Hooking the golf ball can be one of the most frustrating shots in golf. You complete your setup, plan your angle of attack and hit the ball off the tee only to see it swing sharply away to the left (for right handed players) and probably into the trees, water, sand or out of bounds.
The first thing to make clear when trying to stop hooking the golf ball, is to make sure you are hooking the ball. If you are hitting the ball and it is travelling left but doing so in a straight line, this is a pull shot, not a hook shot.
A hook shot will see the ball swing, often a lot, from right to left in a curve.
To stop yourself from hooking the golf ball, try taking some slow backswings, to make sure your body is leading your hands at impact with the ball.
Try to make sure your hips and legs lead your arms into the downswing, as this will help to prevent you from hooking the ball to the left. If you have trouble controlling this, try taking a pause at the top of the backswing, before beginning the downswing.
To start with, take only a half swing and check your hands are coming through in line of the target and not swinging around your body.
If you are hooking the ball a lot, it could be a weight issue. If you your weight is back on your heels during the swing or you tend to lean a lot of your weight on your right heel, this can lead to a hook shot. If your weight is back on your heels, you are more likely to swing the club around your body and close the face, which is what produces the hook.
Try and keep your weight balanced or even slightly on your toes to prevent this from happening.
Body rotation during the swing is also key to preventing a hook shot. You may feel as though turning your upper body to the left is only going to promote a hook shot rather than help stop a hook shot.
However, if you can ensure your upper body rotates until your belt buckle is pointing to the left of the target, this will help to keep the club face open and not close it on impact with the ball. It may seem and feel slightly counter-intuitive but it does work.
Finally, try weakening your grip so it is in a neutral position. Make sure you can only see two knuckles on your left hand and the ‘v’ formed by your index finger and thumb is pointing just inside your left shoulder.
Turn your right hand more towards the target, so you cover your left thumb as you complete the grip.
Practice on the driving range with your hands in this position, in addition to the other tips above and see if it helps you to stop hooking the golf ball.
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