The Best Free Golf Video Lessons565 Free Golf Lessons from the Best ProsOver 120,000,000 views
565 lessons from professionals, selected and summarizedOver 120,000,000 views across all videos
Hook Irons Expert / Intermediate ⏱ 7 min 🇬🇧 Video in English, summarized

Wall exercise for the hook shot with irons: grip first

Chris Ryan doesn't try to explain every cause of the hook. He suggests a mental image to use after impact: a wall behind you that the grip must touch before the clubhead does. Simple—and incredibly effective with irons.

▶
Chris Ryan
Chris Ryan · his YouTube channelFree lesson selected by Fred P.

To be continued

11 minSame problemHow to Fix a Hook with a Driver in Five StepsRick Shiels · Intermediate7 minSame problemSnap Hook, the Real Cause: Clay BallardClay Ballard · Intermediate9 minFrom the same proFive Alignment Mistakes in Golf: Chris RyanChris Ryan · Beginner / Intermediate

What the lesson shows

A hook, explains Chris Ryan, is most often a club path to the right with a a clubface that's too closed relative to this path. After impact, a golfer who hooks the ball rotates the clubface too much to pull the ball back: the grip and hands move away from the body, and the clubface points toward the ground. Rather than dissecting the technique, he suggests a “conceptual exercise.”.

Imagine a the wall behind you, which almost touches the tailbone. After the impact, the The grip must touch this wall before the clubhead, with your face pointing toward the sky. Keep your arms connected to your body, and let your face rotate less. The ball’s flight acts as your guide: if the ball starts off a little to the left and curves back as a fade, your movement is correct. You don’t need to reach this exact position during an actual swing—it’s the intention that counts.

The Exercise, Step by Step

  1. Imagine a wall behind you that almost touches your tailbone.
  2. Without a ball, bring the club through after impact, feeling the grip touch the wall first.
  3. Make sure the face is pointing toward the sky, not toward the ground.
  4. Take a few half-swing movements with the ball, keeping that intention in mind.
  5. Take a full swing and watch the ball's flight.
  6. If the ball hooks again, go back to half-swings.

Key Takeaways

The hook: path to the right; face too closed relative to the path.
After the impact, the hooker spreads his hands apart and faces the ground.
Image: a wall behind you, at the level of your tailbone.
The grip hits the wall before the clubhead does.
Face turned toward the sky after the impact.
Ball flight acts as a guide: a slight fade is a good sign.

Mistakes to Avoid

  • Turn your face toward the ground after impact.
  • Let your grip and hands move away from your body.
  • Try to replicate the position of a full swing exactly.
  • Ignore steals as a metric.

Driving Range Mode

Keep it in plain sight, on the rug.

  1. An imaginary wall at the tailbone
  2. Half-swing: grip on the wall, facing upward
  3. Full swing with a 7-iron
  4. Objective: A ball that starts to the left and fades back

Your Questions

Where is the imaginary wall?

Right behind you, almost touching your tailbone. After impact, the grip should touch it before the clubhead does.

Do you have to get into this position with a full swing?

No. Chris Ryan points out that a well-executed swing captured on video wouldn't necessarily show this position; it's the intention to go for it that helps.

How can you tell if the exercise is working?

By intercepting the ball. If she keeps hooking, you do the previous move again. A ball that starts off a little to the left and curves to the right is a very good sign.

Learn More

All “Hook” videos →Find the lesson that's right for you Chris RyanAll of his lessons

Video posted on YouTube by its creator (Chris Ryan). Best Golf Tips selects and summarizes the best free lessons, without hosting them.

* Amateur competitions with guidance from the pros