How to Fix Your Golf Hook in Five Steps

While more golfers struggle with a slice than with a hook, those with a hook know just how frustrating it can be. If you have a problem hooking the ball when you get out onto the course, you have probably tried just about everything to fix the error. The problem with a hook is that once is starts turning to the left (for a right handed golfer) there is almost no stopping it.

To help you correct this problem and remove the hook from your game, try following the five step plan outlined below.

  1. Weaken your grip. If you are a right handed golfer, try turning your left hand a little bit to the left when you take your grip. This ‘weaker’ position will take some of the power out of your hands to control the clubface, and should make it a harder to hit a hook.
  2. Shorten your backswing. When you let your backswing get too long, it often leads to the club falling behind your body as it rotates down toward impact. When that happens, the club can come into the ball too much from the inside and a hook can result. By shortening your backswing slightly, it will be easier to keep the club on plane and avoid putting hook spin on the ball.
  3. Slow down your transition. Much like having a long backswing, having a fast transition is a good way to hit a nasty hook. Try slowing down your change of direction from backswing to downswing, so the club has time to keep up with your body and your swing comes into impact well-connected. It is good to use your legs in the downswing, but if you are using them too quickly you can be creating the hook that you are trying to stop.
  4. Stay balanced. Good balance is the solution to a lot of swing problems, and it applies here as well. Often a hook is caused by sliding from side to side during the swing, so focus on remaining balanced from start to finish.
  5. Don’t try so hard. More than anything else, a hook is often the result of simply trying to hit the ball too hard. Stay within yourself, and don’t try to squeeze any more power from your swing than what comes naturally and comfortably to you.
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