- An inside takeaway. One of the biggest causes of a pull hook is something that you might not think of at first, unless you are rather experienced in this game. ...
- Failure to rotate away from the target. ...
- Poor lower body rotation in the downswing. ...
What causes a pull hook in golf?
The cause of a pull hook isn’t all that much different from the regular pull in that the club face is still pointed to the left of the target. However, the notable difference is that with a pull hook, the club face is also closed in relation to the path of the club head through impact.
Is pull hooking the golf ball a bad shot?
Now, here's little section of pull hooking the golf ball. Now, a pull hook is quite a bad shot to hit on the golf course and it's quite a bad shot because it goes left and it also goes a long way.
Why do I keep hooking the ball?
Another reason why you’re hooking the ball is your club is not traversing down the ideal 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.
Why can’t I pull the ball out of the swing?
A common flaw here for most golfers struggling with a pull is that the butt of the club is pointing outside of the target line (meaning you too took the club back on too flat of a swing plane). As a result, an over the top downswing is needed to make solid contact with the ball.
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 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?
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 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.
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.
What is pull hook golf?
The pull hook is one of golf’s most devastating maladies because on top of the misdirection, a ball hit with right-to-left sidespin will run for days; plus, pull hooks fly low, so they roll even farther. In other words, a case of the pull hooks must be dealt with and defeated ASAP. Pull hooks results from an over-the-top (or outside-to-inside) ...
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.
What happens when you rotate your body too fast?
This certainly complicates things for the golfer. If you don’t rotate fast enough, you will hit a pull. If you rotate too quickly, you will fight a pull hook. Golf is known as a hard game for a reason.
What is pulled golf shot?
Pulled golf shots are a common problem that plague players of all skills levels from beginners to accomplished competitive golfers. Since they can sail so far off line so quickly, fixing your pull should be near the top of your golf priority list.
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.
Why does a pull happen?
If you boil it down to a single sentence, a pull happens because the club face is closed at impact. That is the easy part. The difficult part is figuring out why the club face is coming to a closed position at impact. In general your club face is closed at impact for 2 main reasons:
Why does my golf club face close?
If your stance is too closed, meaning your front foot is too far forward, it can also cause your club face to close at impact. A good stance allows for a controlled and athletic swing, but a poor stance forces you to reach or adjust your swing when the ball is too close or too far away.
What is a pull fade?
A pull fade/slice is when the ball starts left and then moves back toward athe right. You may be thinking that this is what you want your ball to do, but the problem is when you pull the ball just to fade it back towards the target, you lose a lot of distance and accuracy.
What happens if your golf club shaft is too short?
If your shaft is too flexible or not flexible enough, you can pull the ball. Also, if your clubs are too short and make you reach or too long and force you to put the ball too far forward in your stance, you have the wrong clubs. I would suggest getting fitted for clubs and allow the golf pro to tell you which clubs fit best with your height, power, and swing.
What is the first move in golf?
Your first move when you start the swing, your takeaway, usually dictates how your downswing will go. Many golfers, when they are struggling with their golf game, immediately try to fix what is wrong at the top of their swing or during their downswing.
What does it mean when a golf club is pointed in the right direction?
Alignment sticks (or a golf club pointed in the right direction) can show you the natural direction the ball should be taking based on where you are aiming. If you are aiming left, you may not actually be pulling the ball, you may just be hitting a good shot aimed in the wrong direction.
How to get a better grip on a golf club?
If your grip is too strong for your swing, you may just have to move to a more neutral grip. Simply rotate your hands backward on the club until the “V” shape between your thumb and index finger are pointing straight down or slightly backward. A strong grip helps players who slice the ball or who desire to draw the ball, but it can also cause your club face to be closed at impact.
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 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 happens if you hook the ball too far forwards?
If having the ball too far forwards, makes you hook and pull down the left hand side, consider moving it back a little bit in the stance. You might find that the further back you put the ball, the more the club is in its open face as it strikes the ball, the more of a push you get.
What happens when you clear a major hurdle in golf?
Just when you think you have cleared a major hurdle and you should be well on your way to great scores, another issue will pop up and confront you. In this case, that issue is the mental hurdles that you’ll need to clear after you have corrected the mechanics of your golf swing. Even if you have sorted out the fundamental problems which were causing you to hit pull hooks, the mental ‘scars’ from those pull hooks are still going to need to be dealt with.
What is the downswing rotation of the lower body?
Basically, the downswing rotation of your lower body is what allows the club to get into a good position to strike the ball while swinging down the target line.
How to work past pull hook pattern?
Quite obviously, the way to work past your pull hook pattern is to correct the errors that you are making in your golf swing. That’s easy enough to say, but it certainly is not easy to do. You have to accurately diagnose the problems you are having in your swing, and then you have to spend the necessary time on the range to work out those issues. It’s absolutely possible to leave your pull hook behind, but you shouldn’t expect this to be simple.
What is pull hook?
The pull hook is one of the nastiest ball flights in the game of golf. While plenty of players spend years trying to get rid of the slice, a pull hook is arguably a harder ball flight to live with. Sure, it isn’t as common as the slice, but that doesn’t matter to those who are afflicted.
What is the issue with pull hooks?
The other issue with the pull hook for a lot of people is the fact that they fire their hands from the top of their back swings, so they cast their hands. So, they take the golf club up to the top in a good position and then they throw their hands at it.
Is a pull hook a bad shot?
Now, a pull hook is quite a bad shot to hit on the golf course and it's quite a bad shot because it goes left and it also goes a long way. It will often get you into a lot of trouble, so, pull hook by nature starts off left of center and then curves further left of center for a right-handed golfer.
Why do golf balls shoot left?
The reason they do is because the sidehill will promote a flatter swing that will leads to a more aggressive release of the hands. This will naturally close the clubface and send the ball to the left of the target.
Why is the ball aiming left of the target?
And because the ball shoots left of the target, it means the clubface was closed at impact and was also aiming left of the target. But it also means the swing path was outside-to-in, resulting in a clubface that is square to the club path and ultimately a pulled shot. Likely Reason #1:
How to avoid over the top swing path?
In order to avoid an over the top swing path you will need to focus on the downswing. Rather than pushing the club outside of the target line as you begin the downswing you will need to focus on bringing the club down from inside of the target line as it should, rotating around your body in the process.
What does it mean when the clubface is closed at impact?
Clubface Closed at Impact, But Square to the Club Path. For a shot to produce no side spin, the clubface must hit the ball with an angle that is square to the club path. In effect, the path the club takes must match the direction of the clubface. And because the ball shoots left of the target, it means the clubface was closed at impact ...
What is a pull shot in golf?
In golf a pull – or a pulled shot – is one that sees the ball starting left of the target initially and continuing on straight that line, without lateral spin. It is in effect a straight shot that misses left of the target. Because it ultimately misses the target it constitutes a golf shot error and should be avoided.
Why is my golf club not flat?
If the lies of your clubs – the angle between your shaft and ground at address – are too high then your club will not be flat as it will penetrate the ground. Instead, the toes will stay off the ground, which may ultimately contribute to sending the ball to the left.
Should you aim right of the target when setting up for a shot?
If you find it too difficult to alter your swing and club path – or if you’d rather keep it as is – then you can opt to simply aim right of the target when setting up for a shot.
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 ...
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 use a thumb jigsaw puzzle?
While it is in an open palm position, move your right thumb so that the side of your thumb touches the forefinger. Place your right hand’s groove on the handle and slide it over your left hand. Your left thumb should fit right into middle of the groove of your right hand just like a jigsaw puzzle.
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.