S.O.S - pull hooks out of nowhere

[DewSweepingMoose]

Playing for 30 years I've always been a cutter of the ball and couldn't draw the ball to save my life. Then a few months back out of nowhere I've developed a pull hook/draw that I'm baffled as to what's the root cause. Grip? Path?

This ball flight is leading to a lot of big scores and weirdly it's only with my irons. Driving is actually super reliable (possibly bc I'm not overthinking it).

 

I've posted 2 videos of me trying to hit 3/4 shots, one was a solid compressed shot and the other a typical low pull hook. I can't really tell what to focus on to drill away. I've also added two frames of the same point of the swing that likely explain the shape but they're just after impact and I'd imagine the cause of getting into these positions takes place much earlier in the swing. Any insights would be sooo appreciated, my confidence with my irons is at an all time low, actually petrified of hitting an iron!

 

(Pull hook is the second video)

 

Frame above, face closed. Frame below, face holding off more square?

 

Edited May 27, 2023 by DewSweepingMoose

[Valtiel]

2 hours ago, DewSweepingMoose said:

Playing for 30 years I've always been a cutter of the ball and couldn't draw the ball to save my life. Then a few months back out of nowhere I've developed a pull hook/draw that I'm baffled as to what's the root cause. Grip? Path?

This ball flight is leading to a lot of big scores and weirdly it's only with my irons. Driving is actually super reliable (possibly bc I'm not overthinking it).

 

I've posted 2 videos of me trying to hit 3/4 shots, one was a solid compressed shot and the other a typical low pull hook. I can't really tell what to focus on to drill away. I've also added two frames of the same point of the swing that likely explain the shape but they're just after impact and I'd imagine the cause of getting into these positions takes place much earlier in the swing. Any insights would be sooo appreciated, my confidence with my irons is at an all time low, actually petrified of hitting an iron!

 

(Pull hook is the second video)

 

 

Frame above, face closed. Frame below, face holding off more square?

 

The clubface orientation after impact is definitely the smoking gun, the pull hook has a much more shut clubface immediately after which suggests a higher rate of face closure coming into the ball. The question is "why" and that's a tough one because there is no easy answer. The "good" shot actually sees you holding off the face quite a bit which isn't necessarily a good thing on it's own and suggests a bit of a compensation. Your swing would naturally suit a draw, so if you were a consistent fader before that was unable to draw the ball then your swing used to be different or you had a strong compensation that you've lost a bit. Your overall swing is flatter with a shut clubface at the top and you're timing some early extension and handle raising issues:



The pull hook sees you coming slightly more towards the ball and thus having to raise the handle slightly more, but i'm not convinced that is the cause of anything, more a symptom. Every type of swing has a list of good and bad match ups. For a flatter swing with a more shut clubface, early extension/depth loss is a bad one because it stands to upset your hand path more in ways that require additional compensation. How you're able to manage that compensation day to day is what determines consistency, or lack thereof. Possible bandaids would include:

1) Feeling like you're actively holding off your release
2) A weaker grip to reduce clubface rotation
3) Getting your hands working a bit more "up" after P2

#1 and #2 are the easiest to implement and you'll know whether or not they are viable by the results. If you start losing the ball right or get a two way miss going then you know the root problem will need to be addressed. #3 is trickier but worth experimenting with depending on whether or not your swing has changed over time. You hinge the club up nicely but then flatten out and get more "around" than up. Nothing crazy, but I wouldn't be shocked at all if this has gotten flatter over time and lead to the draws/pulls coming in.

Regarding the solution that requires the work:

 

Its this leaning in towards the ball in your backswing caused by your left hip coming out too far that is kicking off the early extension problem. Your right hip starts back in the backswing nicely but then you continue rotating which starts engaging your left hip too much, bringing it and you forward. This changing of your distance from the ball means you're going to have to engage compensations to make impact, and all the best players maintain a very steady distance from the ball, sometimes even increasing it. Your address posture looks a little "butt stuck out" and maybe favoring your heels a bit, something you'd also want to reverse (slightly favoring the balls of your feet). The tendency to get a little heel sided in your posture often results on a re-balancing later in the swing that brings you towards the ball. Note your feet in the above gif and how you move slightly up towards your toes at the top of the swing. THAT is where you want to feel like your address posture starts so you have room to "keep back" so to speak.

The AMG hip turn video is always a good place to start.
 

 

[DewSweepingMoose]

4 hours ago, Valtiel said:

 

 

Wow thank you for all of that. My preference would be to avoid bandaid solutions and am absolutely fine with addressing issues in ways that set good patterns even if they take longer. So I appreciate the time you've taken to look at what's going on in my swing 🙂

I've watched that video ^, super interesting. Whats described there, along with what you observe, gives me something to target and focus on. I think what you mention here feels on point:
 

Quote

How you're able to manage that compensation day to day is what determines consistency, or lack thereof.

Somedays depending on timing, maybe I'm able to square it better than others. But over time certain positions have likely drifted to a point where good timing or good hands isn't enough to save it at the last second.

I feel like I can work on "hands working more up after P2" but might need more of a drill to get my hips working more towards a "shift rotate shift rotate" move as described in the AMG video. Happy to look some drills up but if there are any you also recommend, would be happy to hear about them. Either way thank you again for sharing what you see, I'm excited to get to work!

[DewSweepingMoose]

Did a lot of checking my setup in a mirror at home and working on feeling less on my heels and more over the balls of my feet. Posted 2 swings from a practice hit today, probably still looks like I'm back on my heels a bit - will keep working on it (although it feels at setup like I'm reaaaly over my toes haha). The AMG video helped so much in making me think about what my hips are doing in space as I move, might only be very small amounts of reduced early extension but already I feel like I have loads more room at impact - the great news is I didn't hit one low hooking crop duster! Lots of work to do still but feel like I'm on the right path. Thanks again for the detailed input @Valtiel - very much appreciated.

[slytown]

Looks much better.