what is the cause of hooking in golf

by Prof. Kristopher Bogan IV Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago

What Causes A Hook In Golf?

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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.

Full Answer

What causes Duck hooks in golf?

There are two primary reasons why duck hook happens, and they’re both easy to spot. The first cause of duck hook is that your golf clubs face (or head) is closed at impact, and your swing path is aimed inwards. This means that the club face is forcing the ball inside causing it to veer off a straight path.

Why do I hook my golf clubs?

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. Cure: “Neutralize” your grip -- Check your hand position by gripping the club and addressing the ball, then looking at the knuckles on your left hand.

What is a true 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 happens if you hit a pull hook in golf?

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. If you hit a pull hook off the tee, for example, there is a good chance that you won’t find that golf ball.

How do I stop hooking in golf?

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.

How do you fix a golf hook with irons?

5:196:44EASY FIX TO STOP HOOKING YOUR IRONS - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipI'm thinking of doing in my movement of my golf swing I'm just putting the golf ball in a differentMoreI'm thinking of doing in my movement of my golf swing I'm just putting the golf ball in a different part of the arc to straighten my path up then my clubface control has been pretty decent. Towards

How do I stop hooking?

1:294:34How To Stop Hooking The Golf Ball - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipOr pointing towards the target. So they're trying to keep it as straight as possible. Okay. NowMoreOr pointing towards the target. So they're trying to keep it as straight as possible. Okay. Now because we stand at the side of the golf ball the golf clubs going to move around on an arc.

Why am I pull hooking?

If it's a pull, there are two likely reasons why the ball is starting left: 1) your body and clubface are aimed left of the target at address, which promotes an out-to-in path; or 2) you're aiming properly but the clubface is closed too much at the point of contact.

What is a golf hook?

The dreaded golf hook – a ball that can start any direction, but curves dramatically to the left (for a right-hander) – often into the trees or out of bounds. Amateurs try all sorts of things to fix their hook;

How far will a golf ball curve if you drive it 250 yards?

Have an 5 degree right swing path (and square face) The ball will curve 50 yards to the left. For reference, here’s a 5 degree right swing ...

How to swing a golf club?

In the starting position for your swing, your arms and the club are out in front of you. Don't change that relationship. Focus on keeping them in front of you through the swing. Make sure you turn until the middle of your chest is facing forward .

How to fix a left hook?

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.

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 Causes A Hook?

It’s important to know the causes as well as what to do if you find yourself struggling with this shot. A common fault among golfers occurs at the start of the swing. Even when set up well, in the takeaway, the right elbow (left for left-handers) can drift sideways and away from the body.

How To Fix A Hook

If you’re hitting hooks, another potential cause is an overly strong grip, with both hands turned too far to the right. This naturally delofts the clubface and means a big effort is required to square it back up at impact.

Left-hand drill

Over-releasing the club at impact can often result in consistent hooks as the margin for error is greatly reduced. The cause of this fault normally stems from a club that approaches the ball too far from the inside, meaning the hands need to get active to match everything up. This move increases the risk of hooking as it relies on perfect timing.

Wider stance

Golfers are often guilty of hanging back as they move into the downswing in a bid to help the ball into the air. It feels intuitive as we’re often told to hit the ball on the up with the driver, but this can, and likely will lead to hooks as the body stops and the hands take over.

Is A Hook Better Than A Slice?

This is a bit like asking whether it is better to stub your toe or bump your head. Neither is great! However, the truth is that a hook tends to have a more aggressive ball flight. It will be lower and have more pace so, as those who suffer with a hook will undoubtedly be aware, the ball will often chase into trouble.

What is the hook shot in golf?

In the game of golf there are actually two different looking hook shots in golf. There is the shot that starts to the right and hooks severely and then there is the shot that starts left and hooks further left.

How does a golf swing work?

Most quality golf swings have a slight forward movement in the hips, even if just slightly before they turn out of the way. When the hips move too far forward the hips get too out front causing a more out to in swing path. The club won’t start moving left until the hips start to clear.

What is push hook?

The push hook is a result of a club face that is open to the target, but closed significantly to the path. For example, the club face might be 2 degree open to the target, but the swing path is 12 degrees right of hte target.

How to help with a swing fault?

A squatting movement when you first start the downswing or a feeling of swinging left can help with this swing fault. Also, the thought of staying behind the ball and swinging left can help as well.

Why do golf clubs have a duck hook?

What is the second aspect of improving your shot and avoiding duck hook?

Stance and foot position is the second aspect of improving your shot and avoiding duck hook. While accuracy comes from your grip, and a little bit of power too, your stance is where most of the impact will come from. Golf is similar to baseball in the sense that your strength goes from the feet to hips to shoulders.

How to get better at duck hook?

Turning your hand around the grip so you can see your knuckles from your non-dominant hand, and forming a V shape between your thumb and index that points towards you is a good Duck Hook Strategy that will help your swing. Handling the club is your first step towards an improved shot!

What is a duck hook?

Duck hook is the term for a shot that hooks (hence the name) left of your intended target if you are a right-handed golfer, and vice versa. It doesn’t sound so bad, but it can cause problems with your score, your ball will go off course and even land in some difficult terrain to get yourself back into the game.

How is golf similar to baseball?

Golf is similar to baseball in the sense that your strength goes from the feet to hips to shoulders. By now you probably know how you like to stand with some bend to your knees and crouching with your hips. The next part is your foot stance.

Can you fix a duck hook in your swing?

Luckily, solving your duck hook issue with your swing is not the worst situation you can be in! In fact, many experts believe that addressing duck hook in your swing is the last barrier before a well rounded swinging technique. With that being said, here are the causes of duck hook and how you can fix it.

Can duck hooks be fixed?

While duck hook can be an annoying problem to encounter when it comes to your golf game, it’s a really easy problem to fix. Consider some of the ways you have been hitting the ball. What your stance is like, how your feet face, and the grip you use in your club.

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.

What is a hook shot in golf?

In golf a hook – or a hooked shot – is one that sees the ball starting right of the target initially but then veering aggressively to the left as a result of strong counterclockwise sidespin.

What direction does the clubface go in a hook ball flight?

Specifically and for a shot to produce a counter-clockwise spin that is typical of a hook ball flight, the clubface must be closed relative to the club path. Or in other words, the clubface must aim more left than the path of the club itself. But – and this is important – because the ball flies to the right of the target initially it means ...

What does it mean when the ball flies to the right of the target?

But – and this is important – because the ball flies to the right of the target initially it means that the clubface at impact was open relative to the target. And the only way the club can be aiming to the right of the target at impact yet be closed relative to the club path is through a severe inside-out club path.

What is the clubface open at impact?

Clubface Open at Impact, But Closed to the Club Path. For a shot to produce a lot of side spin the clubface must hit the ball with an angle that is anything but square to the club path. Or in other words, the clubface must not be perpendicular to the direction of the club at impact in order to produce some side spin.

What is a pull hook in golf?

In golf a pull hook – or a pulled hooked shot – is one that features the same right to left side spin that is associated with a hook. However, in this instance the shot starts left of the target instead of right. So in contrast to the hook shot proper, a pull hook will see the ball start left of the target and proceed to curve left still.

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 ...

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