struggle off the tee

Question
I'm a new golfer and have been taking some lessons.  I've seen improvement in my irons, but I'm struggling off the tee.  I either hit a smother hook or sky.  I go back and forth through the entire round, lesson, range practice.

Help

Answer
Dear RG, thanks for the question and welcome to the game.  Its always so difficult to assess a problems not having seen your swing.  However, from what you have described, it sounds to me like an over-active set of wrists.  Sometimes your wrists are so quick at impact that they flip over the ball and smother it left, other times they flip underneath skying the ball.  What I would suggest as a drill is to chip from various distances over and over and over.  Work on a really quiet set of wrists and hands, simply using a putting stroke to lift the ball.  Doing this ad nauseam will settle that activity down and can transcend the other swings, including your tee shots.  When you create muscle memory on the short game, it dramatically impacts the long game...and often overlooked concept.  The beauty of this is the confidence you gain knowing that the world won't end if you miss the green because you know your short game is solid.  Believe it or not, your full-swing game will improve with it because of the certainty in your mind.  Finally, I would highly suggest continuing the lessons and practice; that extra set of eyes can make sure that you are not practicing, and therefore grooving, something incorrect.  Good luck and remember...

Love the game,
Skipper