Smashing It Straight

Smashing It Straight

Some players drive the ball 250 yards or more every time, but they can’t keep it on the fairway. The harder they try to stay on the fairway, the more they hook it. As a result, they find themselves in a clump of trees or under a bush, without a good second shot, hurting their golf handicap. They’ve taken golf lessons and read golf tips. And they’ve tried throttling back. But they still can’t cure their big hook.

If that’s you, read on. There’s a simple way to cure the problem. All you have to do is make a minor change in your grip—one pioneered by golfing great Ben Hogan. The change takes a little getting used to, as most adjustments do, so you’ll have to hit a few buckets of balls to get comfortable with it. But once you do, you’ll hit the ball straighter than before with just as much power. And you’ll shave strokes off your golf handicap.

A Smasher’s Instinct

Hogan had a smasher’s instinct. When he was on the tee, the right-hander didn’t want to just drive the ball well. He wanted to crush it. He wanted to hit it out of sight. And for a small guy, he hit it a long way. But like many big hitters, Hogan had problems with direction. Whenever he tried to throttle back, he just made things worse. Throttling back just wasn’t in his nature.

But a simple change in his grip transformed him from Captain Hook to Captain Power Fade. Hogan realized that by weakening his grip a bit, he could control his hook and still hit the ball as hard as he wanted. Rather than fight a strong, three-knuckle grip, he decided to change grips. He turned his left hand so that he only saw one knuckle at address while his right palm faced the target. The change let him smash the ball without hooking it.

The change was exactly what Hogan needed. It transformed his game. By the time he retired in 1971, he was not only one of the most feared golfers of his time, he also one of the best of all time. After turning pro in 1929, he won 64 PGA Tour championships. Of these, nine were major championship wins—4 masters, 2 U.S Opens, 1 British Open, and 2 PGA Championships.

Strong Forearms Helped

Keep in mind though that Hogan had very strong forearms. They allowed him to take a weak grip and still square the clubhead at impact. If you don’t have strong forearms, you may want to adjust your grip so that you see one and one-half knuckles on your left hand at address. Then place your right hand on the club so that the palm is facing the target, like Hogan did.

Like most changes, this new grip takes getting used to. Hit balls on the practice range with the grip before trying it on the course. You’ll probably slice a few before getting the hang of it. But the more you let your right side in the swing, if you’re right-handed, the smaller the slice will be. Vice versa for left-handers. And since you can’t hook it, swing as aggressively as you like. You’ll still hit a fade. And you’ll probably still end up on the fairway.

Henry Cotton’s Tire Drill

To get used to hitting the ball with a weak left-handed grip, try one of Henry Cotton’s favorite drills. Cotton was a great player and teacher. He got his students used to hitting with a weak left-handed grip by having them hit an old tire. Here’s how:

Grab an old iron. Grip it with your left hand, so that no more than one and one-half knuckles show. Lay the tire down where you’d tee the ball. Now take some swings with your left arm only. If you’re left-handed, use your right arm.

How can you tell if you’re closing the clubface when you hit the tire? Don’t worry, you’ll know. If the clubface is closed, you’ll feel solid contact. If it’s open, you’ll feel an extra shock in your arm. Use this drill sparingly to prevent injury. You don’t want to injure yourself during a practice session.

Mastering this change in grip conquers the hook for big hitters. Of course, taking a few golf lessons and reading golf tips can’t hurt, either. But the change in grip is something you can do right now. Just have a little patience. The change feels strange at first, but once assimilated, it helps lower golf handicaps. It also puts the fun back in driving the ball.