why am i duck hooking the golf ball

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. For reference, an open clubface would do the opposite, and square is a dead-center hit.

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.

Should you flip your hands when Duck hooking the golf ball?

The last thing you want to do when duck hooking is to get the club behind you too much and get it trapped. This can cause you to flip the hands and wrists to catch up the club head, which only creates a shut face in addition to an inside to out swing path.

Why do I keep hooking the golf ball?

Hooking the golf ball? Rotate your body Another common cause of the hook is an early release of the angle in the hands through impact. In my experience, this happens because golfers stop rotating their bodies. A great tip that will help is simply to turn your left foot out a fraction at address (as above).

What is a duck hook golf swing?

The third driver duck hook and probably the least fun is a duck hook that starts left and hooks even further left ending up in the rough or perhaps out of bounds, on the left side of the golf course.. This is commonly referred to as a “Pull Hook Golf Swing.”

What causes a duck hook in golf?

The duck hook will happen when a player is trying to hit a full, or almost full, shot. It looks really strange because the swing is long and hard, but the ball doesn't respond off the clubface in the way one would expect. A big, long, powerful swing should create a big, long golf shot, right? Ideally, yes.

Why am I suddenly hooking the golf ball?

(You don't want to swing too much to the left with your driver or you'll start over-fading the ball.) The reality is that when you play the ball too far back in your stance, you're more prone to hit down on the ball—with a swing direction that's out to the right—causing the ball to hook.

How do you fix a low duck hook driver?

2:183:58How to Eliminate A Snap Hook with Your Driver - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipMeans the club gets caught behind our our hands and that and then we've got to try to flip it toMoreMeans the club gets caught behind our our hands and that and then we've got to try to flip it to square it up. So if you actually the easiest by fixing the snap hook is try to hit a little cut.

How do you stop duck hooking in fairway woods?

4:377:31#98 - Stop Hooking Woods - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipJust your first knuckle. And then just cover that thumb with the other hand and this line betweenMoreJust your first knuckle. And then just cover that thumb with the other hand and this line between your thumb and index finger should. Point right up at your chin like mine does. Okay.

How do you fix a duck hook?

1:285:07How to Fix a Duck Hook with the Driver | Golf Instruction | My Golf TutorYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipFirst of all you said the ball is starting left. So this is going to be our face. So our club faceMoreFirst of all you said the ball is starting left. So this is going to be our face. So our club face at impact is pointing to the left of our target. Line.

How do I stop hooking the golf ball?

3:214:34How To Stop Hooking The Golf Ball - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd get the feeling that Club is turning on the way back. So the toe is pointing to the sky. It'sMoreAnd get the feeling that Club is turning on the way back. So the toe is pointing to the sky. It's much easier than to get to the top of the backswing. And have a square clubface.

What causes a low hook with driver?

#1 – Slow Down 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. Remove tension from your swing.

Why am I pull hooking my driver?

Rather than being caused by a lack of rotation in the lower body, a pull hook typically results from lower body rotation that is too fast. When your lower body races out ahead of your upper body – and the club – the result is commonly a wild pull hook.

Why do I keep hitting my driver low and left?

Look down at your left hand; you should see only two knuckles. Place more weight on your right foot. Hitting the ball too low can be caused by shifting your weight to your left side. By consciously planting your right foot and keeping your weight on it, you will prevent shifting your weight to the right.

Why am I duck hooking My 3-wood?

Hooking a 3-wood is a common miss, and it happens for a common reason: Players who struggle with this club tend to set up as if they're hitting a driver. The ball is positioned off their front foot, and the upper body is well behind the ball at address.

Why do I hook my woods but not my irons?

When you have your left foot sticking out further than your right foot, you will close off your body to the target. This can cause hands and arms to swing around with a slightly closed clubface and make the ball head to the left. The alignment is one of the most common causes of a hook.

Why am I popping up my 3-wood?

The biggest problem that you pop up drivers or fairway woods is because you're too steep. The key is to change the bottom point of your arc and create a shallow path. This will allow you to hit up on the golf ball and not hit the ball high on the face (aka the crown).

Why do golf clubs have a duck hook?

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. For reference, an open clubface would do ...

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 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.

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.

Why do I get hooks on my swing?

Probably the most common swing-related cause of the hook is an inactive lower body. 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.

Why do I get hooks in my hands?

Rotate your body. Another common cause of the hook is an early release of the angle in the hands through impact. In my experience, this happens because golfers stop rotating their bodies. A great tip that will help is simply to turn your left foot out a fraction at address (as above).

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.

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.

How to do duck hook ball flight?

That means you start your downswing from the ground up firing your hips first, then your shoulders, then your arms and then your hands. If you get out of sequence and start firing with your upper body first in the downswing it ’s easy to get the face closed and create the nasty duck hook ball flight.

How to fix a duck hook golf swing?

Another method to fix a duck hook golf swing is to perfect the clubhead release. Losing your timing or sequence through impact can certainly cause the club face to shut too quickly. Be sure to keep a solid kinematic sequence in your swing allowing body parts to fire in the correct order.

What causes a snap hook in golf?

A golf snap hook is caused by a combination of the club face angle at impact and swing path into the ball at impact. The more these two factors are out of whack, the more severe your duck hook swing is going to be.

What is the second duck hook?

The second duck hook is a golf ball that starts out straight down the fairway before severely hooking left into the rough. This is the most common problem for the golfers who are missing the target. They know how to shoot straight, but the art of landing the ball on target is yet to be learned.

What is the first type of hook?

The first type of hook is when the ball starts out to the right and then severely snap hooks left of the intended target. This is what most golfers would refer to as a “Normal Hook”. It’s not necessarily bad if you manage to land the ball on the target.

What is a golf ball hook?

A hook is when the golf ball swings to the left mid-air after the impact. For many beginners, it’s a huge problem. And in this post, we intend to fix it. There are 3 major types of duck hooks (or snap hook if that’s how you refer to it).

What is a duck hook?

The duck hook is a common swing fault that many golfers suffer from in addition to a nasty slice. If you’re not sure what a slice is, it’s when the ball curves from left to right when it’s on the flight. Many golfers call it the fade as well. A fade is good at times. But not when it curves excessively. The good news is you’re close ...

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 ...

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.

Why is my golf club not going down the swing plane?

If the ball starts from the left then goes farther left, then it is more likely that your club is moving from outside to inside the target line.

How to hit straight shots?

In order to hit straight shots, you need full body coordination so that the club hits the ball with a square club face. It is not enough to just know how to stop hooking the ball, you need to put everything that you learned into action. So hurry and head to a driving range and practice hitting straighter shots.

Why do my shots go to the left?

One possible reason why your shots are going to the left is because of your club. You should know which golf club to use for your skill level. Actually changing or adjusting your club is one of the easiest ways on how to stop hooking the ball.

How to make your golf ball go left?

Shift the weight of your body to your left leg as you turn. As you turn, your right shoulder will lower. Then, you should continue turning your body. I know that this may sound ironic but if you don’t want your ball to go the left, then you must keep on turning to the left. Let me explain.

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.

What is a duck hook?

A duck hook is a shot that curves hard to the left of your target, if you are a right-handed golfer. A duck hook almost always gets a golfer into some kind of trouble on the course. A closed club face at impact and an inside-to-out swing can cause a duck hook. Learning to swing with a square club face, to release the club properly ...

How to swing a golf club down?

Turn your hips toward the target to start the downswing. Your arms will naturally follow your hips down. Keep turning your hips toward the target as you approach impact. This will help keep the club from releasing early and help you swing the club down on the proper path.

How to use a golf club with a pinkie finger?

Step 1. Grip the club with the fingers of your left hand first, so you still can see two knuck les on your left hand. Then grip the club with your right hand so your right thumb and index finger point to the right shoulder. Your right-hand pinkie finger should rest between the index and middle finger of your left hand, ...

How to keep your golf club from closing?

Swing the club back and point the toe, or rounded edge, of the club straight up when the club is hip high. This will keep you from having a closed club face on the backswing.

What arm position is best for a downswing?

A straight left arm position helps you avoid an early release on the downswing. An early release occurs when you lose your wrist hinge and the club face closes before impact. Stop your backswing when your left shoulder is under your chin.