Tired of hitting the snap hook?
Frustrated and just want to keep the ball in play?
We hear you! And we are here to help!
Many golfers begin the game of golf fighting the slice and then eventually fix the slice, but end up on the other side hitting the snap hook.
Both shots can be devastating as the slice robs the golfer of distance and the snap hook makes it difficult to get the ball in the air.
The good news is that we can get you back to a more standard draw or fade and keep the ball in play and the golfer hitting shots from point A to point B on a regular basis and enjoy the challenge of scoring.
What Causes The Snap Hook in Golf?
The technical description involves a major gap between the clubface and the swing path. The clubface is extremely closed relative to the path, creating significant side spin that causes the snap hook.
There are different types of snap hooks:
- The snap hook that starts right
- The snap hook that starts straight
- The snap hook that starts left
All three end up with poor results due to the extreme side spin that causes the ball to go left or really far left.
This takes us to the ball flight laws.
The basics of the ball flight laws include:
- The ball will start relative to the direction of the clubface at impact.
- The ball will then curve away from the swing path.
Ball Flight Laws: Snap Hook
In a snap hook the ball flight laws might be one of the following sets of numbers or somewhere in the ballpark:
- Clubface is 5 degrees open with a swing path that is 15 degrees to the right. This will result in a shot that starts right and curves hard to the left.
- Clubface is square at 0 degrees with a swing path that is 10 degrees or more to the right. This will result in a shot that starts straight and curves hard to the left.
- Clubface is left by about 10 degrees and the swing path is somewhere from square or more to the right. This will result in a shot that starts left and curves hard to the left.
In all 3 of the scenarios above you can see the major gap between the clubface and the swing path.
How to hit a draw with the driver
How To Fix the Snap Hook
We need to get the clubface and the swing path more in line and close the gap between the two. We don’t need to make it perfectly square but within 2-5 degrees should create a slight draw or a slight fade, depending on your preference.
Swing Faults of the Snap Hook
There are several swing faults that can cause the major gap in the clubface and swing path resulting in the snap hook. These include the following:
- An overactive release of the club.
- A swing path that drops way too far to the inside.
- A lack of body rotation and the hands flipping at the bottom.
- A stalling of the body, resulting in a flipping of the hands.
Since many golfers fight the slice early on, they eventually learn to get the swing path to the inside. What eventually happens in many cases is that the path keeps going further and further to the right. At times the golfer can time it up and release the club on time, but on other swings, when the body might stall, the hands flip and the gap between the clubface and swing path becomes extreme.
Swing Fixes For the Snap Hook
- Turn and Turn
- Underhand toss release
- Understand your numbers
#1: Turn and Turn
Turn back and then turn through. This swing thought can help eliminate the stalling of the body or the lack of rotation which will cause the hands to close down, resulting in a closed clubface. We want the golfer to feel like he or she continues to turn back and through the shot and sends the club flying towards the target.
#2: Underhand Toss Release
For years, golf instructors taught the toe up in the backswing swing and then turning the toe down just passed the ball. This leads to an overactive clubface, which isn’t required. Instead, imagine or feel an underhand toss like release through impact.
#3: Understand Your Numbers
Where is your swing path and club face relation? If you can work with a launch monitor you can get a reading after every shot of the relationship between these two essential numbers. I work with my Skytrak which provides a spin axis number which shows the amount of side spin. I fight the overhook and work on keeping everything balanced. I do hit a slight stock draw on my best days.
Drills To Utilize to Fix the Snap Hook
I would highly recommend the stock shot drill. This drill helps a golfer develop the ability to hit a stock draw or a stock fade. You don’t have to work the ball both ways to be a great golfer. Instead, develop the stock shot and work on one ball flight pattern. It is amazing how you can work your way around a golf course with one shape shot.
Stock Shot Drill
- At the driving range, set up an alignment stick about 6-8 yards in front of you, straight down your target line.
- If you have a second alignment stick, set the stick 3-4 feet right of the first stick (for a draw) or left of the first stick (for a fade).
- Complete your initial assessment see how many times out of 10 you can start the ball to the right or left of your target. Pick one side and measure your game at this point.
- The goal is to eventually get 7 out of 10 shots to start to the correct side and draw back towards the target.
Here is the drill being explained by Kyle Morris:
Some golfers who have fought the snap hook in golf prefer to hit the fade. Here is an overview of the fade shot in golf. Ben Hogan falls into this camp. He was someone that fought the hook and worked his butt off to develop a reliable fade shot that never hooked.
Nine Shot Drill
The goal of this drill isn’t necessarily to develop every shot, but instead to help balance your swing out. If you are hitting a lot of snap hooks, the reality is that your path is way too far to the right and you are closing the clubface excessively.
Working on the 9 shots below will help you balance your swing out. I heard Nick Price describe the golf swing like being in a shower. Sometimes you need more hot water, sometimes you need more cold water.
Using a balance of the two will help keep your swing balance and your path withing a manageable swing area.
This is the ultimate challenge to help you work the ball and hit the 9 different shots on the golf course. You might be thinking, 9 shots? I thought there were only 3 shots, draw, fade and straight. Well that is three ways to work the ball, now bring in the low and hit shots. So challenge yourself and see if you can hit these 9 shots:
- Straight
- Draw
- Fade
- Low Straight
- Low Draw
- Low Fade
- High Straight
- High Draw
- High Fade
How you can measure this one is to see how many shots it takes to execute these 9 shots. At first it may take you 20 shots because it might take you several times to hit the high draw, but keep working at it and track it over time. This drill will help keep your swing balance and from getting too far to one extreme.
Next Steps: Assess Your Game
Is the snap hook the number one thing holding your game back. One other quick tip I would recommend is to become target focused in your golf game.
One of the barriers when making a golf swing change is playing golf swing vs playing golf when you head out to the course. When you get out there, make sure you focus on the target. Here is a post to help you with this.
7 Keys to Playing Target Focused Golf
I have found the biggest keys to my game improvement have been the following:
- Increase in swing speed
- Developing a stock shot
- Continual work on the short game
- Target based approach to the game – Point A to Point B
- Playing the numbers – DECADE approach to golf
Need More Distance in Your Golf Game: Check out SuperSpeed Golf Below!
My number one recommendation is to check out SuperSpeed Golf and their protocols to help you find a safe way to increase your swing speed.
I spent many years wondering how I can increase my swing speed. When I was playing junior golf, we weren’t fortunate enough to have some of the training aids and knowledge that is now available. Smart people have studied the golf swing and have created training aids and protocols to help all golfers increase their distance!
At around the same time, the statistics from the PGA Tour have become more clear and the importance of speed is acknowledged by many to be a key to being the best on the PGA Tour.
Within the past several years, there have been several products hit the market to make speed gains possible. While many people for many years waited for the latest driver to come out to gain an additional 5-10 yards, you can now do this even with your current clubs.
Did you know that with the SuperSpeed Training System you can gain 5-8% increase in swing speed as early as the first training session? This would allow you to gain somewhere between 10 and 30 yards depending on your current swing speed.
The SuperSpeed Training System is based on three different swing speed sticks all weighing at different weights. There is a green club that is 10% lighter than the average driver, the blue club which is 5% lighter and the red club which is actually 5% heavier!
Following their prescribed protocols the golfer completes the training every other day. The total time to complete most of their protocols is between 10-15 minutes. Most people can find the time to make this happen. The golfer will also need a swing radar to measure their progress.
The science behind the SuperSpeed Training System is based on overspeed training. Overspeed training has been around for several decades now and has been used by olympic athletics in the sport of Track and Field.
The science behind this overspeed training is based on the premise that your brain will only allow your body to move as fast as it feels it can stop safely! So, you get to work and swing the clubs as fast as possible, retraining your brain to allow you to swing your driver faster.
For more permanent results, the golfer should continue these training protocols for several months. The initial 5-8% is great and can become more permanent with the right length of training. The golfer can expect to continue to break down barriers every several months at a 1-2% increase.
My own experience has been an increase of 7-10 miles per hour on average from between 98-101 all the way up to 106-109. My goal is to hit the PGA Tour average of 113 mph in the coming months. I will continue to train every other day and watch in amazement as I am hitting drivers longer now than ever before!
Phil Mickelson (a senior golfer now) has been known to increase his swing speed in the past year or so and is close to 120 miles per hour in his swing speed. There are potential results for golfers of all ability levels and age!
Check the current price on SuperSpeed Golf System, here!
| Original Swing Speed | After 4-6 Weeks | New Carry Distance | Total Distance |
| 95 | 102 | 245 | 265 |
| 100 | 108 | 259 | 279 |
| 105 | 113 | 271 | 291 |
| 110 | 118 | 283 | 303 |
My Secret To Golf Improvement
Let’s face it, in order to get really good at golf, we must practice frequently. About three years ago, I made the leap and invested in a golf simulator build for my garage. I went with a SkyTrak Launch Monitor and the TGC software and can now play over 100,000 courses including Augusta, Pebble Beach, Bethpage Black, Whistling Straits. St. Andrews and many other of the top 100 courses in the world.
This golf simulator setup, which is more affordable that you might imagine, has been a game changer. I can now play golf everyday of the year regardless of rain, snow, cold weather or time of day. I can practice or play rounds of golf. I can stand in the 11th fairway at Augusta and with the auto-rewind feature I am able to practice my approach shots from various differences.
It is worth checking out through Rain or Shine Golf as they offer some incredible packages along with financing offers that are difficult to beat.
Some direct links to Rain or Shine Golf for pricing and financing:
Take Action – What You Can Do Today to Get Better
What does this mean for you? I believe in the following recipe to get better:
1 – Improve your motion in the golf swing by identifying a golf instructor. Here are some options:
Here is a list of golf instructors that we have reviewed:
2 – Train to swing faster and improve your swing speed. Here are some options:
Looking to gain more Speed and Distance in your swing. Two Options:
3 – Understand course strategy and work to break through your next barrier. Here is a series on breaking through:
We have provided guides on how to break 100, 90, 80 and 70. Check out more below, if interested.
4 – Practice Frequently
Did you know that I build a golf simulator in my garage and have played over 500 rounds of golf on my SkyTrak system? It has been a game changer and one worth checking out. Here are some of my other posts on golf simulators frequently asked questions:
- Is a Golf Simulator Worth It?
- How to Build a Golf Simulator?
- What is the Best Golf Simulator?
- Golf Simulator Accessories?
- How to Build a Golf Simulator for under $7000
- Top 11 Reasons to Buy a SkyTrak
- How to Build a Golf Simulator for Under $1000
- Why Build A Golf Simulator?
- What Space is Needed?
- Can A Golf Simulator Improve My Game?
- How Much Does A Golf Simulator Cost?
- Don’t Forget to Check out our 15 best golf swings of all time.