A hook shot in golf is the result of a club face that is closed significantly to the swing path. Whether your club face is left or right of the target, a hook shot can still occur based on the swing path. In order to reduce the hook shot, the player must have a smaller gap between the club face and the swing path.
Sometimes golf can be a frustrating game!
Sometimes it is the most fun game!
When we are hitting a hook in golf, the game seems miserable and you wonder if you can ever fix it. We all just want to play more consistently!
Have you ever felt that way?
Well, I am glad you are here, because I want to help you gain some understanding of what causes a hook in golf.
When we first started playing the game, many of us would have paid big money to be able to hook the ball as many beginners fight the dreaded slice.
The sign of a good golfer is one that fights a hook every now and then. The best golfers of all time including Ben Hogan have fought hooks. Most of Ben Hogan’s five secrets book is based on moves he made to eliminate the hook from his game.
To help us get rid of the hook shot in golf, we first must understand the basic ball flight laws and what causes the hook from a numbers or technical side. With the increase in launch monitors being used by many people in the golf industry the numbers have become pretty clear.
With these numbers, we can then look at the causes and what drills will help you fight the hook shot in golf and start hitting soft draws again or maybe even a power fade.
What Causes A Hook In Golf – Overview
Topics Covered Below:
- Two Different Types of Hook Shots
- Causes of the Hook – Understanding the Ball Flight Laws
- Swing Flaws That Cause A Hook and Fixes
- Know Your Numbers!
Two Different Types of Hooks Shots 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.
The 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.
This present a major gap between the face of the club and the path of the swing. This will result in a shot that starts right and hooks left (for the right handed golfer).
The Pull Hook
The pull hook is a result of a club face that is left or closed to the target and also closed to the swing path. For example, if the club face is 7 degrees closed and the path is 1 degree right, you ball will start left and hook left. Once again, we have a significant gap between the club face and the path.
Causes of the Hook Shot in Golf: Understanding The Ball Flight Laws
Why? If you understand the ball flight laws you can start to become your own swing instructor and make corrections on the range or the course by reading the flight of your golf ball. Understand the ball flight laws is step one in fixing your hook.
Golfers that hook the ball may have no idea about the importance of the relationship between the club face and the swing path. They simply think they need to get the club face more open.
This often results in the golfer swinging further to the right and having a near impossible time of getting the club face to be right of the swing path.
The hook becomes worse and worse as the path can get 10-15 degrees right and even if your club face is 8 degrees right, you will still hook the ball. It will be a massive duck hook style shot that you stand on the tee and fear. This shot most happens with the driver.
Too often golfers turn to the video of their swing when everything you need to know can be read off of your ball flight. Did you know that your ball flight can tell you the following:
- Where your club face was at impact.
- If your swing path was left or right of the club face.
So let’s dive into the ball flight laws:
- Generally speaking, the golf ball will start where the club face is aiming.
- The golf ball will then curve away from the swing path.
There are two different lines that we must understand. The target line and the start line. The best golfers start the ball left or right of the target line and then curve the ball back towards the target.
Example 1: Traditional Push Hook (MOST COMMON LOW HANDICAP SWING FAULT)
With the traditional push hook, a shot hit by many low players, the ball will start right of the target line and then curve to the left. This means the clubface is closed relative to the target line. Let’s say the club face is 3 degrees open. Then let’s say that the path is 10 degrees right of the target line. We have the following:
- Clubface: 3 degrees open
- Swing Path: 10 degrees left
This means the ball will start right and then curve away from the swing path resulting in a hook..
Example 2: Traditional Push Draw
The shot that many golfers desire to hit is the push draw. I know growing up, I would watch all of the good golfers at my golf course and see them hitting a draw that would start to the right and curve back towards the target. Here are the numbers on a push draw and an example.
- Clubface: 2 degree open
- Swing Path: 3 degrees to the right
This means the ball will start to the right and then curve away from the path, resulting in a slight push draw. In this example if the clubface was 1 more degree open at 3 degrees open and and match the swing path the shot would be slight push to the right.
Example 3: The Pull Shot
So now that you are getting the idea of the ball flight laws, let’s show what would cause the pull shot.
- Clubface: 5 degrees closed
- Swing Path: 5 degrees closed or to the left
With these numbers the ball would start left and stay left. Since the face and the path are matched up. If the path were one degree left or right the ball would draw or fade.
How that we have an understanding of the new ball flight laws let’s get into the causes of the over the top issues that often produce examples 1 and 3 above.
Swing Flaws That Cause A Hook And Fixes
There are several swing flaws that can cause a hook in golf. Below I will detail each of these flaws and provide fixes to help you get rid of the hook.
Swing Flaw #1: The Body Outraces the Arms
We have all heard the golf instruction that we have to lead the down swing with the lower body. However, if the lower body out races the arms too fast, you can be left in a stuck position where your arms and hands feel like they have to catch up.
As a result, to fight the shot where you block it way right, your hands instricntly try to save the shot and flip through the ball as your body will actually stall as the same time.
This is a helpless feeling when the body is just flirting too quick or too early and you are left trying to save the shot with your hands.
On occassion you might save it with your hands and create a matchup between the club face and the swing path that produces a decent shot.
Swing Fix:
Here is an excellent drill that is called a freezer drill where you will stop or freeze at the top of your back swing for a 2 count and then start your down swing. I
t helps you match up your arms and body and have them work together to produce a quality shot. One of the swing changes Tiger made after lapping the field in the 1997 Masters was to match up his body and arms and get them to work more in unison.
Here is Tiger Woods explaining this drill that Butch Harmon had him do that Tiger disliked greatly!
Swing Flaw #2: Sliding Your Hips
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.
This can cause some major issues as your path can be as high as 7-12 degrees out to the right. If your club face is even just 2-3 degree open to the target line you will have too big of a gap between your swing path and the club face.
Swing Fix:
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.
Here are a couple drills you can try:
Know Your Numbers: Consider Buying A Launch Monitor
Why the Trackman might be out of most golfers budget. It is amazing the access a golfer can have to the affordable golf technology on the market today that can help us practice better and score better.
We can all know the numbers associated with our golf swing. On my own personal SkyTrak that I use in my golf simulator setup in my garage and that I can take to the driving range, provides me with instant feedback on the important numbers in my swing. These include the following:
- Clubhead speed
- Ball Speed
- Launch Angle
- Spin Axis
- Club Face Angle
I can see where my ball starts and what the spin axis (side spin) that I have for each and every shot. I know that if my spin axis numbers get to be -25 or lower than I have too big of a bag between my swing path and my club face.
There are some excellent options for all golfers in the $500 to $2000 range that can provide you with instant feedback and numbers to improve your game.
You can make educated decisions at the range and as you practice your swing. No longer do you have to guess on what the fixes or what is going on in your swing.
That is why the launch monitors are so important to have! Check out these three great options below. These fall withing the price range mentioned above:
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:
One last thing that has helped me gain significant distance is the SuperSpeed Training System. This overspeed based system where you train every other day for about 10-15 minutes with different swing sticks can help you increase your swing speed by 5-8% which can be 20-30 yards. Who wouldn’t want an extra 20-30 yards. Plus it helps improve your mechanics.
SuperSpeed Golf – Use Discount Code Golfjourney365 for some savings!
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.