Hi All, I've been playing just under a year. After a couple of moths off with a rib injury, I'm now really struggling with a hook that's killing my game. I'm getting regular instruction, but can't shake it. I've read a couple of articles about lefty's playing right handed, and the hook appears to be a constant issue. Any ideas about how I can deal with it. Also any thoughts on starting again and going left handed?

Your regular instruction is obviously useless. Playing right handed with your left being dominant should help you more than hinder you as you will be leading with your stronger forearm.

The fact that you are hooking (Or is that really pulling) tells me that your right side is dominant.

I'm a lefty playing right handed....When I first started my main issue was a slice not a hook. It gets said time and time again - but the first things to look at are the simple ones grip and alignment. When ever my shots start drifting this nearly always gets me going forward again.

The grip isn't an easy thing to keep doing correctly every day....we get lazy on it

Hope you find your answer

John, To be fair, he has had a lot to sort out - made a small breakthrough tonight 'though with a slight change to my grip. My main concern was whether I made a mistake not going left handed. Allthough I bat (cricket) right hand, I play tennis etc. left handed. Opinion appears to be split, but I'm happy o go with your view that I have an advantage.

Greg 1st of all I agree with JP & I cant believe a coach can not solve a simple problem like a hook. if this is a real problem then what I would suggest is use yr 3 wood. Tee the ball fairly low. This would ( I BELIEVE ) make the draw "hook" more difficult so you may even get a slight fade.

Dave CAC handed Geordie.

I would solve it in less than ten minutes for nothing.

Greg,

You seem a similar lefty to me - I throw with my left....catch with both. ....racquet sports I can use both but have to serve with my left.....golf and cricket I play right handed.....shooting left handed, which caused me problems in the army..

....anyway I digress - Cricket and golf do not go well together. Nearly everyone I know who actively plays both has issues for a time when going from one to the other. It is a rare skill to be able to switch between modes.

what Dave a JP say is also very valid...but I would bet the cricket is part of the issue

Thanks everyone - I'm happy to hear that no one thinks that going back and starting again left handed is the answer, just start to have doubts after a bad evening on the range. I was better on Monday, so I'm sure I'll get there - Just need to keep calm and carry on!

I'm left handed but have worked hard taking my left arm out of the equation other than for balance to get right side dominant, this is the only way to get those pure iron strikes working (occasionally)!

So I should both lead with my dominant left arm, and work hard to take my left arm out of the equation- got it (I think)http://www.golfshake.com/scripts/ckeditor362/plugins/smiley/images/whatchutalkingabout_smile.gif" title="indecision" width="20" /> - Isn't that why this game is so damned addictive!

Hi Greg

Saw your post and had to reply.

I've just been through exactly the same thing although the other way round. I don't feel knowledgeable enough to offer advice but I can say what I did. I'm naturally right handed for one handed things and naturally left handed for 2 handed things. I'm left footed at football. Some sports are just confusing as I can play right or left handed.

Although I naturally wanted to play golf left handed, I learnt to play golf right handed when I was a kid due to the difficulty getting left handed clubs in the mid 70s. I decided to play golf more seriously last summer and when I took lessons to set me up correctly, the pro said that I was using my arms and not really using my hips to create the turn properly which was resulting in a significant 'draw' and sometimes the occasional hook.

So I worked on the pros advice on hip turn etc, playing regularly (several times a week) for the last 9 months. Gradually improving and straightening out the shot as far as I could. But there was little consistency, I had no idea from one shot to the next what was going to happen.

But it dawned on me last week that although I was improving slowly, the temptation to want to play left handed was still there. And I was inquisitive about what to do.

Luckily, we had a set of left handed clubs at home which a relative uses when they visit. So I took a left handed SW, PW, 9 and an 7 down to the range. I just hit a few short balls just to see what it was like. Too surprising for words.

I could hit the ball properly, swing through the stroke, do the complete swing and feel natural.

So I organised a lesson with the same pro who had been teaching me right handed and he was skeptical to say the least.  He had never had the option to teach me left handed. 15 minutes later, he said. Play left handed, your stroke is natural, you're hitting through the ball consistently well and getting a full hip turn. The ball is going up in the air, straight and your consistent. And you're playing as well, if not better than you do right handed but without the months of practice. It's a no brainer.

The only problem that created was having to tell my wife that my reasonably new set of right handed clubs were now up for sale and I was gonna need a new set!

For me, it was worth trying a few clubs down the range, to see which feels best. I've just come back from the range again right now and I'm still on cloud 9, golf just got a whole lot more enjoyable.

Hope this helps.

Hi Greg

Saw your post and had to reply.

I've just been through exactly the same thing although the other way round. I don't feel knowledgeable enough to offer advice but I can say what I did. I'm naturally right handed for one handed things and naturally left handed for 2 handed things. I'm left footed at football. Some sports are just confusing as I can play right or left handed.

Although I naturally wanted to play golf left handed, I learnt to play golf right handed when I was a kid due to the difficulty getting left handed clubs in the mid 70s. I decided to play golf more seriously last summer and when I took lessons to set me up correctly, the pro said that I was using my arms and not really using my hips to create the turn properly which was resulting in a significant 'draw' and sometimes the occasional hook.

So I worked on the pros advice on hip turn etc, playing regularly (several times a week) for the last 9 months. Gradually improving and straightening out the shot as far as I could. But there was little consistency, I had no idea from one shot to the next what was going to happen.

But it dawned on me last week that although I was improving slowly, the temptation to want to play left handed was still there. And I was inquisitive about what to do.

Luckily, we had a set of left handed clubs at home which a relative uses when they visit. So I took a left handed SW, PW, 9 and an 7 down to the range. I just hit a few short balls just to see what it was like. Too surprising for words.

I could hit the ball properly, swing through the stroke, do the complete swing and feel natural.

So I organised a lesson with the same pro who had been teaching me right handed and he was skeptical to say the least.  He had never had the option to teach me left handed. 15 minutes later, he said. Play left handed, your stroke is natural, you're hitting through the ball consistently well and getting a full hip turn. The ball is going up in the air, straight and your consistent. And you're playing as well, if not better than you do right handed but without the months of practice. It's a no brainer.

The only problem that created was having to tell my wife that my reasonably new set of right handed clubs were now up for sale and I was gonna need a new set!

For me, it was worth trying a few clubs down the range, to see which feels best. I've just come back from the range again right now and I'm still on cloud 9, golf just got a whole lot more enjoyable.

Hope this helps.

Hi Neil, Like you I am gradually straightening out my shots, but still get inconsistent results.

The only time I've tried a left handed club was once, before I 'officially' took up golf and took a left handed club at a driving range assuming that would be what I need, but it really felt wrong, so I picked up a right handed club and never changed.

Maybe based on your experience I should try again?

Hi Greg

Perhaps if left handed felt wrong, it may not be right for you but only you can tell that of course.

For me it was the other way round. Left handed felt right from the off, even when I was aged 8 but I had to change to right handed for equipment reasons. Now I have the choice all these years later, I'm going with left handed.

Good luck with whichever way you decide. The good news is that left or right handed, it won't be wrong.

Walk up, hit it hard, hit it long...

I know and have played with may people who play with their 'opposite' hand. I am naturally right handed and play left. Just do not think about it and all the normal instructional advice is relevant. I know a guy who is left handed and playes right and he can down 18 cans of beer and play to 6 handicap. My hero. ha ha.