Some golf shots are incredibly frustrating, like the slice, the shank, and even the skulled shot. However, another one that can creep up on you is the duck hook.

The duck hook is a shot that will leave you with recovery and could end up costing one or even two shots on a hole. I’ve had a few instances of this happen to me, as my swing is shallow, and that is one of the common causes of hitting a duck hook.

If you want to get rid of the duck hook and hit straighter shots, here are the best ways to ensure that happens.

What is a Duck Hook in Golf?

A duck hook is when a golf ball makes a very sharp left-hand turn and heads for the ground. Duck hooks don’t stay in the air for long, and they have a ton of spin that takes the ball left.

Some golfers will call this a snap hook, as the ball makes a very quick turn to the left, much more severe than a traditional hooked golf shot.

Most of the time, a duck hook in golf is not going to go much more than about 50 or 100 yards. Some stronger players may hit a longer duck hook. However, the problem is not how far the total distance of this shot is but how far left it goes.

Often, the duck hook leaves you in a good amount of trouble somewhere down the left side of the golf course.

Common Causes of a Duck Hook

The most common causes of a duck hook are related to the path. However, there are problems with the player’s grip and club face angle that can also cause the ball to duck hook.

Here are some of the things to keep in mind and look out for when trying not to hit a duck hook.

Swing Path Too Far Inside

When hitting a driver, it can be beneficial to have an inside to out swing path. This will typically promote a draw and maybe even a few extra yards of distance.

However, if you happen to exaggerate this path a bit too much, as a right handed golfer, you could end up hitting a duck hook.

The takeaway on your golf swing should be one that leads to a more straight swing path, as opposed to one that goes directly inside. Keeping your arms just a bit more extended on the takeaway should easily fix this issue for you.

Closed Clubface

A closed clubface is a major reason behind hitting the duck hook. Sometimes your club face angle is closed at impact, and then you just never get it to square. Other golfers take their right hand and rotate it closed at impact, causing this problem.

Golf clubs should sit more neutral when on the tee box or even hitting an approach shot to the green, even if your typical ball flight is going to turn the ball to the right.

The closed clubface can become a problem with short irons, long irons, and even the driver.

Grip Too Strong

A neutral grip is the best position for all golfers. However, some golfers grip the club strongly to help eliminate a slice.

This is when the right hand is very far underneath the club, and it makes this hand more active in the swing. Although some players will time this right and hit straight shots, it’s hard to be consistent with it.

Backswing Too Short

Although this is a less common reason that golfers hit a duck hook, it can happen.

Sometimes you see this with better players that are trying to hit a punch shot or to control the ball flight in some way. Instead of completing their entire backswing and shoulder rotation, they take the club back halfway and then rush through to the finish.

The problem with this is that the club did not have enough time to even rotate from the open to square position, so it’s just shot at impact and results in a duck hook. This problem can also sometimes be a bit tempo related and typically doesn’t become a miss that a player hits often.

Wrong Equipment

All golfers must ensure they are playing with equipment that compliments their playing style and ability on the golf course.

Sometimes golfers that have clubs that are too short for them will have a tendency to duck hook the ball. If you see a strong taller man get up and try to hit a shot with a ladies’ graphite shafted golf iron, you may see a duck hook.

This is simply because the player is moving a little too quickly, and the golf club can’t keep up with the resistance and potential stored in the club head. Choose the right golf equipment to help you hit better shots, but a consistent duck hook is likely not caused by equipment.

3 Steps to Help You Stop Hitting Duck Hooks

Now that you have a better understanding of how the duck hook comes about, let’s look at how you can get rid of it.

Here are three steps to take each time you hit to ensure that your swing plane, posture, setup, and overall golf swing will allow for full swing shots that go straight toward your target.

Step 1: Check Your Grip

The grip on your golf club should be neutral.

Make sure your left hand is not holding too much of the grip in your hand and that the club is mostly in your fingers. The thumb should be pointing down the shaft, and the V made by the thumb and index finger on the left should be pointing to your left shoulder.

Once you have the left hand on the golf club, it is much easier to get the right hand into the proper position. The right hand should not be so far underneath the golf club as it is in a strong grip.

In addition, that V made up by your index finger and thumb on your right hand should point to your right shoulder.

A neutral golf grip

Step 2: Get The Setup Right

One of the most common misses in the game of golf is the slice.

When players hit a slice a few times in a row, they start to learn to fear it. I get that, as most of the trouble on the golf course seems to be down the right side. The problem is that if you end up over-correcting this shot for a slice, you could end up with a duck hook.

Keep your clubface square at setup, even if you are struggling with something in your golf game. A square clubface will help you see more distance, better ball flight, and more consistency in your game.

One of the tools I have used to help me ensure my setup and my clubface is not too closed are alignment sticks. Alignment sticks can help you learn how to swing down the proper path, as well as ensure that your setup is perfect before the takeaway.

Step 3: Check The Path

Now that you are set up to hit a straight golf shot, it makes sense to check the path of your club.

It’s good to have a target line, and when you swing out to the right of the target, you can get some really great right-to-left ball flight. However, if the backswing is a bit too shallow or inside the clubface may get to the impact position closed.

If you are going to swing inside out, be sure not to overdo it. Learn to swing more towards the target line as opposed to just swinging out and away from it. The path is an important part of any golf swing, and having a friend take a video can really help you see what you are doing wrong.

If you find that path is something you need to work on, you can use golf alignment sticks in the ground to check for the angle that you are bringing the club back and how you are swinging through.

Always give yourself enough room to ensure that you are not going to break your club or the alignment stick; use it instead as a visual reminder.

Brittany Olizarowicz

Britt O has been playing golf since the age of 7. Almost 30 years later, she still loves the game, has played competitively on every level, and spent a good portion of her life as a Class A PGA Professional. Britt currently resides in Savannah, GA, with her husband and two young children. Current Handicap: 1

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Dreaded fat shots are some of the most frustrating shots in golf.

Sometimes you will hit a great drive setting yourself up for an easy 100-yard shot into the pin. In your mind, this ball is going to land about ten feet from the hole setting you up for an easy birdie.

However, if you hit the ball fat, chances are your shot ends up about fifteen yards ahead of you.

Hitting fat shots can be stopped. You can improve your ball striking with a few adjustments to the ball position, address, and spine angle. What causes a fat shot in golf?

Another way to cause a fat shot in golf is to take a divot in front of your ball instead of behind it. It is common for golfers to make fat shots. This could be due to improper weight transfer, excessive head movement or even a wrong mental image of how to launch a ball into the air. How Does Hitting a Thick Shot Compare?

How does this compare to Hitting A Thin Shot

When hitting a fat shot the golf club strikes behind the ball, before it even makes contact with the balls. Hitting a “thin shot” means that you only strike the ball, or at least partially towards the middle. Here are some tips to stop hitting your golf balls fat. The common causes of hitting the ball fat can usually be fixed with a few sessions at the range.

Keep Your Head Stationary

One of the most common causes for hitting behind the ball is that your head moves up and down or side to side in your golf swing. If you look at videos of great players, you can see that there is, in fact, a bit of head movement.

However, most of the time, the head stays level, and it can return to the same exact position when it’s time to strike the ball. This head movement is a major problem for many players. This movement is never made. If you keep your head still and stay right over the ball, you are less likely to hit a chunk. We understand that it can be boring to focus on the ball position during your golf swing. However, it’s incredible how one tiny golf ball positioning can make or break your ability to have the clubhead strike in the proper position.

Ball position that is pushed too far forward towards the left foot (for right-handed players) can become a problem. It is better to keep the ball a little closer to the middle. Use a series of alignment sticks to help you

map out the proper feet position and ball position.

Move Weight Towards Left Foot

The goal of every golf swing is to finish with your weight forward on your left foot, standing square to the target with a full rotation. Most players tend to get stuck on the back leg. This leaves them feeling like they can’t get full distance, and it often results in hitting fat shots.

Sometimes golfers get lazy and have a bad swing habit that keeps their weight back. Some golfers have a tendency of overswinging, which makes it difficult to move the weight forward. Do not load up your setup so that 90% of your weight is on the left foot. Take a few swings like this and see if you can feel that weight making its way to the left side a little easier.

Play with this balance and transfer until you can find a happy medium that allows for a cleaner and crisper transfer of weight.

Mental Perception Changes

Are you one of the golfers that believe you need to lift the ball up in the air? You need to let go of that idea. If you take a divot after the golf ball and hit it at the bottom part of your swing arc, then the ball will fly and the distance will be great. Start visualizing the correct impact position. Don’t overcomplicate the process by trying to lift the ball yourself.

This concept is really easy to learn when you practice chipping. You will notice that it is much easier to hit a crisp and clean golf shot when you keep your hands in front as opposed to flipping the arms to lift the ball. It is not always the swing that causes fat shots. You can set yourself up to hit a fat shot by the way you approach the ball. You may find it difficult to transfer your weight if you have a wide stance. There are not too many downsides to a more narrow stance as long as you have some balance and stability.

In fact, many golfers that are struggling with their swing will take a narrow stance to see if they can control things and get it back to the standard position.

Next, make sure that you have enough room to swing the club. You will hit the ball behind if you stand too near it. You will hit the ball behind it if you stand too close. The longer your club is, the farther you stand from the golf ball. In addition, make sure that you can fully transfer your weight and get to the forward position with all of your weight on the left side.

Brittany Olizarowicz

Britt O has been playing golf since the age of 7. She still plays golf, has competed at every level and has spent a large part of her career as a Class-A PGA Professional. Britt lives in Savannah, GA with her husband, and their two children. Current handicap: 1

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