How to Cure a Duck Hook

Most golfers who are not hitting straight off the tee tend to have a slice, where the ball curves away from you (to the right for a right handed golfer). Ideally, you want to hit a draw, where the ball starts by heading away and hooks back toward the target area. This usually results in longer drives due to the spin created by the shot. Sometimes, however, that draw turns into the dreaded duck hook, which is where the ball hooks quickly to the left, and results in problems even greater than the slice. Like all bad golf shots, the duck hook can be cured with good skills, practice and repetition.

Things You'll Need

  • Golf club
  • Golf ball
  • Driving range
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Instructions

    • 1

      Take a weaker grip on the golf club. A weaker grip is one where your leading hand will rotate counterclockwise around the grip. Start with a neutral grip, where the back of your leading hand is facing the target, and move your hands counterclockwise. The more you move them, the weaker the grip. This weak grip will result in a more open club face at impact. Hooks are caused mostly by a closed club face at impact. This move will help correct the duck hook without changing your swing.

    • 2

      Practice taking a very slow back swing, even stopping your motion at the top, and then leading your down swing with your hips. This keeps your hands from getting out in front of the rest of your body and turning over too early, which is another cause of a closed club face at impact.

    • 3

      Turn you shoulders during your back swing, and flatten your down swing. Try to concentrate on rotating your shoulders around your body. If your front shoulder is dipping and your back shoulder is rising, this will cause them to open during the back swing and force a steep down swing to correct the movement, which will result in an inside-out swing. An inside-out swing will impart spin on the ball that causes a hook.

    • 4

      Keep your wrists locked through impact. Turning your wrists over too early will cause the club face to close at impact. Concentrate on feeling the club face follow through toward the target, rather than around your body with your follow through. This will help you keep the palm of your bottom hand in the target direction at impact and keep you from turning the club face over too quickly.