General Advice On How To Stop Hooking Your Drives

The infamous hook that pushes the drive left (or right in case of left-handed golfers) of the target has troubled many players, and your presence here indicates you’re one of them. There is general consensus among coaches, experts, and professionals that a strong/tight grip on the iron is to blame for the hook. With a tight grip the clubhead closes inwards, towards the golfer, at impact leading to a hook. We offer certain fixes that would immensely help golfers avoid hooking their drives.

Inspect the grip

To correct the faulty grip, a good understanding of the grip is a must. At addressing position, inspect your left hand; if you see three knuckles instead of two, your hold over the club is too strong. This turns the club face inward at impact, and infuses a counter-clockwise spin on the ball. Though it may seem that the ball is right on target, with a counter-clockwise spin, on the way, the ball will bend away from the target.

Correct the grip with a simple technique, roll your hands counter-clockwise (clockwise in case of left-handed golfers) till only two knuckles are visible to you. Now, the grip is not too strong enough to force a closing of the clubhead, instead this weak hold will let the face of the club turn square at impact and prevent any counter-clockwise spin from happening.

On the flip side, gripping the club too lightly can also lead to hooking the drive. You have to apply adequate pressure on the grip to turn the face square at impact, too weak a grip will release the club early resulting in a hook. A weak or tense hold on the club will affect the forearms and wrist.

Body rotation

According to Tiger Woods, any drive that’s devoid of body rotation will result in a hook. If golfers attempt a backswing without fully rotating the body, the weight won’t shift correctly, and this’ll force them to flip the wrist when the swing is coming down. The club face will close at impact and lead to a hook. A simple corrective drill that he suggests is to be aware of the triangle created by the chest, arms, and hands while addressing the ball, and ensure it retains the same shape all through the drive.

Wrist action

You’ve worked on almost every aspect of the swing – the setup, backswing, grip, etc., but the ball goes way off the target, it’s time to focus on your wrist. To hit a clean drive without any hook, the wrist must be in a locked position at impact and at the beginning of the follow through. A loose, turning wrist will cause the club face to close and the ball to hook.