Iron Offset

[Mudfish81]

I got fitted for new clubs in February (check the sig).  I hit all the new drivers/woods/irons from Titleist, Callaway, Mizuno, Taylormade, and PING. I ended up with the G400 Driver and 3 Wood with  no issues whatsoever.  I hit the M3 irons very high, very straight, and very long.  By far worked the best for me at the time of fitting.  

 

My problem is when I got fitted I had been struggling with an occasion push slice.  My path is from the inside but when I started recording my swing to figure what was happening I noticed that every. single. time. I sliced the ball it was because I cupped my lead wrist, effectively opening my club face like a burnt firecracker.

 

After my AH HA! moment I tweaked it to my advantage.  My natural, passive, don't think about it swing with my driver is about an 8 yd fade.  By moving my wrist (I call it driving the motorcycle because the movement is essentially the same motion as using a motorcycle throttle) towards a cupped position I can fade it a little more or even slice it if I'm not careful.  But if I move it to more of a flexed position (think DJ but not that much) I can hit about an 8-10 yd draw.  I dropped my handicap from 17 to 10 in about 3 weeks.

 

So now I swing with my lead wrist fairly neutral the majority of the time.  The problem is I now hook my irons.  Like crazy high hook! I hit my 7 iron about 160 yds.  On a 155 yd par 3 I have to aim about 10-15 yds off the right edge of the green to even have a chance to hit the green.  Its not a snap hook.  Its a high, sweeping, steady hook. 

 

My very long winded question is this: Could the fairly substantial offset (3.5mm on 7 iron) be causing this hook now that I'm not cupping my wrist? Should I open the face some at address to try to offset the offset some?

 

I really hope I don't have to buy another set of irons after 3 months because I'm pretty sure I would end up divorced...

 

Sorry its so long, I just have a lot I want to talk about on here.

[tommc23]

Get your lie adjusted pr at least checked it may help a little bit

 

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[Mudfish81]

I edited the post.  When I said my normal swing is a fade that I can turn in to a draw I was talking about my driver but didn't clarify. 

 

My swing with irons is most definitely a hook, I have no delusions about that.

 

I have been trying to get in a lesson and get some pro tips on how to fix it but being a full time student and working full time its tough to find the time to go in.

 

I'm just trying to get my head around that hook and how to straighten it out some.  Offset was just something I was looking at that might possibly be contributing.

[DustinMcBride]

The offset in your irons is most definitely exaggerating your hook.

I have a few sets of irons that range in offset from basically zero to Callaway.

I can tell you in my experience the greater the offset the greater the likelihood I'm going to hit a draw/hook.

Try to hit up a demo day and experiment. There are many models available with minimal offset. Mizuno's MP-18 range comes to mind.

If you don't want to change your swing to fit your new irons then there are some things money can fix. 

[BIG STU]

The offset in your irons is most definitely exaggerating your hook.

I have a few sets of irons that range in offset from basically zero to Callaway.

I can tell you in my experience the greater the offset the greater the likelihood I'm going to hit a draw/hook.

Try to hit up a demo day and experiment. There are many models available with minimal offset. Mizuno's MP-18 range comes to mind.

If you don't want to change your swing to fit your new irons then there are some things money can fix. 

Dead on it--- for me offset causes a hook for me. My dreaded miss even at my age and Swing Speed is the rope hook. Now something funny for me is on wedges with a lot of offset I tend to shank them. The other week I played a all "junkpile" set on a whim. Never really checked any of the sticks just went. Now one of the wedges was a Wilson JP which is one of my Holy Grail wedges. I have dozens of them.I went to hit that one on the course and told my running partner Bear "oh s**t" I never checked this wedge closely it was a offset model and yes proceeded to shank it. 

 

you are sorta new to the forum so you may not know-- I work for a metal recycling company and find all sorts of clubs In the scrap bins. Part of my golf fun now especially with the classic irons is find them throw them in the bag and see what I can score with them no practice.

 

On the original subject I like as little offset as possible-- My swing is sorta unconventional It is a self designed anti hook swing I go from outside in and have the club face open a little at impact plus I naturally manipulate the club with my hands  

[revkev]

1. Ignore any and all swing advice found here or elsewhere, including what you give yourself - especially that.

 

2. Seek professional help preferably in the form of a local teaching big pro.

 

3. After a lesson and done time to work on what you've been given, ask him.

 

Take it from the voice of experience, any otter option and this will either get worse now or resurface. The 10 will be back to 17 in no time.

 

Good luck

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

[cnosil]

Like revkev said, Go see an instructor. Could be the result of lots of things. Probably closing the face too much with your new hand positions. Doubt you will need new irons, your swing shouldn't change that much by making a few tweaks.

[JohnnyPenso]

Funny this topic should come up. Crossfield just did a video on this very same subject and his contention was that one probably shouldn't be fit to "fix" the flaws in your swing but fit to the swing you want to have eventually.  

[chisag]

Funny this topic should come up. Crossfield just did a video on this very same subject and his contention was that one probably shouldn't be fit to "fix" the flaws in your swing but fit to the swing you want to have eventually.  

 

... Like many things in this crazy game, there really is no one answer. I had students willing to put in the work and practice to change their swings and fix their flaws. But I would say the majority id not fall into this category. It was a learning process for me as an instructor and I found in most cases, especially older players the have been at it for awhile, it was better to make their swing better at what they were already pre disposed to do.

 

... In other words, if a 45+ yr old, slightly over weight player with very little sports playing experience came to me with an over the top, casting slice ... I attempted to turn that swing into a less over the top, less casting playable fade. And imo there is nothing wrong with buying equipment that helps you play better with the flaws in your swing. I doubt many would call a high swing speed player that generates too much spin with their driver being fit into a G400LS or Rogue SZ just fixing a flaw with equipment. Same is true for the guy with the over the top casting swing turning a slice into a workable fade with a draw biased driver. 

 

... Don't get me wrong as I have always strived to improve my swing and recommend the same for anyone serious about this great game. But being honest with yourself about how much work you are willing to put into getting better, buying clubs that help fix your flaw is the next best option. I cannot tel you how many times I gave a student a drill to do between lessons and have them admit they did not have time to practice or say they did and it was obvious their clubs had not been used and they lied about practicing. LOL, I learned pretty quickly never accuse a student of not practicing when they said they did, even with the same clump of mud on the iron hey said they used. 

[JohnnyPenso]

... Like many things in this crazy game, there really is no one answer. I had students willing to put in the work and practice to change their swings and fix their flaws. But I would say the majority id not fall into this category. It was a learning process for me as an instructor and I found in most cases, especially older players the have been at it for awhile, it was better to make their swing better at what they were already pre disposed to do.

 

... In other words, if a 45+ yr old, slightly over weight player with very little sports playing experience came to me with an over the top, casting slice ... I attempted to turn that swing into a less over the top, less casting playable fade. And imo there is nothing wrong with buying equipment that helps you play better with the flaws in your swing. I doubt many would call a high swing speed player that generates too much spin with their driver being fit into a G400LS or Rogue SZ just fixing a flaw with equipment. Same is true for the guy with the over the top casting swing turning a slice into a workable fade with a draw biased driver. 

 

... Don't get me wrong as I have always strived to improve my swing and recommend the same for anyone serious about this great game. But being honest with yourself about how much work you are willing to put into getting better, buying clubs that help fix your flaw is the next best option. I cannot tel you how many times I gave a student a drill to do between lessons and have them admit they did not have time to practice or say they did and it was obvious their clubs had not been used and they lied about practicing. LOL, I learned pretty quickly never accuse a student of not practicing when they said they did, even with the same clump of mud on the iron hey said they used. 

Good insight and it makes sense when I consider the guys I play golf with.  I practice more than all of them combined so I suppose my viewpoint is a bit jaded...lol.  Even the couple of guys that really "love" golf just don't enjoy or spend much time practicing.  It's like pulling teeth to get them out to the range for one or two sessions a year.  Getting clubs that helped with their swing flaws might help their game. 

[JohnnyPenso]

I have observed that most players address the ball with the face of the club  a bit shut-hooded-closed.

A truly square face at address I expect would "look" open to the majority of players.

This is me!!  It's something I've worked on this spring as I revamp my swing.  I guess it always made me more comfortable over the ball to close the face a little.  I did a few videos of me swinging the clubs and one of my friend's commented, "why is the clubface so open, you're going to slice the ball".  In fact, I had been using alignment sticks that day to make sure I was square at address and the club was perfectly square! I hit a lot of awful shots as I revamped my swing to shallower and more from the inside before I made the adjustments away from the closed face at address.