Too stiff of a driver shaft cause hooks?

[Ripken08]

I have always thought too stiff shafts caused weak fades but I can't stop hooking my driver. I am between a reg and stiff in terms of swing speed and currently playing a G20 with Tour stiff.

[Lord Helmet]

Doesnt sound like the shaft....since what you mentioned is what I also thought about flex, etc...sounds to me like your body is stopping and your arms are going....just a guess tho....

g luck.

[goloworgohome]

The problem is shaft flex is not standardized...one company's stiff could be another company's regular

But in general...too stiff of a shaft shouldn't cause a hook...so unfortunately its probably a swing fault

[grip6]

It does, in my case.
In an effort to get the ball on the proper trajectory, I hang back a little and then flip through the hitting area. Hooks every time.

Just an idea.

[grochol17]

All things being equal, a shaft that is too stiff shouldn't cause a hook. However, I've found that if I try to hit something in an x, which I think is too stiff for me, I tend to try and swing way too hard and end up hooking the ball a lot. You might be doing something similar if you've got it in your head that the shaft is too much for you.

[MadGolfer76]

[quote name='SHORTBUTSTR8' timestamp='1373913319' post='7459030']
I have always thought too stiff shafts caused weak fades but I can't stop hooking my driver. I am between a reg and stiff in terms of swing speed and currently playing a G20 with Tour stiff.
[/quote]

Nah, the wrong shaft can cause all kinds of things to happen. It all depends on how you react to something that doesn't feel right to you. The G20 is actually a heavier head, right? Heavy heads can sometimes mitigate shaft stiffness. My L4 always made shafts feel softer. That thing was a tank.

[BirdieBob]

Too stiff a shaft will not square up the face at impact (not able to kick the shaft thru) and with the face left open will cause a fade/slice/push.
Same shaft but if the clubhead face is closed due to hand manipulation of the head thru impact may cause the ball to go straight/draw/hook and usually low left.

[jfaon01]

I had similar question recently. Most likely, the shaft is not the problem. No matter how much we would like a quick fix like that.

[onafriday]

It's always been my understanding, perhaps incorrectly, that a mis-fit flex is more likely to lead to trajectory issues (too loose too high, too stiff too low), vs. dispersion issues?

[ryle]

[quote name='BirdieBob' timestamp='1373921625' post='7459986']
Too stiff a shaft will not square up the face at impact (not able to kick the shaft thru) and with the face left open will cause a fade/slice/push.
Same shaft but if the clubhead face is closed due to hand manipulation of the head thru impact may cause the ball to go straight/draw/hook and usually low left.
[/quote]

So a too flexible shaft will close my clubface and I will hook it ?

[gvogel]

If the shaft is too stiff, and the swing weight is too light (head weight), it gets harder to time the swing.

Try putting some lead tape on the back of the head. Get the swing weight up to D5, like a lot of the Tour Pros use in their drivers.

Also, you need to make a decent weight shaft and RELEASE THE CLUB LEFT. That's right, if you fear the hook, you need to release the club in the direction that you fear. If you hang back on your right side, you're apt to be too handsy through impact, and the hook will result. So try like hell to release left. Actually, try like all get out to hook the ball! Hard. (Make sure your grip is not turned to your right too much.)

[Macklessdaddy]

[quote name='gvogel' timestamp='1373924400' post='7460320']
If the shaft is too stiff, and the swing weight is too light (head weight), it gets harder to time the swing.

Try putting some lead tape on the back of the head. Get the swing weight up to D5, like a lot of the Tour Pros use in their drivers.

Also, you need to make a decent weight shaft and RELEASE THE CLUB LEFT. That's right, if you fear the hook, you need to release the club in the direction that you fear. If you hang back on your right side, you're apt to be too handsy through impact, and the hook will result. So try like hell to release left. Actually, try like all get out to hook the ball! Hard. (Make sure your grip is not turned to your right too much.)
[/quote]

This advice is spot on, this is exactly how I beat the hooks

[cxx]

Everyone displays different symptoms when trying to hit a shaft that is too weak or too strong. I would suggest occasionally trying such a shaft to remember what it feels like.

When I try a driver with a shaft that is too stiff I start out hitting it low and right, not being able to square the clubface. I try harder and harder to get the club around which usually leads to a smothered hook. If I go back to my normal driver after that, I'll hit wild snarling hooks until I get over it. I know the feeling of the first stage, hitting low and right and nip it in the bud. Hitting a too weak shaft is not as traumatic. It goes high and right unless I try to time it but it doesn't have the nasty after effects.

It's best not to experiment before going out to play.

[Ripken08]

I think I am trying so hard to load it that I am swinging my arms and not getting my lower body into it.

[wolfpack]

It does for me at least, I know the standard is weak- hook, stiff push/slice. I am the opposite, to weak I baloon a slice, too stiff and I yank it low and left.

[mr_divots]

Coming over the top trying to load it. Too stiff does that to me as well. I play stiff now and still hit it past X flex players with better accuracy than I had with X.
The G20 head is 205 grams +/-, so it shouldn't be too light. Even at 45" mine still came in at D3+. The shaft length might be something to consider as well. I get off plane if it's too long. 45" is about it for me. Stock length of 45.75" even that is just enough to throw things off a little.
I was fit into the X flex on the G20 in the stock tour shaft, but could have gone with a tipped stiff easily. If you are in between, I'd say erring to the softer of the two shafts in that particular shaft would have sufficed. It's made by UST and a quality shaft that is true to flex. Counter-balanced to help swing that 205g head faster. You'll gain swingweight instantly switching out the shaft.