While many golfers fight a slice, there are plenty of us who struggle with a hook. And that can be even more trouble. As Lee Trevino once said, “You can talk to a fade but a hook just won’t listen.”
Believe it or not, the hook is generally accepted as a better miss than the slice because the theory is that you are closer to hitting straight iron shots than you may think.
Let’s take a look at why you’re hooking your irons and how to fix it.
Clubface too closed at impact
The angle of the clubface at impact will determine where your golf ball goes. If it’s closed, it goes left (for a right-hander).
The best players in the world have a square to slightly closed face at impact. Your problem is the face is just too closed for the ball to go straight.
Your clubface can close too soon (or too much) for several reasons but two of the most common are:
- improper wrist angles
- incorrect ball position
Check your ball position with your irons and ensure it’s not too far forward. If it is, your clubface may reach the ball after it’s rotated and closed.
To double-check your wrist position, take a few slow motion swings and see how much bowing you have in your lead wrist at impact.
If the shaft is pushed too far forward and your lead wrist is in a bowed position, you may see some shots go low and left.
How to fix
Developing clubface control takes a little work. If you want training aids to help you fix this problem, consider HackMotion which helps you understand the role of the wrists in your swing. A golf impact bag can help you see what the clubface is doing at impact.
When my irons start going left, one of my favorite drills is to hit punch shots. I take the club about halfway back and I focus on keeping the clubface a little more square through impact. These punch shots are not only useful to play on the course but they help you square up the face and get rid of the hook.
Swing path problems
You’ve been told the in-to-out swing path is ideal, right? Golfers who hook exaggerate this movement. The result is a clubface that is closed to an in-to-out swing path at impact and a golf ball in the water hazard on the lefthand side of the green. To fix this issue, you will have to neutralize your swing path.
How to fix
Whether you want to call this fix a swing thought or a drill is up to you. The important part is it works.
If your swing path is creating a hook, think about sending your hands left after impact. It seems counterintuitive to send the hands left when your golf ball is already going left. However, if you can start to match the clubface and the swing path, you’ll hit straighter shots.
The second part of this fix is to feel a clubface more open on the downswing.Keep the hands left and the clubface open and it will fix this over-exaggerated in-to-out swing path. Great players work on this “left exit” concept all the time because it works. Here’s a good video to show you how it works.
Poor body rotation
If your body stops rotating the way it should through impact, the hands take over. They continue on their path around your body but without this rotation of the lower body at the same time, the clubface will be closed at impact.
Body rotation issues can happen when you are tired. They also happen when golfers use more of their arms and hands instead of staying connected throughout the swing.
How to fix
Trying to keep the body and arms working together is your best bet. Use something like the Connector to help turn and rotate the upper body all at the same time.
Ensure your belt buckle ends up facing the target through impact. Another drill to make you more aware of your rotation (or lack thereof) is to take some swings with your feet completely together. If the lower body stops, you’ll feel it.
Inadequate or poorly timed weight transfer
If you are not shifting your weight back to your lead side for impact, it can cause anything from a hook to a pull to a pull hook. Weight transfer and rotation can go hand in hand. If you don’t rotate, you won’t be able to transfer your weight.
Most golfers who hook aren’t necessarily forgetting to transfer their weight. They are going about the movement the wrong way.
How to fix
The lead leg push-back drill is my favorite for fixing this issue. You will have to focus on the transition from backswing to downswing. As you begin the downswing, push your left hip back behind your left foot. This movement helps keep your hips turning and prevents early extension. Maintain this feeling of pushing your left hip back to keep your body rotation active and the clubface square through impact.
My favorite part about this drill is how it forces you to use the ground more on your downswing. It’s much more powerful and better for fixing a hook than simply thinking about transferring weight. Having an exact direction for this weight transfer (back behind the left foot) can be a game changer.
Additional issues to look out for
Although these are the main reasons behind a hook, there are other issues you can run into.
As always, make sure your equipment is properly suited to your game. Clubs with too much draw bias and a golfer who over rotates the clubface through impact won’t mix well.
In addition, if you were previously a slicer and now you hook, check your grip. Chances are you strengthened your grip to get rid of the slice and now it’s causing a hook.
Final thoughts
Hooking your irons can be frustrating. Knowing that your fix may be just one range session away should help. As always, keep a close eye on your fundamentals to make sure there are no setup-related issues. Once you gain awareness of the clubface through impact, getting rid of the hook is not all that difficult.
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