Hey Rick, what do you think would be the main cause of someone who generally hits the ball pretty straight but has an occasional snap hook a couple times per round?
Rick this lesson on how not to hook the ball is spot on. Am 59 years of age and I never hooked a ball but the last 3 to 4 years I have been plagued with a hook because of basic injury of my right elbow. I will implement your drills from this day forward. Love to get back a slight fade. Thanks rick
I had been slicing for years and I started hooking a few missed shots when I followed Rick's tips for stopping a slice. I actually spent a good 10-20 balls at the range trying the intentionally hook and slice the ball with "extremes" and seeing how they affected the ball flight. This was magical for understanding how the setup, grip, club path and club face affect the ball flight. It's so much easier to find a "neutral" swing now that I understand what causes a slice and what causes a hook. It's all about being neutral, but if you've been hooking for years, it's probably going to feel like you're overdoing it in the beggining, and you might even slice. Then you just gotta dial it back a little and find that neutral club path and club face.
Awesome video! Went to the driving range this morning with the goal of applying these tips to eliminate my hook and the difference in my drives was night and day! By the end of the session I was consistently hitting longer, straighter drives. Tip #4 seemed to help the most for me.
Thank you so much for this! I've come back to golfing after 20+ years away, and have been hooking terribly. Took a trip to the range where I planned on trying each tip in turn to see how I could fix it; my grip needed to weaken up. Boom, drives were straighter, irons didn't carom off to the left, and it was (mostly) fixed. This kind of instruction, plus your series on paying with inexpensive box sets (which convinced me I could buy a set of clubs for $300 that would be perfectly serviceable) have turned me back into a golfer, and allowed me to bring my daughter along for the ride, offering us excellent daddy-daughter bonding time. So thank you again.
Been picking up these pieces of advice from different sources but love that you put it all together in an easy to understand visual representation. Thanks, Rick!
Rick thank you so much for making this video. I have been struggling so much with a hook this summer and I have incorporated this video into my game and ever since it has stored my hook. Yesterday I played 12 holes and had 10 pars and 2 bogeys which is amazing golf for me. Thanks again rick 👍
been battling a terrible hook for years. Just started trying to implement at the range. Leaving it a bit right, but high, straight and far. Happier and easier to fix miss. Rick is the best teacher I know for recreational golfers. I'm 61 - never going pro. Just want to be a bit better and enjoy it more. Rick's lessons consistently fit what i need to do.
Rick, OMG, did you watch me play yesterday? I swear you did, and seen all five issues I am doing! I have written them down, maybe even take them to be tattooed on my arm. You are spot on to fix my hook. I have worked very hard over the years to fix a forever slice and now I have gotten to the point of over compensating everything to avoid my dreaded slice. Every point you have made, are all the areas I have over corrected to avoid the slice. Now the work begins to bring back swing where it should be. Thank you!
My hook came from pushing up with my hips and legs which led to the path being massively in-out. No amount of backswing or clubface work was enough to fix it. I started to fix it by really feeling that weight transfer to my front foot, almost like I'm trying to crush a can under my foot as I transition to my downswing. That really gets your hips and bopdy moving around and from there I was able to start tweaking my wrists and backswing to find what felt comfortable.
Cheers Rick. First session at the range after watching this and already hitting it straighter. Sometimes block it right and sometimes old habits die hard. But a lot happier and have something to work on.
@@RickShielsPGA I'm playing my home town course in Stevenage for the first time in over 20 years. I'll let you know how I get on. Loving all the vids btw, kept me entertained the past 3 months.
Dude, thank you so much for this. I played on Friday and scored 5 points in 9-holes, before walking off and wondering if I should just quit. Watched this vid quickly this morning before a knockout game and shot 39points and won 6&4. Legend. 🙌
The body alignment and swing path drill really helped me last night so so much. I made several grip changes earlier in the season to fix a slice and in process made transition to a bad hook; implementing these I was able to hit the ball much straightener and make better contact also. Great content Rick - thanks so much!
Hi Rick, just wanted to say thank you. I have been out of golf for almost a decade and just making a comeback, haven't made the course yet, just on the range and I have developed a filthy hook! Your video gives me hope that I may once again enjoy the game I love. Thanks for the great work that you do!
The one thing that you did not address was insufficient body rotation, where your arms take over the swing rather than following your lower body. I have some lower back issues that can limit or at least slow my rotation, and would be interested in your observations for this problem. Keep up the good work!
I have the same issue and probably one of the biggest reasons for most players hooks. Early extension is very hard to stop, creates limited rotation and therefore results in a shot that almost always hooks straight left. I have to focus on moving might right hip forward and might left hip back and not allowing my hips to travel forward towards the ball.
Hey Rick - this video is brilliant! 1 year into golf and this video cured my vicious hook. It’s all in the grip! I was turning my body, the club...only worked now and then. Thank you for this! I’m reprogramming my muscle memory and process of approaching the ball. 19 of 20 are now pretty straight! 👍
Loved this video! I definitely hook and I’m going to give these steps a try today! *Four hours later...* **searches Rick Shiels channel for “how to fix a slice”**
Hello Rick! Thanks for the video. I have suffered for years with a hook...and some days it gets extra nasty costing me a couple of OB's a round! All that you said is me! Strong grip, rotating wrists too strong through impact, over time have started swinging more inside/out to compensate, aiming down the right side of the hole entertaining my friends as they watch!!! I will try all your tips....however, the new grip will be tough, not sure can do (been gripping same way 40+ years)! I have a real weak left side (arm, hand, and leg)....always been very, very right dominate (killed me in soccer with no left leg power)! So the right hand wants to compensate for my wimp left hand! I might have to hope steps 3-5 get me doing! Funny listening to you describe exactly everything I do (without seeing my swing)! Thx Rick!
I'm a senior golfer with a nine handicap, I play three times a week. When I say I've been fighting the hook for more than forty years that is a plain and simple fact. I can honestly say I've never been able to eliminate that shot from my game. The hooked tee shot always raises it's ugly head when there is out of bounds / hazards etc. down the left side. In any event this particular posting by Mr. Shiels was very interesting and certainly confirmed that ( in my particular case ) my take away with my long clubs is the biggest contributing factor. I spent an hour at the practice range yesterday and the results were very positive. After watching a video clip of my swing there was no doubt that the club face of my driver was shut at the top of the backswing ,,,
Thanks Rick. Fixed my hooking problem that I have struggled for 20 years. The last tip was the best, and I now may be able to fade it with more control.
Thank you Rick for this video! I started snap hooking my drives and I can’t wait till tomorrow to practice your tips in this video to fix my hook! Keep up the good work. Much respect from California ✊🏾🏌🏽♂️⛳️
@rickshieldsgolf you are simply the most amazing teacher of golf. You are single handedly responsible for shaving 10 strokes off my game. Thank you so much!
I just played 9 holes in my senior league after seeing your video on stopping my hook. I crushed every drive and all were straight and in the fairway. I won my match and even my partner was amazed. Thanks Rick!😊
I whiffed the other day... then stepped up and hit the best shot ive ever hit off of that tee box. Sometimes you just rush the shot for whatever reason and being just a tad bit off can turn into disaster
My best shot on my round yesterday was a driver, but I spent a lot of time waiting for people to come up on holes left to us as I was skuffing shots left.
Many thanks Rick. I currently have a terrible hook problem. I will focus on your video principles when I next go to the range in the hope that it fixes my problem 👍🏻👏🏻
Rick, I don't know how you do it but you know exactly what I'm struggling with first it was the slice (foud your fix your slice videos) then it was the hook and now i can aim straight down the middle of the fairway. thanks a bunch Rick
Are you trying to swing to hard? That was my problem. I quit trying to kill it (which was harder cause I love hitting it long) and started to swing smooth and my mine straightened out.
Get 1-2” cut off your driver shaft. Way easier to make solid contact and control the face. Won’t hit it as long but it will be more consistent and that’s way more important for any amateur.
Took your tips to the course today, didn’t hit one hook! I had been lost in the wilderness with my hook and even worse, a pull hook. Real progress! Thanks so much!
My goodness Rick - thank you SO much. Theoretically, I know all of this - but based on the fact that 99/100 articles/videos advise and demonstrate on correcting a slice, those of us who fight the hook get brainwashed into programming a STRONG draw (or hook). This was such a helpful reminder. Totally agree that it is primarily alignment and path (and then TRUST). Last time out was SO much better. Thanks Rick!
great vid, i was shocking today hooking the ball every tee shot, the vid has made perfect sense and made me realise what u have puinted out is spot, only down side for me was today was the second card being marked for my first ever official handicap , but at least i know where i am going wong , thanks rick
Rick ...your a great explainer of methods and what we need to do to correct things in our swings. I offer you a challenge so that you may understand our side of things. Your able to do and play the way you do because of your mechanics ..most of us watching you dont have those same mechanics to achieve the result. To prove my point and heres my challenge ... I would love for you make a video where your the student and play golf and swing like Jim Furyk ..so in theory, you watch his video swing just like we watch your video swing and then go apply what you watched. I think you will get a understanding of our end of things.
This video is clearly not aimed towards someone with a pure swing. For someone with ingrained bad habits, overcorrection proves a better strategy than trying to unlearn flawed technique. It's easier to meet in the middle, plain and simply.
I'm new to golf, been playing for around 3 months. Had a horrible slice when I started, watched some videos to fix it, spent a fair amount of time at the range, tamed it to a nice fade but the whole time I've basically been trying to deliberately hit a draw. I've hit one draw in a couple of thousand balls. Just can't get that in-to-out club path.
I’m one that tends to hit my driver with a nice draw, but when it comes to my iron shots that’s when I hook the ball at times. Like last Saturday when I was level par after 17, I hooked my ball into thick rough on the 18th and made double bogey!! Great tips there👍
You’re a legend rick. It’s my birthday today and mostly I’m celebrating the fact that since lockdown I’ve gone from a 16 to a 9 hc and a lot of it is thanks to your tips! Keep em coming mate
Did I mistakenly record my round of golf yesterday? I had a wicked hook on all but one of my drives, losing several balls along the way. Such a timely topic for my game!!!
Hi Rick. This is greatly helpful, as a beginner golfer i was low hooking a fair amount of my mid to high irons and of course the dreaded Driver, which becomes extremely frustrating. Going to implement these helpful tips and cant wait to see the results. Love all your vids, tips, useful info and of course insight on the game. Keep up the great work
Great video Rick. It's funny to me because in the last 2 weeks, my golf coach and I have been working on this very thing. Over the past year or so I developed a hook and it's killin' me. Grip and stance - 2 of most basic things and we somehow make changes to those without realizing it. Sometimes it's best to step back and work on the basics! Thanks for the great tips!
Finally the hook!!!! Shielsy, could you please do a video of hooking irons? I hook those way more and my driver. My driver is probably 60% straight and 40% hook and these tips are great. With my irons it has become not good and I dunno how. It’s probably 85% hook and 15% straight and my confidence is shot with irons anymore. Wedges I’m great, 5-8 which are very important, are terrible
Rick, I was so depressed playing golf for so long. Hooking every single long iron into woods was not my idea of a good time. Couldn't afford lessons and fuck me, this video is LIFE changing, I'm now hitting slices from time to time which is such a good feeling in a sick kind of way. Thank you for actually bettering my life, genuinely.
Great pointers, Rick. I found that one thing that has stopped me from swinging to much inside-out is by raising the clubhead off the ground before i start my backswing. It really does promote a better takeaway.
Fantastic Rick! I’ve heard all of these bits before at various times but it is so great to have them all together. I’ve had some success being able to work the ball both ways in the past and you have to understand all of this stuff to make it happen. The problem is when you don’t play regularly and bad habits creep in and you forget how to correct. I have been struggling with a hook for the last couple months. This will definitely help! Thx
These tips are excellent. I always used to hit it straight off the tee but the last 3 months or so I have been hooking every other drive. The main problem i found was the crossing over of the hands (tip 3) probably trying to hit the thing too hard over time and develped a bad habit. Tip 3 is very similar to Jack Nicklaus' tip which solved my hooks where at impact you make sure the palm of your right hand (for RH golfer) faces the target and keep your right hand below your left as long as possible on follow through. Having played a lot of cricket it is almost like holding the high elbow for a cover drive and not letting the bottom hand take over and whip it through midwicket - the left hand is the control and keeping that above the right stops your wrist breaking and the hands crossing. I now make sure to say "cover drive" to myself on every tee as part of my routine. :-) (12. 6 HCP)
Great video Rick. My grip was neutral, so that wasn't it, and the takeaway seemed okay as well. But it was all of that wrist action that was causing the hooks. I focused on using the arms and following through toward the target and the hook vanished for a day. Very encouraged! Thank you!
