| Here's my warning to all wannabe golfer's, if you | | | | left. |
| start on this sorry path, and do nothing to stop it, | | | | THE CURE: |
| you will lead a life of pain and anguish. | | | | The first thing you should do is check your grip. |
| All my golfing life I've been a hooker! | | | | When you grip the club the Vs in each hand |
| How or why it started I don't know. | | | | should point over your right shoulder. If they point |
| I never wanted it to happen, it just did. | | | | farther to the right, then your grip is too "strong" |
| When I first started hooking, it was not every | | | | and could produce a closed face and a hook at |
| shot. It just sort of creeps up on you, over days, | | | | impact - when the hands return to their normal |
| weeks, even months, and gets gradually worse, | | | | position. |
| until nearly every shot is hanging left. And I don't | | | | If your grip is good and you are still hooking, try |
| mean just a little bit left, these 90 degree plus | | | | weakening your grip by gradually moving both |
| benders would make a circle look tame. | | | | hands to the left. |
| Finally, it got so bad, I was spending so much time | | | | Check your stance to make sure that your feet, |
| in the trees, searching for lost balls, that my | | | | knees, hips and shoulders are all parallel to your |
| friends stopped coming round, and asking me out | | | | target line. |
| to play. | | | | Another cause could be the ball position. If it is |
| Then came that dreaded day. I can remember | | | | too far back, it could produce an excessive |
| this so clearly, its almost as if it happened | | | | in-to-out swingpath. |
| yesterday. I ran out of golf balls during a round. It | | | | Try gripping the club more in the palm of your |
| was SOooo embarrassing. | | | | hands, rather than the fingers, to reduce wrist |
| Thats what made me finally seek professional | | | | action and premature closing of the clubface. |
| help. | | | | Make sure that your left wrist is not too relaxed |
| After walking off the course that afternoon, I | | | | at impact. If it is, your right wrist will take control |
| went straight to the clubhouse and spoke to The | | | | and close the clubface too early. |
| Pro. When I spoke to The Pro, he admitted that | | | | On your downswing, make sure that the action |
| he had already heard about my little problem. It | | | | begins with your legs and body. This will stop your |
| seems that a few of my so-called friends had | | | | wrists unhinging and closing the clubface too soon. |
| already spoken to him, to find out if it was | | | | There, you see. I told you it was curable. |
| contagious. | | | | Although, maybe not TOTALLY curable. To this |
| What he told me, certainly made me feel better. | | | | day, many years later, occasionally it happens. |
| There is a cure. And its really quite easy. Just | | | | But the major difference is that, now as I'm |
| keep reading: | | | | walking towards the trees to look for that |
| THE PROBLEM: | | | | wayward shot, I'M SMILING - because I know |
| Hitting the ball with a closed clubface, causing | | | | how to fix the problem. |
| shots to curve (sometimes dramatically) to the | | | | |