05:26
Faizan
In the 2016 Presidents Cup, tour pro Phil Mickelson deliberately hooked a 180-yard approach shot around a tree to 10 feet from the cup, setting up a birdie putt in a key match. Learning to hit intentional hooks like Mickelson can save you strokes in tough situations and turn your recovery shots into scoring opportunities. When it comes to hooking the ball, you have several effective techniques to add to your shot-making arsenal.
Aiming to Hook
Teaching professional Travis Fulton, writing for the PGA.com website, describes a method for aiming your club and aligning your body for a hook. Fulton tells right-handed players to aim your clubface to the right of any obstacles you want to avoid. This will establish a clear starting line for your shot away from trouble. Next, he wants you to align your body farther to the right than your clubface. That will put you in a position where the face is closed to your stance line. If you swing along that line, you will naturally hit the ball from the inside with a closed clubface, resulting in a hook.
The Hook Grip
In his book “The Timeless Swing,” golf Hall of Fame member Tom Watson describes learning to hook the ball by adjusting your grip. Watson believes turning your hands to the right on the grip so the Vs formed by the thumbs and forefingers on each hand pointed at your right shoulder is the simplest way to hook a shot. The strong grip Watson adopts when he needs to hook the ball allows him to close the clubface quickly on the downswing. Hitting the ball with a closed face imparts hook spin on the ball.
The Bear's Tips
Jack Nicklaus, one of golf’s all-time greats, offers three tips for maneuvering the golf ball from right to left. First, he suggests matching your preshot waggle to the swing path you need to hit a hook. That means moving the club to the inside on the backward part of the waggle and returning it on an inside-to-outside route. Next, he recommends slowing down your hip turn on your downswing, which will encourage you to use more aggressive hand action through impact. Finally, he wants you to try to roll your right wrist over your left wrist through impact to close the clubface.
Hooking Adjustments
PGA teaching pro Josh Nichols reminds you to take one club less than normal when hitting an intentional hook because the ball will fly lower and roll more. To play the shot, he wants you to aim the clubface at the target and line up your feet to the right of the target. Playing the ball a little further back in your stance will encourage you to hit the ball from the inside and play a lower shot, Nichols says. He also teaches players to hood the club on the takeaway, forcing the clubface to point at the ground. This hill make it easier to hood the club through impact.
Aiming to Hook
Teaching professional Travis Fulton, writing for the PGA.com website, describes a method for aiming your club and aligning your body for a hook. Fulton tells right-handed players to aim your clubface to the right of any obstacles you want to avoid. This will establish a clear starting line for your shot away from trouble. Next, he wants you to align your body farther to the right than your clubface. That will put you in a position where the face is closed to your stance line. If you swing along that line, you will naturally hit the ball from the inside with a closed clubface, resulting in a hook.
The Hook Grip
In his book “The Timeless Swing,” golf Hall of Fame member Tom Watson describes learning to hook the ball by adjusting your grip. Watson believes turning your hands to the right on the grip so the Vs formed by the thumbs and forefingers on each hand pointed at your right shoulder is the simplest way to hook a shot. The strong grip Watson adopts when he needs to hook the ball allows him to close the clubface quickly on the downswing. Hitting the ball with a closed face imparts hook spin on the ball.
The Bear's Tips
Jack Nicklaus, one of golf’s all-time greats, offers three tips for maneuvering the golf ball from right to left. First, he suggests matching your preshot waggle to the swing path you need to hit a hook. That means moving the club to the inside on the backward part of the waggle and returning it on an inside-to-outside route. Next, he recommends slowing down your hip turn on your downswing, which will encourage you to use more aggressive hand action through impact. Finally, he wants you to try to roll your right wrist over your left wrist through impact to close the clubface.
Hooking Adjustments
PGA teaching pro Josh Nichols reminds you to take one club less than normal when hitting an intentional hook because the ball will fly lower and roll more. To play the shot, he wants you to aim the clubface at the target and line up your feet to the right of the target. Playing the ball a little further back in your stance will encourage you to hit the ball from the inside and play a lower shot, Nichols says. He also teaches players to hood the club on the takeaway, forcing the clubface to point at the ground. This hill make it easier to hood the club through impact.
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