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Does fighting a hook/draw mean your swing is getting better.

Golferbest

Golferbest

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So through out my mild golfing experience ive always heard that as your swing gets better, on plane you'll fight a hook.
Today on the course I committed to applying my shorter backswing. Everything went left. Something ive never experienced before. Ive always been a fade player. So im just curious if the title saying is true or is it just something that people say?
 
Golferbest said:
So through out my mild golfing experience ive always heard that as your swing gets better, on plane you'll fight a hook.
Today on the course I committed to applying my shorter backswing. Everything went left. Something ive never experienced before. Ive always been a fade player. So im just curious if the title saying is true or is it just something that people say?
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Something that people say. IMO.
 
I think it stems from the concept that a draw goes farther than a fade. Which is *generally* true since most of the swing issues that produce a fade generate more backspin than those that produce a draw. At least if you're seeing it go the other direction you can learn from it and find that sweet spot which keeps the ball straight.
 
Golferbest said:
So through out my mild golfing experience ive always heard that as your swing gets better, on plane you'll fight a hook.
Today on the course I committed to applying my shorter backswing. Everything went left. Something ive never experienced before. Ive always been a fade player. So im just curious if the title saying is true or is it just something that people say?
Click to expand...
I know as my swing has gotten better I went from a slice/fade player to a hook/draw player. But I don't know if they are related or just a coincidence!
 
IceyShanks said:
I know as my swing has gotten better I went from a slice/fade player to a hook/draw player. But I don't know if they are related or just a coincidence!
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Typically, better players come from the inside of the ball. Making it easier to release the hands and draw the ball. Anybody who has an OTT move knows that in order to keep from the ball going hard right, you have to really wrench your hands over.
 
I remember some video or article where a golf coach said he can "work with" any shot shape except a slice; a slice requires an overhaul. I think it was a pretty over-simplified statement, but depending on what's causing your hook, it can be fixed with a less-severe alteration to your swing than is necessary to correct a slice.

At least that's my understanding. I don't necessarily agree with it.
 
As your swing gets better, you will eliminate one side of the course. That means your misses will consistently be to the right or to the left.
 
It's something people say. For me a hook or draw is digression in my swing. I started with hitting the ball with that shape and have worked to hit a fade to take out the left side.
 
Do your shots start left of target and keep going left, or do they start on target then go left? Over the top swings will go left if you are squaring up the club face, it's called pulling the ball. You can also have pull hooks. I usually do this.
 
I suck and I'm fighting a draw and hook. But my problem is OTT
 
I fought a hook for years and then got fit properly. Creeps in with the longer clubs when I over swing but the right side still doesn't get much play from me. My buddy says you can talk to a fade but a hook will never listen.
 
staticline said:
As your swing gets better, you will eliminate one side of the course. That means your misses will consistently be to the right or to the left.
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I agree with this. My natural swing gives me a natural fade with most shots and I have to change grip and stance to hit a draw. Without these changes, I take the left side out of play 99% of the time (no one is perfect).
 
It depends on what is causing the hook. If its from coming over the top or rolling the right hand then no. There are so many variables but if it was me I would make sure to finish towards right field and center contact to take the duck hook out of play.
 
I think that might stem from some teachers i have had telling me that correcting a hook is easier than correcting a slice
 
Sometimes I hit a "hook" but its actually from coming over the top, but with the face square so it stays left instead of slicing back right.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
 
I've always been told that a hook is a good players problem but I can tell you that I don't feel like a very good player when I hit one.
 
I've also heard and been under the impression that drawing too much or fighting a hook generally means improvement but I cant say I know this for sure to be the truth. What I do know (or at least believe) is that for most people the average beginners issue is usually a slice in most cases. If one falls into that generally normal category then once the person is taught better technique he then may indeed go the other way. So with that, I believe one can say it is an improvement. I've been told a few times it is only then a swing that then can be more easily worked on to become a more consistent ball striker vs the way one starts out from the beginning with the ever popular beginners slice. I guess the theory is that one is an overhaul on a bad swing while the other is tweaking a more of a sound swing? Does make sense to me if I explained my thoughts well enough.
 
blugold said:
Typically, better players come from the inside of the ball. Making it easier to release the hands and draw the ball. Anybody who has an OTT move knows that in order to keep from the ball going hard right, you have to really wrench your hands over.
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Say that to Jack Nicklaus.

It gets said now, because people like the reasoning. I have never believed it for a second. One can stink just as bad missing left or right and be quite good playing a natural shot shape left or right.
 
When I took 5 lessons with a pro last year first thing he told me was that he was going to make me into a draw/hooker golfer. I was a bad slicer and he always told me to try and hook it. Well at the end of last year for some reason I started hooking more and some draw. So I guess that means I had some improvement.
 
I've hit terrible and great shots hitting it with a fade and with a draw. The worst shots typically come from a hook though, as they usually closely come with a snap hook. For those who slice it, at least your ball doesn't go topping to who knows where when it hits the ground. A hook does, and it's very frustrating. Both faults have their problems, but I wouldn't ever say you're getting better just because your miss is now on the other side.
 
I struggled with a severe draw for a while thinking it was my swing or equipment, so I took a lesson. The pro put me through the paces and to my surprise the severe draw was not linked to my swing/shafts but my grip size! He suggested I try a midsize as it will create less tension in my grip. So after replacing the std grips with the midsize all is well, now I have a slight draw that I am happy with.
 
JB said:
Say that to Jack Nicklaus.

It gets said now, because people like the reasoning. I have never believed it for a second. One can stink just as bad missing left or right and be quite good playing a natural shot shape left or right.
Click to expand...

I will add that to the list of things I want to say to Jack Nicklaus.
 
I had a slice then I got the X hot driver set it to closed and the ball started out going left then faded back to the right about 1/2 a fairway, then for some reason the ball was starting left and just continuing left so I set the club face to square and now the ball either goes straight or has a bit of a fade, every now and then I will still slice it but that is usually late in the round probably due to fatigue. So I am guessing that my swing might have got better.
 
If you are "fighting" a ball flight, I don't think it matters if it is left or right. It's not going where you want it to without a fight.
I don't think fighting a hook makes you a better player at all. It just makes you miss on the left side of the fairway/green.
 
I can hook the ball off the planet by dropping my hands and swinging flat and I can hit a high cut by raising my hands and taking the club more upright. I hit more fairways playing the fade and that is starting to feel comfortable for me. I never thought I would move away from my natural draw/hook shot. When I hit one now it's more of swing across body move and I pull hook the ball. I'm going the opposite way from Golferbest so maybe I'm regressing. :bulgy-eyes:lol
 
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