Golfdirt

How to Correct Your Golf Hook in 5 Easy Steps

April 27, 2008 – 8:54 pm | by Golfdirt

By Aaron Leonard

1. First, the easiest thing to check is your grip. If your grip is too strong (hands positioned too far right on the grip) then this can promote a closed club face, promoting a hook. Weaken your grip by making sure your thumbs are pointing straight down the middle of the shaft instead of to the right.

2. Next, you will want to focus your attention on your posture. Hold your club out directly in front of you. If you stand too upright, your swing may tend to be a little too wide and your hands may become a little too active coming over the ball.

A good drill for correcting your posture is to hold the grip end of your club level with your belt buckle, effectively making a “T” with your body and the club. Now hold your arms out and extend away from your belt buckle, then bend over until the club hits the ground. This will give you the proper posture to hit the golf ball.

3. The third step to correct your golf hook is to use the famous head cover drill. Just pull out one of your head covers and place it under your right arm. Now take a few practice swings, keeping the head cover under your arm. This drill forces you to keep your right elbow close to your body, promoting the proper swing plane, reducing the chance of a hook.

4. One of the most important tips to remember is to shift your weight to your front foot. This is the single most common cause of the hook and one of the best solutions to cure the hook. Be sure to finish your swing with your weight on that leading foot.

5. Lastly, check your swing path. A good way to visualize this is to picture a clock on the ground in front of you. Your target is at 12 o’clock. Those who hook the ball tend to swing the club on a 7 o’clock to 1 o’clock swing path. A proper swing path will go from 6:30 on the backswing to 11:30 on the follow-through. To correct your golf hook, check your swing path and make appropriate adjustments, and you will see results.

Aaron Leonard writes for the How to Survive Stuff site.