot shapes you can hit in golf.
Its basically 3 clubface positions X 3 swing paths = 9 shapes.

danthefan

GreeBo wrote: »

Out to in swingpath with a closed (to the line of the swing) clubface.
Probably coming way over the top.

See here for a description of the 9 possible shot shapes you can hit in golf.
Its basically 3 clubface positions X 3 swing paths = 9 shapes.

Probably sounds right.

Mr. Larson

As the others said could be a wide variety of faults. It kills your game. If you can't sort it get a lesson on grip & stance. A pro will spot what you are at very quickly.

For me, when I was at it recently, I was gripping the shaft of the club mostly in the palm of my left hand (I'm right handed) as opposed to having the shaft of the club being gripped more with my fingers and the 'heel' of my left hand. You should be able to see a couple of knuckles on your left hand at address or at the very least your index knuckle and most if not all of the next one.

I was also keeping the club-face pointed down towards the ball (closed) all the way on the backswing, as opposed to allowing it to naturally roll open on the way back.

Couple those two faults with a quick tempo and it's snap hook central.

danthefan

Here's the problem with the internet, I've looked at 2 different things on snap hooks now, one says the problem is in out-to-in swing and the other says it's an in-to-out swing.

stockdam

danthefan wrote: »

Here's the problem with the internet, I've looked at 2 different things on snap hooks now, one says the problem is in out-to-in swing and the other says it's an in-to-out swing.

With an in-to-out swing the ball will start out to the right and then hook. With an out-to-in swing it will start left and hook.

To stop the hook you need to adjust your grip (weaken it) and/or stop rotating the hands through the ball. Check the clubface position....is it hooded. Are you playing the ball back in your stance.

Learn how to fade the ball by adjusting your grip, alignment and swing.

Mr. Larson

danthefan wrote: »

Here's the problem with the internet, I've looked at 2 different things on snap hooks now, one says the problem is in out-to-in swing and the other says it's an in-to-out swing.

danthefan

stockdam wrote: »

With an in-to-out swing the ball will start out to the right and then hook. With an out-to-in swing it will start left and hook.

To stop the hook you need to adjust your grip (weaken it) and/or stop rotating the hands through the ball. Check the clubface position....is it hooded. Are you playing the ball back in your stance.

Learn how to fade the ball by adjusting your grip, alignment and swing.

Sounds so simple

I guess then it's out-to-in that's my problem as the ball is starting left, I think I can say that with certainty now.

kagni

danthefan wrote: »

Here's the problem with the internet, I've looked at 2 different things on snap hooks now, one says the problem is in out-to-in swing and the other says it's an in-to-out swing.

The problem is that the traditional "Ball Flight Laws" said that the initial direction of the ball was determined by the club path (in-to-out or out-to-in).
Now with trackman and doppler radar it has been proven that this is incorrect and that the initial direction of the ball is 85% determined by the clubface angle at impact.

Regardless, if your ball is starting left and then curving left you must have a closed clubface, but according to what I've read the swing path may actually be OK.

whizbang

my money is on the "over the top" (or "casting" as sometimes known):P
With the recent dry warm weather and the expectation of longer shots, i found i was trying too hard, and coming too fast from the top of the swing.:rolleyes:
Its also caused by too much backswing ie the arms collapsing at the top , then it sort of feels like i have to hump a sack of coal up, just to get the clubhead back up to somewhere that feels ok for the downswing.
At that stage i close my eyes cos its gonna hit sumwhat it shouldnt...

uptheroyals

path can be one of 3 iff the ball ist starting left and going left, it can be in to square to in, in to out or out to in. This is because the ball will always start between the path direction and the clubface aim but always closer to the clubface aim...... FACT!! if you want a good drill without using any technique try this:

3 balls, stand up with the first one (aiming straight) try hit the ball as far left (yes left) as you can. 2nd ball stand up and hit it as far right as you can (still aiming straight). And last ball stand up and just hit it!! try doing this a few times, its a great way to reduce something like this and you wont have to get too technical on it.

GreeBo

kagni wrote: »

The problem is that the traditional "Ball Flight Laws" said that the initial direction of the ball was determined by the club path (in-to-out or out-to-in).
Now with trackman and doppler radar it has been proven that this is incorrect and that the initial direction of the ball is 85% determined by the clubface angle at impact.

Hadnt heard this, do you have any links etc?
I shape the ball purely by open closing the clubface and aiming accordingly so I cant see how its true? (but lord knows what Im doing with my swing in reality!)

danthefan

Well I just hit the range, the snap hook seems to be pretty much gone. I concentrated on keeping my eye on the ball through the swing, really following through sort of out as far as I could, having a slightly weaker grip and making sure my right hand didn't lift from the club at all. I didn't manage to do all these things for every shot but when I did it all I was hitting the ball superbly for my own standard.

I'm always a bit wary of the range though, it's just not the same as grass.

Edit - Kinsealy Grange, 120 balls for €8.50 before 2pm on a weekday. Not bad at all.

kagni

GreeBo wrote: »

Hadnt heard this, do you have any links etc?
I shape the ball purely by open closing the clubface and aiming accordingly so I cant see how its true? (but lord knows what Im doing with my swing in reality!)

The basics of it is in the link below...
http://thesandtrap.com/playing_tips/ball_flight_laws

You could also try looking up some stuff on the "D-Plane", I've had a look at that stuff in the past but it's a bit too advanced for me.

Jimdagym

danthefan wrote: »

Kinsealy Grange, 120 balls for €8.50 before 2pm on a weekday. Not bad at all.

Drynam park, 6e for 100 balls before 1, and includes a cup of coffee.