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Downswing and TransitionHook Driver Expert / Intermediate ⏱ 4 min 🇬🇧 Video in English, summarized

Arms Tucked Behind the Body: The Cause of Your Hook

On *The Golf Fix* on the Golf Channel, Michael Breed addresses good players who hook the ball: their arms get stuck behind them on the downswing. He uses two visual aids—a baseball bat and a bar to avoid—to help them bring their arms and right elbow back in front of their body.

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Golf Channel · his YouTube channelFree lesson selected by Fred P.

To be continued

7 minSame problemA Stretch Feeling at the Start of the DownswingPadraig Harrington · Intermediate / Expert12 minSame problemStart the Downswing with Your Legs: Unscrew the LidDanny Maude · Intermediate10 minSame problemPressure on the inside of the lead foot in the downswingSimon Camirand · Intermediate

What the lesson shows

For many good players, the hook comes from arms hanging down behind the body. The right elbow moves underneath, as if you were hitting a ball upward in softball. The clubhead ends up inside the hands, the path goes to the right, and the hands must “flip” to bring the ball back. The first image, then, is that of baseball: hitting from top to bottom, with hands high, moving down toward the ball.

Second exercise: a bar placed halfway down the downswing, which you must avoid with your arm. The goal is to feel the sensation in your hands come out and go over, so that halfway down the the arm is parallel to the line of the feet and the club in front of you. Bring your right elbow back in front of your chest. In the demonstration, the ball stops spinning and travels farther.

The Exercise, Step by Step

  1. Mimic a baseball swing by swinging from top to bottom, with your hands high as they come down.
  2. Reach the top of your backswing while keeping this image in mind.
  3. On the downhill, feel your hands extend outward and glide slightly over the surface.
  4. Halfway through the downswing, make sure the handle is parallel to your feet.
  5. Bring your right elbow in front of your chest.
  6. Practice the movement without a ball, then with a ball.

Key Takeaways

For good players, a hook often results from having their arms tucked behind their bodies.
Right elbow down: swing as if toward the top.
Baseball illustration: swinging from top to bottom.
Halfway down the downswing, keep your arms parallel to your feet.
The right elbow returns to the front of the chest.

Mistakes to Avoid

  • Let your right elbow pass under your body as you lower yourself.
  • Keep the clubhead in your hands halfway through the downswing.
  • Compensate by flinching your hands at impact.
  • Follow this tip if you already slice the ball: it's meant for players who hook the ball.

Driving Range Mode

Keep it in plain sight, on the rug.

  1. “Up-and-down” baseball swings”
  2. Stopping halfway down the slope: arms parallel to the feet
  3. Straight elbow in front of the ribs

Your Questions

Who is this correction intended for?

For good players who hook the ball because their arms get stuck behind them. For a golfer who already slices, the feeling of swinging over the ball would be counterproductive.

What landmark should you check halfway down the downswing?

The shaft should be parallel to the line of your feet, and the club should be in front of you—not with the clubhead inside your hands.

What does baseball have to do with golf?

The image of a top-down swing positions the hands and arms in front of the body, rather than passing underneath it as if to send the ball into the air.

Learn More

All “Downhill and Transition” videos →Find the lesson that's right for youAll “Hook” videos →Find the lesson that's right for you

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