
What Causes a Hook in Golf
- Your club face is closed at impact. No matter how good your grip, stance, or swing is, the position of the club face...
- Your club path is way off the correct swing plane.
Why do I keep hooking the golf ball?
· Curing a hook and what causes a hook in golf. There are two types of hooks in golf. A pull hook and a true hook. Here we are going to discuss the true hook, its causes, and corrections you can ... Grip. If hooking is your problem you want to make sure that you don't have an overly strong grip. This ...
What causes you to top the golf ball?
· Because the position of the right palm roughly replicates the clubface, it’s easy to see why this turning over of the right hand causes the clubface to close and the ball to curve left. To calm that hook down to a manageable draw, adjust your right hand to a more neutral position, as I’m demonstrating above.
How to get rid of hooks on a golf ball?
Taken together and to summarize, a hook is caused by the combination of a: Severe inside-out club path, Clubface that is closed to that path and Clubface that is pointing to the right of the target at impact.
What causes hooks on the swing?
Here’s a list of the most common causes of the dreaded left-to-left shot, and the cure for each: Cause: Grip is too “strong” -- If your hands are turned too far right on top of the grip, the clubface will be closed (relative to the swing path) on the backswing and at impact, creating hook spin.

How do I stop my golf ball from hooking?
To fix the issue, turn your hand more towards the target, in a neutral position. Make sure the V's between your thumb and index finger on each hand point straight up. When the V's are facing more towards your rear shoulder, you are likely to hit a bad left hook.
What causes driver hook?
The upper body obstructs or interferes with the club's path to the ball. The most common reason players get stuck is, they don't keep the arms and club in front of the chest as they turn back and through. When the club trails the upper body on the way down, the hands have to flip the clubhead over to recover.
What golf grip causes a hook?
Hooking in golf comes from a closed clubface relative to your path at impact which can be caused by a strong grip, lack of body rotation or poor connection/timing between the arms and body. The most common hook comes from the challenge of getting the face square at impact.
How do I stop hitting pull hooks?
0:181:25How to Stop Hitting Pull Hooks | Breaking Bad Scores | Golf DigestYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd by the time the golf club gets to the golf ball your clubface is going to be too close if youMoreAnd by the time the golf club gets to the golf ball your clubface is going to be too close if you can move the golf ball a little bit back in your stance.
Why am I hitting low hooks with my driver?
The golf ball isn't moving. Your snap hook driver could be caused by swinging too quickly and too hard. You don't need to hit every shot with 100% power. Most of the time 85% is all you need.
How do you fix a golf hook with irons?
5:196:44EASY FIX TO STOP HOOKING YOUR IRONS - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipChanges just a little adjustment in our sets up and you can play around with the ball position aMoreChanges just a little adjustment in our sets up and you can play around with the ball position a little bit to see you might move it too far forward it might actually get you hitting a little fade.
How do you cure a pull in golf?
5:5312:27How to Cure a Golf Pull - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo we can hit down on the golf ball. We start to tilt too far to the left and now when I make aMoreSo we can hit down on the golf ball. We start to tilt too far to the left and now when I make a swing doing this you can see that it's easy to pull a shot to the left every single. Time.
How to fix hook problem?
Focus on keeping them in front of you through the swing. Make sure you turn until the middle of your chest is facing forward. And don't forget to shift your weight forward and off your back foot as you turn. If it sounds like a simple remedy to the hook problem, that's because it is. The best remedies usually are.
Why do people curve the ball from right to left?
A strong grip is one of the biggest reasons for people who curve the ball from right to left. The strong grip often results in the right hand moving to the right and facing away from the ball. The hand slides right and moves underneath the club.
What happens when your body stops turning but the club doesn't?
So your body stops turning but the club doesn't. So as your swing continues, the clubface closes and hits the ball left upon impact.
What happens when you swing towards the target?
As you swing towards the target, the clubface is closed, and your hand will turn over through the rest of your swing.
How to develop a perfect swing?
Developing the perfect swing is a never-ending work in progress. Develop a routine every time you address the ball, going through your checklist to make sure your grip and alignment are right. On your swing, remember, to shift forward and turn through the swing.
What is a pull hook in golf?
A true hook in golf is a shot that starts out to the right of your target (for right-handed players) or starts straight but then curves back to the left. This is caused by a combination of club path through impact and face alignment at impact.
What does it mean when you hook a target?
This means that you don't want to have your hands and forearms turned away from the target too much at impact.
How to do a downswing swing?
That means you start your downswing from the ground up firing your hips first, then your shoulders, then your arms, and then your hands.
What is the right hooking position?
If you are hooking you are most likely aiming to the right of your target (for right-handed players). This encourages an inside/out path in relation to your target line.
What does it mean when your clubface is shut at impact?
So simply put, if your clubface is shut at impact, your ball is probably going to hook and if you swung on an inside/out path, you can call it a true hook.
Where does the ball start and end?
Growing up we were all taught that the ball starts in the direction of your path (where the clubhead is traveling) and then curves and ends up in the direction of where your clubface was at impact.
Why is it important to keep your swing plane on?
Keeping your swing on the right golf swing plane is vital to stopping you from hooking the golf ball.
How to tell if you have a strong grip on a hook?
If, for example, you can see three on the left but only one on the right, you have a strong grip and that could be causing the hook.
How to hit a straight shot?
From this position, the only way to really hit a straight shot is to rotate your body hard through the ball, shifting your weight and delaying the release of the club a fraction. It’s a great way to groove a much better swing sequence.
How to stop your foot from moving through the shot?
A great tip that will help is simply to turn your left foot out a fraction at address (as above). If this foot is perpendicular to your target, it can restrict your movement through the shot.
How to make a grip change?
In this instance, start with seeing one and a half knuckles on your right hand and hit some half shots. You should begin to see and feel a difference. From there, work towards grooving a more neutral grip and you’ll kill your hooks for good.
What is the next checkpoint in golf?
Your next checkpoint is the grip. Again, simple, but a huge factor in determining the shape of shot you’re going to hit .
What happens if you struggle to transfer weight during the downswing?
If you struggle to transfer your weight during the downswing, your hands will take over and a quick hook is very much on the cards. RELATED: How to stop toe strikes. If this sounds like you, take your normal address position and slightly close the face of your iron – it sounds counterintuitive, but it works.
What causes a hook?
Taken together and to summarize, a hook is caused by the combination of a: Clubface that is pointing to the right of the target at impact. This produces a shot that starts right of the target but spins left aggressively.
Why is a golf shot called a push hook?
Note that technically, the shot can also be called a pushed hook because as is the case for a push shot, the ball begins its flight right of the target. Continue reading in order to find out what causes hooks and in order to get some advice on how ...
Why do my wrists hook?
Bowed wrists at the top can cause hooks because the mechanism through which the wrists will uncock as the hands are brought down during the downswing can be overdone and close the clubface at impact.
Why is my club face closed?
The fact that your clubface position is closed relative to the path at impact may have something to do with the way you bring the club back initially. Indeed, during the takeaway it is possible that you are bringing your club up with a face that is too closed, or in other words with a face that is angled towards the ground too severely.
Why is it important to move to a weaker grip?
Moving to a weaker grip will help slow down the release of the club at impact and will help in achieving contact with the ball while the clubface is square to the target.
Is it easy to get a grip that is too strong?
Solving a grip that is too strong is very easy to do. Indeed, while setting up for a shot simply make sure that your grip is not as strong as it usually is whenever hitting hooks.
Is it possible to have your feet aligned to the right of the target?
Indeed, it is very likely that your feet are aligned to the right of the target at address. Such a stance – if severe enough – can prove enough in producing an aggressive inside-out club path at impact. Solving a closed stance and adopting a square stance instead can be accomplished relatively easily. While setting up for a shot, simply make sure ...
What causes a pull hook in golf?
Specifically, it is an effort to hit the ball as hard as possible that frequently leads to a golf pull hook. Many golfers, when they reach the top of their backswing, start to think about how far they want to hit the shot and suddenly try to accelerate their swing down toward impact. This sudden burst of speed is usually transferred to the lower body, which starts to spin as fast as possible toward the target. If your arms and hands aren’t able to keep up with this speed, you will hit a pull hook.
Why is my golf ball pulled left?
At the most basic level, a pulled golf shot occurs because the club face is pointed to the left of your target at impact.
How to improve distance in golf?
The solution? Better tempo. Distance isn’t a result of raw power, but rather an even tempo that allows you to build speed gradually throughout the swing. Your focus should always be more on making solid contact than hitting the ball as far as possible. Control is more important than power in golf, so focus your efforts on creating a reliable swing that has an even tempo from start to finish. You just might be surprised at how far you are able to hit the ball when you don’t even feel like you are swinging that hard. And best of all, the pull hook should be a thing of the past.
What is a good grip for golf?
Strong grip. The golf grip is a personal thing that will vary greatly from one player to the next. However, if you use a particularly strong grip to hold the club, you will always be in danger of hitting a pull. A strong grip makes it easier for your hands to rotate the club through impact, meaning it will take less effort for you to hit a pull than it will for someone with a weaker grip. Should you decide to use a strong grip in your game, it will be even more important that your lower body is able to do its job and rotate aggressively toward the target during the downswing. Without that rotation, a pulled golf shot is almost sure to result.
What happens if you are lazy in golf?
If your lower body isn’t doing its job during the downswing, the club face will likely rotate too quickly and end up in a closed position.
What happens if you hit a pull hook off the tee?
If you hit a pull hook off the tee, for example, there is a good chance that you won’t find that golf ball. If you do, don’t expect to have a very good shot at the green. Pulled golf shots can sneak into your game at any point along the way, and for any shot during a round.
What are the two types of pulled golf shots?
In general, there are two kinds of pulled golf shots that you need to deal with – the straight pull, and the pull hook. Both of these shots can be damaging to your score, but the pull hook is particularly troubling because the ball starts off line, and then continues to turn even farther away from the target.
How to stop your body from sliding back when you take a golf ball?
Solution: Lean in your right knee as you turn away from the golf ball. This prevents the upper body from sliding back during the backswing and takeaway.
Who said golfers make the mistake of topping the ball?
Here’s the thing. Even skilled golfers make the mistake of topping the ball on occasion, according to Jack Nicklaus.
What happens if you don't have the right length golf clubs?
If your clubs aren’t the right length or you’re choking up too much on them, the entire arc of your shot is going to be out of position.
What happens if you hit the ball too far forward?
For instance, if the ball is too far forward or back in your stance, the arc of your swing will be off, resulting in a topped golf shot. Solution: Position the ball in the middle of your stance for irons and in-line with the lead heel for your driver.
When hitting a golf ball, do you hit above the equator?
Again, you’re hitting above the equator as a result of reaching the bottom of the arc too soon.
What happens if you slide your hips back in golf?
This mechanical error in your golf swing can result in topping the ball. Whether you’re sliding your hips back and not correcting prior to impact or you’re sliding too far forward during the downswing, the result is the same.
What happens if your arc is too high?
When this happens you usually have two options. You either completely whiff the ball. Embarrassing, but it happens. Or you hit above the equator, topping the ball. You reach the bottom of the arc before hitting the ball and are on an upswing when the club connects.
Why is my golf ball going left?
Here are 2 reasons why your golf shots are going to the left. 1. Your club face is closed at impact. No matter how good your grip, stance, or swing is, the position of the club face at impact is the most important factor that will determine the direction that your ball will take.
What does it mean to hit a hook shot in golf?
What is a Hook in Golf. One of the goals of a golfer is to hit straight shots consistently. However, this does not always happen. For a right-handed golfer, a hook shot means when a golf ball goes to the right then curves way to the left. And vice versa, for a left-handed golfer, a hook shot means when a golf ball goes to ...
What is the overlapping grip on golf clubs?
Close your hand with your fingers holding the club, and not with your palm. The little finger of your right hand should sit on the forefinger of your left hand. This is called the overlapping grip or the Vardon grip, named after Harry Vardon.
Where should the thumb and forefinger be on a swivel handle?
The sides of your thumb and forefinger should touch each other. Your thumb should rest slightly on the right side of the handle . There is a V shaped crease formed between the thumb and the forefinger. The V should point to your right shoulder.
How to hold a golf club with your left hand?
Place your left hand’s open palm at the end part of the handle. Close your hand. Hold the club by wrapping your fingers around the handle. Don’t hold the club across your palm. Because holding it with your palm will restrict the movement of your hand and wrist.
How to square a golf club?
Then, draw a perpendicular line (at a 90 degree angle) across the golf ball. The line of your club’s leading edge should be parallel to this perpendicular line. This is essentially how to square the clubface.
Why is grip important in golf?
Grip is important because it helps you control the club. Ultimately, it influences the speed of the club and the direction that the golf ball takes so it is important that you know how to hold the club correctly.
