Club approaching too far from inside...maybe

My average score is about an 83. I just took a launch monitor session, and found that my approach is coming from too far inside: The clubhead apparently snaps shut just before contact. As I looked on the monitor, my club path seemed very inside at a point that the clubhead was very close to impacting the ball. I'm not really questioning the technology, but this surprises me because my mistakes tend to be pulls, pull hooks, fatties and power losses. Wouldn't coming from too far inside simply cause a very big sweeping draw that starts RIGHT, not LEFT, of the target line then curves back to/across the target line (I'm right handed.)? In regards to my grip, in the mirror, I notice that the "V" in my right hand is pointing a little farther right (stronger) than the "V" in my left hand. How important is it that the Vs are parallel? I know that this is a meaty post, but one more thing. In Hogan's "Five Fundamentals...," he talks about how the whole V-area should be together, on each hand, before the hands are applied to the club. Does it matter whether the side of the thumb touches the hand or whether there is some space between it? Hope I was descriptive enough to communicate with only the written word. -Tom

At a guess (without seeing it), because an inside-out swing causes pushes and fades you may be using your hands to turn the club over through impact. When you overcook this you are then pulling and hooking. You must have a pretty good 'feel' and hand/eye co-ordination to pull this off so my guess is you wont stay an 83 shooter for long. I guess an acid test is to try hard to swing with very loose hands/wrists and no hand action through impact and see where the ball goes? If it is going right then perhaps you need to work at swinging back to the inside on the way through or getting your arms more in front of you on the way down

Ive found in the last year that involving my hands through release in any way was killing my game. Ive worked hard (and continue to do so) in trying to take my hands out of it altogether. At the very least having loose hands/wrists gives you more power and a truer reflection of your path through impact

of course i could be speaking cobblers here

No no Mr pnearn. I'd agree with your comments.

I used to come excessively from the inside in an effort to cure my weak slice, but it never did because my swing path wasn't the problem at all, it was a horrible flippy wristy thing that ended up cutting the clubhead across the ball, no matter how far inside it I came.

Marino - Coming from the inside is desirable, but too far from the inside destroys the flow and motion of the swing and hence causes a reduction in power and accuracy.

With respect to the V's in your hands, they should indeed be a) parallel with each other pointing in between your chin and right shoulder, and b) mirror the club face i.e. the back of the left hand and palm of the right hand should echo the position of the clubface. If you've got different hand positions you need to straighten that out for sure.

Not too sure what you mean re the whole thumbs thing, but I'm guessing you're talking about your right thumbs proximity to the edge of your right palm. It certainly shouldn't be wrapped round the shaft like a hammer, but if it's too close, it doesn't give you a proper feel for the club. If you want to put some sort of measurement on it (and this is purely a comfort thing for me) the right thumb starts to come away from the edge of the right hand around about the knuckle. It ends up kinda resting on top of/slightly to the left of centre on the shaft.

N18

i have been hooking/pull hooking for the past year.Got on the launch monitor same as you and saw the same thing..too far from the inside and clubface closing at impact causing hook/pull hook and duckhook.Discovered my problem yesterday..it was in my set up..i was set up LEFT Of PARALLEL IN RELATION TO THE TARGET LINE causing this action to occur.No matter how hard i tried to keep wrist flat at impact..this set up position would cause the wrist to roll closing the face at impact.And if you get a little flat in your swing..it will only magnify the problem causing a harder hook/duck hook.I began setting up a few degrees right of where i normally was..it would appear to be a little left of target but was actually parallel to the target line.Hook disappeared!!I just have a hard time seeing the line.I can get behind the ball and see it ..then set up..check my clubface again and still be off!!I just dont have a sense of direction i guess!!!It only took me a year of relentless range time to discover this.At least now i know how to hook it if i need too!!SHEESH!!David

From my reading of that section he was primarily concerned with the right hand, advocating that the thumb and index finger should press together on top of the shaft. The intent was to prevent the thumb and index finger from working together and taking over the swing, overpowering the left hand leading to a nasty hook.

I think his main focus was to see the club held mostly in the middle two fingers of the right hand. The thumb and index finger are mostly along for the ride, and not working as pincers.

because an inside-out swing causes pushes and fades

According to my understanding of flight patterns an inside-our swing creates mainly draws and hooks...

In-to-out swing path + closed face = hook
In-to-out swing path + square or slightly open face = draw

a push with an in-to-out can happen only with a very open face...


I have been fighting with too much an in-to-out swing path a lot recently...the 2 best advices I got are as follows:

1. move the weight back to your heels from your toes

2. limit the rotation of your hips back during backswing while letting your shoulder have a full turn back - i.e. separate the hip move from shoulder move

I wish you a good luck

__________________
Cheers,

Dariusz