Question re: snap-hook

[Keith]

Hello all.

I recently purchased a new Nike driver to replace my old Integra. With the Integra, I was hitting good drives but I had a tendency to slice. Now, after living for 2 years with a slice problem, my new Nike has the exact opposite problem...I am hitting duck-hooks off the tee!

My theory is this...on my Integra, the grip was oversized and with the Nike, the grip is VERY small. When I really force my grip with the Nike and keep my hand movement down, I get perfectly straight drives that range anywhere from 260-280 but, it seems like one out of every 4 drives ends up snap-hooking into the trees.

My question is...can grip size be playing a big part in my swing? Like I said, until this year (and this club), I have NEVER hit so much as a draw with my driver (I always hit a fade or slice).

Any thoughts?

[ros_bif]

might not be for the same reason, but i switch to a nike 3 wood, and found that i was hooking big time every now and then, and i came from having a slice on my 3 wood...

i found the reason for my hook was that i needed to leave the nike much more open than with my old 3 wood...

prolly not the same issue, but thought i'd mention it incase it was something specific to nikes as you described exactly what happened to me

[jeffc]

I have a TM 540 with no offset and I tend to hit a high fade. I tried my brother in laws 580XD and immediately started hitting draws and hooks. I looked at the head and it had a several degree offset to it.

[Keith]

That could well be a part of the problem...I have noticed quite a bit of offset. What confuses me though is that when my wrists are perfectly straight (no waggle), I can smoke a drive dead-straight and with sizable distance. It just seems to occur when I break my wrists even a fraction and the clubhead starts to 'waggle' a lit. It's then that things go very wrong.

[Keithsguy]

I am also having this issue from time to timeand have a question: Does getting your hands through quicker help keep the club face open and help get rid of the duck hook.

[Mayday]

A duck hook or snap hook is a result of the primary or larger muscles in your body overcoming the smaller secondary muscles resulting in a stiff body position which causes the body to rotate bringing the hands over the ball and causing a right to left gear effect on the club head, Most of us do this when we are trying to tee off in front of large crowds or muscle a tee shot onto the green on a par three. Relaxing helps the rest of the muscles needed to do what they are supposed to do an thats swing through the ball.

It could actually be the grip if the grip is too small and you feel that you have to hold on tighter,

[ros_bif]

I am also having this issue from time to timeand have a question: Does getting your hands through quicker help keep the club face open and help get rid of the duck hook.

no...picture yourself swinging the club, and at impact, your hands are well in front of the ball...you see the face is closed, and coming across the ball....the more ahead you picture them, the more closed it is, and the more of an angle the club is at.

now picture yourself swinging with your hands behind...it's not any better...

if you picture a clock around your swing, when you are at 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock, your club head should be pointing straight up..if you practice that swing (just from 6 o'clock back to 3 o'clock and through to 9 o'clock) making sure the club head is pointing straight up at 3 and 9, you should see that your face is square when it comes through at 6...if it's not, then you can see how the offset affects it...which is what i foudn to be my problem, and as a result, i must position myself with the club very open...i'm assuming that it was designed this way in order to help ppl with slices (and therefore ppl that leave the face, or their stance open already)

hope this helped