New irons, new issues?

[Potor_36]

Evening all, I recently bought some Callaway Big Bertha 06 irons from Ademac on here and seem to have developed a new problem - hooking. Not an issue I've ever really suffered from before, my bad shot has always been more of a pull/slice (generally a pull with short irons and wedges, with the slice being dominant for woods and hybrids).

I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions as to what might be causing this, I'll throw a few of my own thoughts up for starters:

- I had a lesson with the assistant pro at my new club a few weeks ago and discovered I had an 'over the top' action in my swing, causing the pulls and slices I was suffering from. Any range visits since have been mainly focused on trying to eliminate this, but I don't really know how successful I have been since there are no divots to examine (range mats only for now, although I'm hoping to get some practice time in hitting off grass tomorrow).

- The new clubs have quite a bit more offset than my previous set, Mizuno MX900's. Is this a likely cause of a strong right-to-left shape?

- I've wondered for a while now if I am too short for standard length clubs, being only 5 foot 3 inches tall must make some difference, right? I mentioned this to the assistant pro during my lesson but he didn't seem very concerned so I dropped the issue. I normally grip down the shaft by up to about an inch, especially with longer irons and woods because the club feels more under control this way, but I am aware that this is not ideal for 2 reasons; the grip is obviously thinner (though I dont know what effect if any this would have), and I'm probably a bit inconsistant in how far down the club I take my grip from shot to shot.

I'll probably see if I can have a chat with the pro tomorrow, but I'd appreciate any advice or suggestions that you guys have. I really want to persevere with the Callaways as they are way more forgiving than the 900's, but I'm a little confused at the moment

ps. sorry about the long post, as you can tell my mind was totally focused on work today

 

[Region3]

Really really wild stab in the dark, but did you used to have a strong grip trying to fight the slice, make it more neutral in the lesson, and now you're swinging on a better path your grip has slipped back to how it was?

 

[JustOne]

- The new clubs have quite a bit more offset than my previous set, Mizuno MX900's. Is this a likely cause of a strong right-to-left shape?

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Winner!

Offset allows the clubface more time to close. Stops slicers from slicing by turning their slice into a fade (more closed face). Turns drawers into hookers.... and pullers into snap hookers..... oooer!

 

[kid2]

This is just another shot in the dark too Potor....
But as one suffering from a similar swing path the fact that your new irons are causing a hook......Is this really a Hook as in the ball swinging violently from right to left or are the shots going straight left in which case your pulling them...

I ask this because the latter happens to me the odd time if i manage to square the face properly at impact then ill hit the ball dead straight left...Very annoying...

If your swing path is still out to in with that much offset on the irons then maybe thats the issue. You might actually be getting your clubhead square at impact..As i said just guessing but it may be a cause.

 

[Potor_36]

- The new clubs have quite a bit more offset than my previous set, Mizuno MX900's. Is this a likely cause of a strong right-to-left shape?

^
^
^
Winner!

Offset allows the clubface more time to close. Stops slicers from slicing by turning their slice into a fade (more closed face). Turns drawers into hookers.... and pullers into snap hookers..... oooer!

Gah, I was really hoping this was not the case, but I guess it figures - sometimes I get a really nice 5-10 yard draw that starts out slightly right and comes back to the target, but thats only when I really make an effort to hold off the release. If I just release 'normally' (as I used to with my old clubs) then I get shots that start either straight or slightly right and then peel left by anything up to about 35 yards.

When I put this late-release swing on my woods, all hell breaks loose , to the point where on sunday I basically had 2 swings that felt very different during my round, 1 for irons and 1 for woods. No way to be playing the game

 

[Potor_36]

This is just another shot in the dark too Potor....
But as one suffering from a similar swing path the fact that your new irons are causing a hook......Is this really a Hook as in the ball swinging violently from right to left or are the shots going straight left in which case your pulling them...

I ask this because the latter happens to me the odd time if i manage to square the face properly at impact then ill hit the ball dead straight left...Very annoying...

If your swing path is still out to in with that much offset on the irons then maybe thats the issue. You might actually be getting your clubhead square at impact..As i said just guessing but it may be a cause.

Its definately a hook mate, at the very least its a draw but one that starts straight and moves left instead of starting right and moving back to centre. There is the occasional 'snap-hook' in there that starts left and just turns even more left , but these are fairly few and far between.

Think I might take both sets with me to the club tomorrow and spend a while comparing the flights on the range. I'm looking forward to being able to see where the divots are pointing too, this was what the assistant pro said would tell me how the swing path issues were progressing.

On something of a tangent, I've pretty much convinced myself that my clubs are too long and need cutting down - when this is done, will I need new grips (they may need doing anyway), or can the old ones be put back on afterwards?

 

[Potor_36]

Really really wild stab in the dark, but did you used to have a strong grip trying to fight the slice, make it more neutral in the lesson, and now you're swinging on a better path your grip has slipped back to how it was?

Not as far as I'm aware, it wasn't something that was changed during the lesson as he said it was alright. I'll make sure I keep an eye on it though. Just 1 more thing to think about

 

[JustOne]

Gah, I was really hoping this was not the case, but I guess it figures - sometimes I get a really nice 5-10 yard draw that starts out slightly right and comes back to the target, but thats only when I really make an effort to hold off the release. If I just release 'normally' (as I used to with my old clubs) then I get shots that start either straight or slightly right and then peel left by anything up to about 35 yards.

Yep, you have to hold the face open (hold off any concious release or rolling of the wrists) so that the ball starts to the right (where the face is pointing)

Sounds like your swingpath is pretty good, quite straight in fact (although I prefer a bit more in-to-out myself) so you could try moving the ball back an inch so the face has less time to close.



.... or get new clubs. More offset usually favours an over the top swing.. once you start correcting that swingpath you're always asking for problems... just like you'd have adding speed to your swing if you use a really soft shaft.

 

[USER1999]

I'm not convinced by the offset argument. More offset is a confidence boosting look at address thing, but in reality has little effect on the ball flight.

Sounds to me like you are flipping your wrists over (which you would have done to correct your casting), and now don't need to do.

 

[viscount17]

I've wondered for a while now if I am too short for standard length clubs, being only 5 foot 3 inches tall must make some difference, right? I mentioned this to the assistant pro during my lesson but he didn't seem very concerned so I dropped the issue.

It's wrist to floor measurement that matters not height per se but get this checked properly by someone with a clue. IF they are too long you're likely impacting the ground toward the heel end of the sole. (bending the club to bring the impact back to centre won't be the answer as they would still be too long)

Just what effect this will have on the flight I don't know but someone will . . .