How to Fix an Inside-Out Golf Swing Hook

Watching your golf ball start right of the target only to make a hard, snapping turn to the left is one of the most maddening sights in golf. You've heard an inside-out swing path is good, so what gives? This article will clear up the confusion behind the inside-out hook, show you exactly what’s causing it, and give you three actionable steps with simple drills to get you hitting powerful, predictable draws instead.

Understanding the Root Cause: The Inside-Out Hook Explained

First, let’s get one thing straight: having an inside-out swing path is a fantastic foundation. It's the engine for hitting a powerful draw, the most coveted shot shape in golf. The fact that your path is coming from the inside means you are well on your way. So, don't try to change that!

The hook isn't a path problem, it's a clubface problem. Here’s the simple ball-flight physics:

• The initial direction the ball starts is mostly determined by your clubface angle at impact.
• The curvature (the hook or slice) is caused by the difference between your clubface angle and your swing path.

With an inside-out hook, your clubface is pointing slightly right of the target at impact (which is why it starts that way), but it's significantly closed relative to your inside-out swing path. That massive difference between face and path is what imparts the violent hook spin. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to stop the clubface from shutting down so aggressively.

So, Why is the Face Closing So Much?

An overly active clubface during an inside-out swing is almost always caused by one of these three things:

1. An Overly Strong Grip: Your hands are turned too far away from the target, pre-setting the club to slam shut through impact.
2. Overactive Hands/Wrists: Your hands are "flipping" over at the bottom of the swing, moving much faster than your body can rotate. Your body rotation is stalling, which means all the power comes from a quick flip of the hands instead.
3. A Stalled Lower Body: Your hips and chest stop turning through the shot. This causes the arms to fly past your torso independently, whipping the clubhead shut.

Now, let’s fix these culprits one by one, starting with the easiest fix.

Step 1: The Pre-Swing Grip Check-Up

Your grip is the steering wheel of the golf club. If it's a little off, you'll spend the entire swing trying to compensate. For hook-sufferers, the common issue is a "strong" grip, where the hands are rotated too far to the right (for a right-handed player).

How to Check and Neutralize Your Grip

Take your setup position and look down at your lead hand (your left hand for a righty). A strong grip will often show 3, 4, or even all 5 knuckles. This position makes it incredibly easy for the clubface to rotate closed. We want to bring it back to neutral.

1. Set the Clubface First: Place the clubhead behind the ball so the leading edge is perfectly square to your target. Don't start by gripping it and then placing it down.
2. Position Your Lead Hand: Place your left hand onto the side of the club so you can see only two knuckles - the knuckles of your index and middle finger. The “V” formed by your thumb and index finger should point roughly toward your right shoulder or right ear.
3. Add Your Trail Hand: Now take your right hand and place it on the club. The “V” on your right hand should mirror the left, also pointing toward your right shoulder. It should feel like your right palm is 'covering' your left thumb. This hand should cover the club rather than sitting too far underneath it.

Heads Up: If you've been playing with a strong grip for a while, a neutral grip will feel bizarrely "weak," as though the clubface will be wide open. Trust it. This simple adjustment prevents the clubface from being pre-set to close, giving you a chance to deliver a square face with body rotation instead of hand manipulation.

Step 2: Calming Down the Overactive Hands

Flipping the hands through impact is an instinct. When we feel like we need to create speed or help the ball up, our hands take over. But swinging with your body is where true power and consistency come from. The key feeling we're after is "the club, hands, arms, and chest turning through the impact zone together." It’s a rotational action, not a hitting one. To feel this proper sequence more clearly, let's calm down your overactive hands with a drill.

Drill: The Split-Hand Swing

This is a fantastic drill to cure a hook because it makes it nearly impossible to flip your hands over. It promotes a more connected feeling we’re all looking for by syncing the torso and arms, which ultimately leads to feeling more in control of the clubface during the swing.

1. Take a mid-iron, like a 7 or 8-iron.
2. Take your normal lead-hand grip (the two-knuckle grip we just established).
3. Now, slide your trail hand down the shaft about 3-4 inches below your lead hand. Your hands should be separated and not touching.
4. Make slow, half-swings (hip-high to hip-high) feeling your chest and hips do all the work.
5. With a split grip, you will immediately notice that it is nearly impossible for your hands to roll over each other. Instead, your chest turn will guide the path.
6. Notice how the clubface feels far more stable through impact? It stays square to the turning motion of your body instead of shutting down. Hit a few light-hearted little shots with this drill feeling, focusing on finishing with your chest pointing toward the target.

Step 3: Activating the Lower Body and Syncing Your Swing

Your hands often flip because your body rotation stops. Imagine your hips hitting a brick wall right before impact. Where does the speed go? Your arms and hands have no choice but to fling past your body, taking the clubface with them and slamming it shut. A proper swing uses a sequential chain of motion: your hips begin the downswing, pulling your torso, which then brings your arms and the club through. We need to wake up those hips with this extremely popular drill, widely loved for teaching golfers what a fluidly active lower body should feel like.

Drill: The "Step-Through" Drill

Think less about golf and more about throwing a ball. You’d step toward your target as you throw, right? The very same fluid and athletic motion applies to golf - you just have to give your brain no choice but rotate to learn.

1. Set up to the ball normally with a mid-iron.
2. Take your normal backswing.
3. From the top of your swing, your very first downswing move is to step your trail foot (right foot for right-handers) forward, walking towards the target.
4. Swing through the ball as you are stepping forward, finishing in a balanced "walking" pose with your trail foot now ahead of your lead foot.

What you'll discover is powerful. It forces your hips to clear out of the way, creating ample space for your arms to swing through without getting "stuck" or needing to flip. You simply cannot stall your body turn when you're physically walking through the shot. This teaches your lower body's leading role in the downswing and keeps everything moving in a powerful, athletic sequence until your swing is finished.

Bringing a New Feel to the Golf Course: A Simple Practice Plan

Knowledge is good, but feeling the change is everything. Here’s how to put it all into action at your next practice session:

• Warm Up (5 Minutes): Start by just taking your neutral grip and making slow, smooth practice swings, just focused on the feel of a balanced finish.
• Grip Check (10 balls): Hit 10 shots with your only thought being "two knuckles." Don't worry about results yet, just ingrain the feel.
• Split-Hand Drill (10-15 balls): Hit half-shots using the split-hand grip. Feel the connection between your chest turn and the clubface.
• Step-Through Drill (10-15 balls): Mobilize your hips. Focus on that dynamic "walk-through" move and feel a new level of continuous rotation.
• Blend It (Remaining balls): Now, try to put it all together. Begin hitting full shots at 50% speed, trying to feel the combination of a neutral grip, quiet hands, and a rotating body. Gradually increase speed as the feeling becomes more comfortable and repeatable.

Final Thoughts

Fixing an inside-out hook is less about overhauling your entire swing and more about refining it. By neutralizing your grip and syncing your arm swing with your body's dynamic rotation, you'll start to tame the clubface. Turn that frustrating hook into a soft, reliable draw.

Of course, a great repeatable swing is just one piece of your overall progress as a golfer. Bringing new feels to the range doesn't always automatically mean shooting lower scores during your next round. Playing better golf also comes down to managing shot selection to help you stay out of trouble during play. Having access to a resource like ours gives you a smart, simple strategy for every hole based on your skill levels and goals. From navigating unusual lies to understanding club choice based on weather conditions, with our app, Caddie AI, you'll have 24/7 access to information so that you get the confidence you need to take your swing from the range onto the course and shoot lower scores.