You'll often hear from veteran golfers and professionals
that a golf slice is easier to "cure" than a hook. I definitely
disagree and believe that the reasons for a slice and hook are very similar,
just opposite.
A slice occurs when the club face is open at impact, and is
often accentuated by an out-to-in swing. The result is literally a
"slicing" through the ball. The more of an out-to-in swing, the more
the ball trajectory first starts out on the inside of your body and then spins
and fades away. The hook is the exact opposite. The club face is closed at
impact, and is often coupled with an in-to-out swing, causing the ball to first
travel away from your body, and then hook back around.
First let's concentrate on the club face at impact. Most
hooks whether subtle or severe are caused by a closed club face. The reason is
most likely due to premature wrist rotation. Your bottom thumb turns over too
soon often before the club face makes contact with the ball/ground. This may be
just due to turning your wrists over too soon, not following through with your
hands to the target, or, in more severe cases, opening up your hips too soon.
The first step to curing a hook is to make sure your hands
and wrists are in the correct position at impact with ball/ground. You
absolutely must be sure your wrists are not turning over too soon. You can
practice this by chipping. Use a high iron, try a 7 or 8 iron. Start by taking
your normal chipping swing/motion. If your ball is hooking, you're most likely
turning your writsts over. Practice with this same club until your chipping
swing motion results in a straight trajectory.
