Fade turning to a pulled hook

[Billy24]

Can anyone help me here, during a round my driving is long with a slight fade until
about half way round the fade disappears and I start pulling/hooking my drives?!
I'm using a cobra S2 and love the club, but the pull hook is really starting to do my
Head in as it's a destructive shot and inevitably ruines my card. I've got it set on a
closed setting as I have always in the past struggled with a slice and
It has worked perfectly up until now. Do I change the setting to neutral or
Would it be something to do with my swing changing during the round?
Thanks

 

[bobmac]

Have you chaanged your grip at all?

 

[Billy24]

Hi Bobmac,
I keep to the same grip during a round.

 

[JustOne]

I can tell you the maths.......

Swingpath -6 degrees (left), clubface -3 degrees (left) = fade that starts a little left and cuts back to middle

Swingpath 0 degrees (straight), clubface -3 degrees (left) = hook that starts a little left and goes more left

If you're swingpath is too straight at impact you can't impart any 'fade' spin at all, on the contrary if the path is to the right of the face eg: path at 0 degrees whilst the face is at -3 then that's hook spin.

1st things 1st, you need to make sure you are lining up properly as this can have a knock on effect as to where you point the face and the subsequent swingpath.

 

[Mattyboy]

Sounds like you are getting tired to me. What do you take out there to eat and drink? What about exercise?

I am learning the importance of this at the mo as my scores have suferred late on in a round. I putting together a schedue for diet, exercises, practice, pre match warm up, fitnes etc at the mo.

 

[bobmac]

The fade is caused by an out to in swingpath with the face SLIGHTLY OPEN
The pull/hook is caused by an out to in swingpath with the face SLIGHTLY CLOSED

Either your grip is changing or you're trying to hit it harder as the round progresses, whiatever the cause is, the clubface is changing at impact.
When I asked you about the grip I meant have you changed it in the last few months? (Maybe from strong to more neutral?)

 

[SGC001]

Are you happy with the fade?

When does it happen? i.e.

Does it happen al the time after 9 holes or so? or

Does it tend to mainly happen on certain holes? or

Have you noticed if you are more likely to have your fade turn into a pulled hook if you are having a relatively good game that day (up to that point)?

 

[Foxholer]

Well, Bob and JO have explained the mechanics of the difference and MB has suggested a reason why the swing is changing.

Something about your swing definitely changes if the fade becomes a hook!

Here's another thing to consider - but not too intensely!

Do you consciously change anything? As Bob posts, trying to swing it harder than 'natural' is very likely to throw you (more?) off balance, something your sub-conscious HAS to correct, so makes auto-compensations. A different position (of arms of where you are facing) from normal at the end of the follow-through would indicate that this has happened - and what the adjustment was. A more subtle Auto-Comp (not necessarily a balance one) is done via the wrists. The brain believes (and it may be right!) that you've bot a bit far forward, so flicks the wrists a bit quicker to 'catch up' closing the face in the process.

And if you add an equipment point of view.... If you swing harder, then the face of Driver has a tendency to open further than normal - laws of physics (angular momentum etc). A shaft with a lower torque value will reduce this effect (that is what the torque value is about). If, through experience, you brain has realised that faster swings (used to) result in slices (they do in my case!) then it can also auto-correct by slowing the swing down just before impact. The shaft will twist the head back into a more neutral, or even a closed position.



Physically (for a righty).

If the swing might feel/like a heave with the shoulders and you will probably end up facing further left than normal - face simply gets closed and path stays out to in.
If the swing feels more wristy/handsy and the arms end up up further left and often lower than normal - face gets closed by hands/forearms ('correcting' too much)
If swing feels/looks 'quick but quit' then it could be either of the above or the shaft torque getting involved.

Probably worthwhile to make a conscious effort to swing 'easy', particular later in the round. Very often this produces a better strike which more than compensates for loss of head speed, so the ball goes further anyway. From an equipment point of view, a stiffer shaft is likely (not guaranteed) to be straighter as is a lower torque shaft of the same flex - though 'same flex' is pretty hard to define. If you are happy with the shaft, don't change it!

So good luck finding out what was cause - it may be that a long range session will get you to the 'last holes of the round' point and some test Drives could help you identify what the cause is. Of course, all the warm-up might just mean you'll hit them all perfectly!

Swing easy, swing better!