How to Fix a Hook in Golf

Updated October 12, 2026 · Written by the Your Golf Plan team · Written for right-handed golfers; if you play left-handed, flip left and right.

A hook starts right of the target and curves left, or starts left and keeps going left. For a right-handed golfer the left side is trouble, and a hook is hard to trust because it often runs a long way once it starts turning.

It is the mirror of a slice: the clubface is closed relative to the path.

Hook, pull, or pull-hook?

Starts right and curves left: path is in-to-out with the face closed to that path. This is the classic hook.
Starts left and goes straight left: a pull. The path is out-to-in with the face square to it.
Starts left and curves further left: a pull-hook. The face is closed to the target and the path is out-to-in. It usually comes from flipping the hands.

Common causes

A strong grip: you see three knuckles or more on the lead hand, and the trail hand sits well under the club.
Hands flipping over through impact. See our guide to flipping.
Aim or stance closed (pointing right), with an in-to-out path to match.
Ball too far back in the stance, which closes the face.
A swing path that is too far from the inside, often from the trail elbow tucking in and the hips stalling.

How to check

Start with your grip in a mirror or photo. Then watch the start line. If the ball starts right, work on the path. If it starts left, work on the release and the face.

Drills that help

Neutral grip check

Set the lead hand so you see about two knuckles.
Set the trail hand so the V between thumb and finger points toward your trail shoulder.
Hit ten three-quarter shots and compare the curve with your old grip.

What you should feel: The face stays square more easily and the hands feel quieter.

Quiet hands through impact

Hit half shots and hold the finish with the clubface facing the sky.
Keep the lead wrist flat through impact.
Do not roll the hands over quickly after the ball.

What you should feel: The club releases by body rotation, not by a flick of the hands.

Not sure this is your problem?

Drills only work if you are fixing the right thing. Film your swing from down the line and face-on, and a PGA coach will tell you what is actually happening and give you one drill to work on.

Get a coach to look at your swing · $35

What a coach looks for on video

Grip strength: knuckles and the position of the trail hand
Start line of the ball compared with the target
Path in-to-out or out-to-in
Face rotation timing and hand action through impact
Body rotation through the strike

That is the difference between guessing from a guide and knowing from your own swing. Two short videos are enough for a coach to check all of this.

Keep going

Common questions

Is a hook better than a slice?

Neither is a good miss, but a hook is usually easier to correct because the face is already closing. It often just needs a more neutral grip or a calmer release.

Why does my hook only show up with the driver?

The driver has the least loft, so a closed face shows up as more sidespin there than with irons.

Have a coach look at your swing

Send two short phone videos and tell us what you are working on. A PGA coach sends back a video review and a drill built around your swing, usually within 24 hours and always within 48.

Get your swing analysis · $35