Padraig Harrington hits a tee shot final month on the BMW PGA Championship.
Getty Photos
Say you’re enjoying a par-3, Padraig Harrington says, and there’s wind off the precise, or a gap has water left, and also you’re susceptible to an occasional straight-to-lefter.
Primarily based in your panic, he envisions your query.
What now?
“Impulsively you’re standing on a par-3, sturdy wind, and there’s simply nowhere to goal,” he mentioned. “Like are you going to goal 25 yards proper of the inexperienced?”
The three-time main winner was speaking on a just lately launched video from SuperSpeed Golf — which you’ll watch in full right here — and the topic was ideas for a low-handicap participant who performed a draw however was attempting to include a small fade into his recreation. However about 4 minutes in, Harrington zoomed out, organising situations the place a possible hook from anybody would induce fright — and he supplied a Band-Help.
Right here’s his fast tip to “straighten out:”
He takes about three follow swings, he mentioned, and he intentionally finds the bottom nicely out in entrance and throughout himself.
“So I’m not turning to do that; I’m really swinging on a aircraft that’s practically 45 levels left,” Harrington mentioned on the video. “So I’m simply swinging throughout the ball, grounding the membership out right here [about a foot in front of him].”
What’s the advantage of repeating that transfer in the course of the three follow swings?
“Now, if I get used to swinging 45 levels left — and I’m speaking, I would do three of those fast, little swings; I’m doing it hitting the bottom of the membership, the only off the bottom, conserving the face open, three of these — after which I acquired into my set-up and I don’t give it some thought,” Harrington mentioned on the video.
“And absolutely, if I’ve performed three or 4 little swings 45 levels left, after I go to swing impartial, I’m really in all probability going to have slightly little bit of down and left in my swing, which is able to trigger that reduce naturally, with out me attempting.
“In order that’s an awesome repair on the golf course. Hit the bottom out in entrance, it’s going to be steeper, it’s going to be throughout, you’re going to carry it open after which simply go and hit it.”
As a matter of disclosure, the writer additionally performs a right-to-left draw, and he, too, cringes at breezes off the precise, and water left. So I attempted Harrington’s tip. It takes some time to hit the spot Harrington famous, however you possibly can really feel the power of the motion to take action.
Let’s discover hook prevention extra. Beneath is the textual content from an article revealed by GOLF.com final November and written by High 100 Instructor Kellie Stenzel, with the headline studying: “10 methods to repair your irritating hook as soon as and for all”:
***
Whereas a great majority of golfers are likely to miss the ball with a slice, for many who hook the ball, it may be simply as irritating. Anybody who has had a case of the hooks is aware of how demoralizing they are often — and might result in loads of pointless strokes throughout a spherical.
Hooks dive out of the air and sometimes result in fast hassle, so listed here are 10 methods to repair them as soon as and for all.
1. Thumb place
In case your clubface is closed at influence and all through your golf swing, there’s a great probability it’s coming from the way in which you’re holding the membership.
To keep away from your clubface getting too closed, verify the place of your thumbs on the membership at deal with. Strive putting the thumb of your lead hand straight down the middle of the grip of the membership. In your path hand, make certain that your thumb is on the goal facet of the grip.
Having both hand rotated too distant from the goal at deal with will trigger the face to shut — seemingly producing a hook.
2. Don’t re-grip
Many golfers who hook the ball are likely to re-grip and alter their arms proper earlier than they begin their swing — a lot of whom are unaware they even do that. That is the place having the identical pre-shot routine is essential, sticking with the nice behavior of putting your arms accurately (and conserving them in that place) previous to swinging.
3. Set the membership correctly to begin
Most golfers know they need to set the membership on the bottom behind the ball at deal with previous to taking their shot — but it surely sounds simpler than it truly is.
That’s as a result of each membership has a distinct loft, so the clubface can look completely different once you set it on the bottom. Many golfers who battle with persistent hooks battle with incorrectly closing the clubface at deal with, which means their grip is twisted towards the goal.
To repair this, search for the markings on the grip of your membership. These are there to assist assist you in setting the membership accurately, ensuring it’s centered.
4. Let the lead arm pull
In case your grip is right and your membership is ready correctly at deal with, you possibly can keep away from hooking a shot by having your lead arm really feel prefer it’s pulling ahead. The extra dominant lead arm will hold the clubface from closing, permitting for a extra sq. face at influence.
5. Rotate your physique
You will need to add ahead rotation to keep away from hooking the ball. By doing this, you’ll stop each your arms and arms from profitable the race to the ball — which might trigger a hook.
6. Maintain your path heel up
In your ahead swing, be aware that your path heel begins to come back up as you swing ahead. In case your weight stays in your again foot for too lengthy, this could trigger your physique to fall backward — inflicting the clubface to shut.
7. Sq. your path foot
Though it might really feel restrictive in the event you’re not accustomed to doing it, you possibly can flip in your path foot in order that it’s sq. and straight. With a sq. path foot, it would assist together with your downswing path, ensuring it isn’t too in-to-out.
8. Much less depth in your backswing
Be aware about your backswing, ensuring it isn’t so curved that the membership will get too far round, finally producing a hook path. The aim is to make your backswing extra straight again, which is able to enable for a extra out-to-in swing path.
9. Use an open stance
A extra open stance will restrict your capability to get the membership an excessive amount of round your physique within the backswing, making it simpler to show by means of on the ahead swing.
10. Observe utilizing a putter grip
Should you place your arms on a putter, the flat prime of the grip supplies an awesome location to your thumbs. With each thumbs straight down, the clubface tends to be a bit extra open. Attempt to replicate that very same feeling in your different golf equipment.
