How to Stop Pull Hooks in Golf

That snap hook starting left and diving further left is one of golf's most demoralizing shots. It can turn a perfect drive into a lost ball and a simple approach into a disaster. The good news is that the pull hook isn't a random mystery, it's a predictable result of a few specific things happening in your swing. This guide will walk you through understanding why it happens and provide clear, actionable drills to get your ball flying straight again.

First, What Is a Pull Hook Anyway?

Before we can fix it, we have to understand the ball flight. A pull hook is a shot that, for a right-handed golfer, starts left of the target line and then curves even further to the left. It’s a double whammy - the starting direction is wrong, and the spin makes it worse.

This unwanted shot is always caused by a combination of two things happening at impact:

1. Your club path is “out-to-in.” This means the club is moving across the target line from the outside to the inside as it strikes the ball.
2. Your clubface is “closed” relative to that path. This means at the moment of impact, the face is pointing even further left than where the club itself is swinging.

Think of it this way: the out-to-in path *pulls* the ball left of your target. The closed clubface adds the *hook* spin. You have to have both components to produce the dreaded pull hook. The secret to fixing it isn’t some complicated, wholesale swing change. It's about individually addressing these two factors: the face and the path.

Start with Your Steering Wheel: Let’s Check Your Grip

The number one influence on your clubface is your grip. It’s the steering wheel for your golf shots. If your hands are positioned incorrectly on the club, you're fighting an uphill battle from the start. The most common a cause of a closed clubface and hook shots is a grip that has become too “strong.”

In golf terms, a strong grip isn't about hand pressure. It means one or both hands are rotated too far away from the target (to the right for a right-handed player). This position naturally encourages the hands to "roll over" through impact, slamming the clubface shut and causing that violent hook.

How to Check for a Strong Grip

Have a look down at your hands at address. Do you see this?

• Left Hand (Top Hand): You can see three, or maybe even all four knuckles. The "V" formed by your thumb and index finger is pointing way outside of your right shoulder.
• Right Hand (Bottom Hand): This hand is slid too far underneath the grip, with the palm facing up towards the sky instead of towards the target.

If that looks familiar, we have our first culprit. We need to weaken it back to a neutral position.

Step-by-Step to a Neutral Grip

A neutral grip is one that sets the clubface up squarely without you having to manipulate it during the swing. Here's how to build one. As a warning, this will feel strange if you’re used to a strong grip. Trust the process, this feeling is temporary and a sign of positive change.

1. Neutralize the Left Hand: Place your left hand on the club so you can only see the knuckles of your index and middle fingers. The “V” formed by your thumb and index finger should now point roughly toward your right shoulder or chest.
2. Neutralize the Right Hand: Bring your right hand onto the club so the palm is facing the target. A good check is to ensure the thumb of your left hand fits snugly into the lifeline of your right palm. The “V” of your right hand should point up toward your chin or shirt buttons.

Start by just hitting small chips and half-shots with this new grip. The goal is just to get used to the feeling and see how it affects the ball flight. Many golfers find that simply neutralizing their grip is enough to tame their hook.

Fixing the Problem: Taming Your Swing Path

If you've corrected your grip but the ball is still starting left, it's time to work on the path. The "over the top" or "out-to-in" swing path is often a defensive move golfers learn to avoid slicing the ball. The problem is, when you combine it with a closed face, it becomes the engine for the pull hook.

To fix this, we need to retrain your swing to approach the ball from the inside. Here are a couple of excellent drills to help rewire your swing path.

Drill #1: The Headcover Gate

This is a classic drill because it provides instant, non-negotiable feedback. You either do it correctly, or you hit the headcover.

• The Setup: Take your normal address. Place a headcover (or an empty water bottle or even another ball) on the ground about a foot outside of your golf ball and slightly behind it.
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Swing down and hit the ball

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• Why It Works: To miss the headcover, you are physically forced to drop the club to the inside on your downswing. If you make your old, over-the-top move, you will clobber it. Start with slow, small swings to get the feeling of the club approaching the ball from the inside, then gradually build up speed.

Drill #2: The Feel-Based Approach (The Shallowing Loop)

Sometimes, feeling the correct motion is more powerful than a physical constraint. This drill focuses on the transition from backswing to downswing, where most "over the top" moves begin.

• The Setup: Go to the top of your backswing. Pause for a second.
• The Feeling: Before you begin your downswing, feel like the club head drops slightly down and behind you. Imagine you're dropping it into a "slot." From there, simply turn your body through the shot.
• Why It Works: Most pull motions start with the right shoulder and arms lunging forward to start the downswing. Creating the feeling of the club "shallowing" behind you first gives your body time to lead the way and keeps your arms from rushing. It's a small loop that reroutes the club onto a healthier inside-to-out path.

Synchronizing Your Turn: Using Your Body, Not Just Your Arms

A pull hook is often the result of an out-of-sync swing. Many players initiate their downswing with a frantic pull from the arms and shoulders. This throws the club "over the top" of the proper swing plane, causing that out-to-in path.

Great swings are sequenced from the ground up: the hips initiate the downswing, followed by the torso, then the arms, and finally the club. This proper sequencing gives the club time to drop into the correct delivery position (the "slot") we felt in the previous drill. A great way to feel this is with the step drill.

Drill #3: The Step Drill

This drill has been used by instructors for decades because it almost guarantees a proper swing sequence.

• The Setup: Set up to the ball but with your feet together.
• The Motion: As you swing the club back, take a small step toward the target with your lead foot (your left foot for a righty), planting it at what would be your normal stance width. As your foot plants, start your downswing rotation.
• Why It Works: It's nearly impossible to lunge at the ball with your upper body when your lower body is in motion like this. The step forces your weight to shift forward and your lower body to lead the sequence, naturally allowing the club to drop onto an inside path. It’s a fantastic way to feel what a synchronized, body-powered swing is like.

Final Thoughts

Stopping a pull hook really comes down to inventory and execution. First, audit your grip to neutralize your clubface, then work on path drills to reverse that out-to-in swing. By addressing the root causes one by one instead of trying to overhaul everything, you can methodically turn that frustrating miss into a confident, straight shot.

I know it's one thing to practice on the range, but another to trust a new feeling on the course. For those tough moments when the old swing starts showing up mid-round, we’ve found that having an expert pocket caddie can be a game-changer. With an app like Caddie AI, you can snap a photo of a tricky lie where you're prone to pulling it, and I can give you a smart, simple strategy to avoid trouble. It's all about making smarter decisions and committing to your shots with confidence, knowing you have an expert opinion right there with you.