Not hitting the sweetspot

[dufferman]

Hi all,

I know it's unlikely to be something you can fix without a video, which I don't have, but I'm not hitting the sweetspot on my irons all that often. I seem to be close, but often hit between the sweetspot & the hosel. Last night at the range I really noticed. The ball is still flying well, it seems to be hooking right a bit.

I tried setting up with the ball at the toe of the club, which helped, but I know that it's not the real solution.

I also know that a right hook usually means I'm coming across the ball out-to-in. Could that be the reason it's happening?

 

[One Planer]

I suffer from he same.

Mine happens in the backswing. My head, according to my pro should move fractionally to the right (1/4 head width) through the backswing.
Mine comes when I forget to move to the right. My left shoulder moves under my chin and moves my spine angle and weight forwards towards the ball.

Swing down on that and it's shank city. I talked about it here:

http://forums.golf-monthly.co.uk/showthread.php?51785-Spine-angle-question-Pic-included

Bob gave me a great tip of feeling my left shoulder move up to my chin through the back swing.

Works for me :thup:

 

[Alex1975]

To be non technical.... Stay in the shot a little longer (don't lift your head) and slow down a little. I promise it will help. I hit a hundred or more shots a night into a net, the balls live outside so mark the face of the club and I can see an average of where I hit the shot on the face. On my calm, head down, dont kill it nights I will hit them within millimetres of one another and the mark is a circle on the face, on my rip it nights they are a mess all over the place.

Clearly there maybe a technical reason and you may always be missing the sweetspot but the above does help.

 

[Foxholer]

Rightie? If so, that right hook is a Slice!

Assuming that is the case...

May or may not be coming out-to-in. But face is definitely open to the swing path. What's the starting direction of your shots?

 

[dufferman]

Sorry, I'm constantly mixing up hooks and slices. It is indeed a slice.

Foxholer, it starts straight and usually goes right at the top of the ball flight. On a really bad shot, it'll start slicing earlier. On average the slice goes 10 - 20ft right of where I want it to go (and where it starts off going).

The slowing things down does tend to do the trick Alex, but sometimes I feel like I'm too slow and losing a bit of distance because of it. I play Wilson Staff Di11's which are supposed to be a lot more forgiving and have a bigger sweetspot - I dread to think what might be happening if I had a more expensive set of clubs!!

Gareth, I'll take a look an see if I can replicate that feeling!

 

[Foxholer]

Does seem to be a touch of the out-to-in swing.

The slightly left of sweet-spot is something that requires a bit of experimentation. Standing a bit further away might also help. But it's also quite possible that getting the swing to be more in-to-out could help too. Your Pro (or Bob) is probably the best for that (though, from his 'Dongle' thread Bob may be inaccessible for a bit).

15 to 20 feet is really only a marginal fade btw. It's about the same as my standard Driver shape, which I'm 'happy' to live with.

Good Luck.

 

[dufferman]

Does seem to be a touch of the out-to-in swing.

The slightly left of sweet-spot is something that requires a bit of experimentation. Standing a bit further away might also help. But it's also quite possible that getting the swing to be more in-to-out could help too. Your Pro (or Bob) is probably the best for that (though, from his 'Dongle' thread Bob may be inaccessible for a bit).

15 to 20 feet is really only a marginal fade btw. It's about the same as my standard Driver shape, which I'm 'happy' to live with.

Good Luck.

Yes, the fade isn't too bad - I'm just thinking whether trying to correct it and trying to get my ball flight straighter will be more hassle than just aiming slightly left of targets to make up for it. As a high handicapper who only plays once a week, I'm never going to play enough to start shot shaping and all that really - I just want to hit the ball straight!

 

[Robobum]

I tried setting up with the ball at the toe of the club, which helped, but I know that it's not the real solution.

Luke Donald sets up with the ball in the hosel. Zac Johnson sets up with the ball out of the toe.

 

[patricks148]

I wouldn't worry about it, i can't remember the last time i hit the sweet spot

 

[dufferman]

Luke Donald sets up with the ball in the hosel. Zac Johnson sets up with the ball out of the toe.

Really? That is interesting. I had been thinking about it but thought I'd be lambasted for suggesting this is the answer to my solution!

 

[Robobum]

Really? That is interesting. I had been thinking about it but thought I'd be lambasted for suggesting this is the answer to my solution!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVuNqHLgacI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEh_AYsfbWE

Whatever gets it done is good