Two big culprits? Take your normal address position but close the face of your iron – the two alignment sticks show just how much I’ve closed the … Imagine there is a wall lined up with the ball of your feet and don't crash into the wall in the takeaway. Matthew DeBord has written about sports, cars, and wine since 1994 for a variety of publications. Many mistakes can cause a hook. Zach Allen is a PGA-certified golf instructor. But my club is moving from right to left, I’m coming over the top, and I’m closing down that face to get that ball to hook.  just went PRO! One of the goals of a golfer is to hit straight shots consistently. A hook is from an inside to out swing path and makes the ball curve accordingly. Switch to a flatter swing plane. It usually starts off straight until the spin takes control and pushes the golf ball to the left of where the intended target was. There are very few mistakes in golf as frustrating as the hook. If you slide your hips toward the target, you'll tend to lean backward and leave the clubface open – you don't want that. Secondly, it moves the ball slightly away from your body and flattens your swing. Set up as if you were going to hit a shot straight at your target. If you tee up on the left side of the tee box and aim down the middle, you're already aimed slightly to the right. Remember, some hooks can be too wild. Also, assuming you have an average swing speed (around 100MPH), try to change your swing so you are hitting up on the ball at impact. Start on the left side of the tee box. (Remember that a hook is caused by a club path starting to the right – a closed stance – and the clubface pointing to the left of that path – a closed face. Some players may use it to get a bit more yardage on longer holes, while other golfers hook the ball to escape trouble. Golf Tips Magazine: Power Draws & Power Fades, Golf Tips Magazine: Money Shots – Hit the High Draw, Golf Tips Magazine: Shotshaping Formulas – High Draw, Privacy Notice / Your California Privacy Rights. It's where they started at address, so don't change that relationship. To spin the ball counter-clockwise, the club has to swing more to the right with the clubface pointing slightly to the left. Move your feet slightly toward the target so the ball ends up farther back in your stance. For left-handed golfers, it veers to the right. A very closed stance can induce a draw or hook ball flight. To hook the ball out of trouble---for example, around a tree---exaggerate everything. Swing easy. Step 2. So does Tiger, and Phil and every golfer on the PGA and LPGA tours. Pick a target in the center of the fairway. Zach teaches aspiring golfers of all levels and ages. Adjust your grip or adjust your stance. Keep your upper arms close to your chest. If you aim straight at your target first, the stance change will make more sense. Use a mid-iron, such as 6-iron, to begin practicing your hook. A great drill for anyone asking why do I hook the ball is this. Turn your whole body on the downswing rather than just sliding your hips forward. His students include nationally-ranked juniors, touring pros, celebrities, and CEOs. Swing: You cannot hook the ball unless your clubface is going crazy through the strike. A golf pull hook is a ball that comes off the club face with a right-to-left spin (or left-to-right for a left-handed golfer) and spins off the straight path to the non-dominant side. He graduated from Clemson University and has a master's degree from New York University. For right-handed golfers, a golf hook veers to the left. He’s been voted the Southern California PGA’s Teacher of the Year and Golf Digest has named him one of the Best Young Teacher in America. This can't be done, but it will force you to close the clubface. The combination of moving the ball and your foot back does two things. It will also negate sidespin. If you suffer more with a slice that goes to the right, READ THIS instead. Each instructor seems to have his own favorite method, and those methods often seem to contradict each other. Now from this position, you want the club to be travelling from inside the body to out with the clubface closed to both that path and the target. He is the author of the instructional golf book "Ruthless Putting" and edited a collection of swashbuckling novels. Tee your ball high enough so half the ball extends above the top of the club head when the clubhead is resting on the ground behind the ball. (With a closed stance and an open clubface, the club's path will start the ball to the right and the open clubface will send it even farther right – a push-slice.) Generally the swing is too long so, the body gets to the ball before the club head and the hands turn over at the last minute. A smooth swing allows enough time for this to happen. Although many weekend players struggle to eliminate a slice, there are times when a slice — or its less extreme brother, a fade — is exactly what you need. Until you learn how much you will draw the ball, this is the safest approach. Try hitting the ball with the toe of the club. Want to know how to fix a golf hook? A pull starts left and goes farther left. A hook is the last stop on the road to a good golf swing, and you're very close to hitting consistent, powerful shots. It's difficult to hook the ball if you possess a steep, upright swing. Don't come "over the top," which means swinging down from left to right and swiping across the outside of the ball. If your triceps rest lightly against your chest throughout your swing, this helps flatten your swing even more. If you are a young, strong player who likes to swing hard, the hook may not be for you. Golf coach tip: Keep the swing nice and short. 2. 3 Reasons You're Hooking Your Golf Balls So you hook the ball every now and then. First, it aims your feet more to the right of your target, so the ball can hook back toward it. How to Hook a Golf Ball 1. Use a mid-iron, such as 6-iron, to begin practicing your hook. How to Swing a Golf Club & Hit a Hook Step 1. A hook golf shot is when a right-handed golfer hits a ball that curves to the left aggressively. Many golfers set up very well to the ball with everything in a neutral position, but the right elbow tends to drift sideways a little bit as they move the club back. Having the ball too far back in your stance would cause you to make contact with the ball when the swing path of your club is going from in to out, which could putting left hook spin on the ball. This creates a closed stance. Many players instinctively move to the right side because they want the ball to start to the right. Don't confuse a hook with a pull. The Proper Correction for a Golf Swing and. For left-handed golfers, it is when the ball curves aggressively to the right. And vice versa, for a left-handed golfer, a hook shot means when a golf ball goes to the left then curves way to the right. Smaller grips enable the hands to turn faster through the shot, which produces a hook. Jack Nicklaus always had plenty of distance, so he favored a high, controlled faded shot---the opposite of a hook. Don't worry about it, we all do. Rotate the clubface open on the backswing as your arms and hips rotate. This type of swing usually produces a weak slice---the opposite of a hook. 3. To promote the hook, think of swinging as if you were hitting a baseball. A golf pull hook causes your drive to hook the ball to the left, assuming that your right hand is your dominant hand. The first thing to do to hook up a golf ball is to find a golf ball bar. You only need to move it back 3 or 4 inches. Step 2. They are often lower-flying, bouncy little devils that roll and roll, making them even more devastating to a … However, this does not always happen. Simply lay it down your target line and then tilt it a bit so that it points 10-15 yards left of your target. A little higher is OK though. What Is the Physics Behind a Slice in Golf? More flexible shafts also promote a hook. The ball should start out slightly to the right of your target, then draw back toward it. Pull hooks are a common cause of amateur golfer rage. Adjust your grip or adjust your stance. Read on. The ability to hook the ball can come in handy. That's exactly what you want. A hook shot is a golf shot in which the ball veers sharply off course. Step 1. But if you tee up on the right side, you'll have to start the ball out over the right rough and, especially if there are trees, that's mentally intimidating. By teeing up on the left side, you have plenty of fairway to the right to start your draw and won't be "spooked" so easily. This club has enough loft to avoid putting too much hook spin on the ball, creating wild shots. When you are hitting a hook, it is almost impossible to get your ball around the course without incurring a number of penalty shots – and likely lost balls as well. Turning your shoulders horizontally to the ground as you swing to the top, and moving your upper body off the ball (that is, away from the target). Techniques to Not Slice a Golf Ball Off the Tee. To recap, the pull hook is when my club is moving over the top, right to left across the target. This may sound strange, but it makes aiming much easier. The easiest ways for recreational golfers to intentionally hook the ball are: Close your stance. North Carolina native Mike Southern has been writing since 1979. It happens when the clubface is or closed at impact. Then, put a golf ball next to the pole and try to swing, so that your divot is parallel to the alignment pole. A golf hook … Seth R. In that case, you … This can often be confirmed by looking at the direction of your divot. Then you take the golf ball into the bar and start scouting for other golf balls. But it can be hard to learn how to control a slice. How to Slice a Golf Ball on Purpose. A Golf hook, or a hook shot, is when the ball gets a left spin. Southern was trained in electronics at Forsyth Technical Community College and is also an occasional woodworker. You must strike the inside half of the ball to impart hook spin. My remedy for this would be the old tee your golf ball up an inch or so away from your driver headcover and see if that doesnt get the ball started out on the right path. A hook starts right and curves left. It takes a little more work to get your belly button facing the target when you're in a closed stance, so concentrate on getting your shoulders and hips turned through the shot. Michael Breed, host of ‘The Golf Fix’ has a drill to show you how to stop hooking the golf ball. The face flips closed, and you hit a snap-hook--a low screamer that turns left before it leaves the tee box. The hands need to be able to release the clubhead through the ball in order to generate hook spin. Close the clubface at address. Instructions. Try keeping the club and your arms in front of your chest throughout the swing. It's really not an issue unless you're hitting hook shots routinely. This next drill, you’ll need that same alignment pole from the first drill. The problem for many of them is as simple as misunderstanding why the golf ball behaves as it does. This is your final target. Especially since, at first, the trajectory of a pull hook often looks like a winner … A hook can also be from several different swing flaws, but the most common reason for a hook is the opposite of a slice. A hook – or more precisely, a draw – isn't that difficult to hit once you know the basic keys. An example of a hook shot in golf is where the ball travels to the left one direction but quickly transitions to the right. A hook can be considered as a severe draw and the reverse of a slice. Pull your right foot straight back from the target line. A clubface is the side of the golf club’s head that hits the ball. If you golf from the left, your ball will hook to the right. A hard, low hook that dives to the left is called a "duck hook" and tends to put a player in much worse trouble than a weak slice to the right. In trying to get my swing better the last 2 or 3 years Ive now developed a smother hook that puts me behind the 8 ball in terms of scoring. Watch ‘The Golf Fix’ Mondays at 7PM ET. That helps you hit the ball with an in-to-out swing that also will help the ball hook slightly. As you swing through, swing the clubface open to the left (or to the right if you’re left-handed). From my understanding it starts out straight and then turns left just far enough to be in trouble either with trees or just bad angles into greens. Close your stance more, turn your hands more to the right and make an effort to turn the club face over even more through impact. Formerly the golf columnist for the “Improper Hamptonian,” he has covered major championship tournaments and played some of the best courses in America. This isn't a big move – the ball only needs to be a couple of inches closer to your right foot than normal. Address the ball and aim the clubface at your final target. For a right-handed golfer, a hook shot means when a golf ball goes to the right then curves way to the left. Start on the left side of the tee box. While all players seek to avoid uncontrollable hook shots that curve to the left, most weekend players struggle to hit shots that draw even a little bit. Dropped my box here, we’ll get to that in a second. (See above). If you're a player who tends to hit a hook, first count yourself fortunate. Download our instruction app from iTunes or Google play Choose a preliminary spot at which you'll aim, taking into consideration how far your ball will curve. We’re talking about the pull hook again today. So if you were aiming to hook a ball around an obstacle, bring that rightful back and then allow the body to be moving and aiming off to the right hand side. When you set up to hit your hook, your feet will appear to be aimed wrong. 4.  Scored 107 at  Sepulveda, Encino Encino, California. 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. Swinging too far inside/out through impact will only encourage a hook. Use a tighter grip than normal when you want the ball to hook. From there to fade the ball play the ball slightly more forward so that the driver is swinging more to the left when it makes contact with the ball. Wearner: Hook it on command October 12, 2017 Golf Channel Academy lead coach Trent Wearner teaches how a soccer ball or kickball can help you hook the golf ball out of trouble. Copyright 2020 Leaf Group Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Step 3. Many players will try to avoid the right rough and instinctively hit the ball left, away from the rough, causing them to miss the fairway to the left with a pull hook. How Your Golf Ball Position Changes with Each Club. What is a Hook in the Golf Swing? James B. When the club is waist-high, the clubface should be toe-up. As PGA Tour player John Senden hits this draw, notice that he has set up on the left side of the tee box and his feet are aimed to the right. 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