Shaft or swing issue? Hook/draw.

[Hey_Porter]

This is a question that really needs professional observation and advice to answer, but I thought I'd see what people think. Here's the issue: I hook/draw my driver consistently. I draw it about 35% of the time, with perfect ball flight, and it's a thing of beauty. About 55% of the time, it flat-out hooks bad. Starts out straight as an arrow, then dives left. Other 10% of the time I duck hook it. I NEVER hook my irons; it is almost always dead straight or a slight draw.

I'm obviously closing the club face too much with the driver. My swing speed is around 88 mph (based on 10 or so measured swings), which is in regular-shaft zone, but is there a chance that a stiffer shaft might still help me keep the club face square at impact? Or is it a part of the swing that is beyond shaft flex? My instinct is the later.

[Butcho22]

I doubt you would be hooking it this much with a stiffer shaft, but with 88 mph you really need all the kick you can get.

Try little things like adjusting your ball position forward/back an inch or so with your current shaft, as that can make a big difference on impact angle.

You're right though, you may need to have somebody look at it to get you a solution.

[westhoff]

If you hit your irons good then have your driver's shaft flex measured in frequency compared to your irons at a known retailer. I think a stiffer shaft would definitely help you.

[thisnamedoesntfi]

What you describe sounds very familiar to me,several of my students have had similar issues in the past. Basically what happens(most likely) is that your club is dropping under your right arm on the downswing. This could be described to you any number of ways.

The easiest way to explain it would be that you are doing the opposite of coming over the top. Most likely cause is the right shoulder moving down with the hands, this means the only way to catch the ball is with the head moving down then around to the ball as opposed to on one plane. An over the top move is the reverse of that which is around then down.

Couple of thoughts that I think will help you are to hold a ball in your right hand and address a ball about where it would be with your driver. take your right arm swing to the top(palm facing the sky), then feel you are throwing the ball at the other ball. You'll hopefully notice that your elbow leads your shoulder and hand, like any good pitcher.

Keep in mind also that it is the extension in your right side which causes the right shoulder to come down and through rather than any conscious dropping of that shoulder from the top of the swing.

Oh....and the reason it gets worse with your driver is the longer the shaft the easier it is to make that error.