What Causes a Pull Hook in Golf?
A pull hook is a shot that starts left of the target and then curves even farther left. For a right-handed golfer, that means the ball launches left and bends hard left. For a left-handed golfer, the directions are reversed.
The key cause of a pull hook is the relationship between the clubface and the swing path at impact.
The Main Impact Condition
For a pull hook to happen, the clubface is usually:
- Closed to the target — pointing left of the target line for a right-handed golfer
- Closed to the swing path — pointing left of the direction the club is traveling
The ball’s starting direction is influenced mostly by the clubface. Because the ball starts left, the clubface is pointing left at impact. The extra left curve happens because the face is also closed relative to the path, creating a hook spin axis.
The Three Swing Paths That Can Create a Pull Hook
A pull hook can happen with more than one swing path. The path does not have to be the same for every golfer.
1. In-to-Out Path With a Closed Face
With an in-to-out swing path, the club is traveling to the right of the target for a right-handed golfer. If the clubface is still pointing left of the target and left of the path, the face-to-path difference is large.
This often creates the most severe pull hook because the gap between the path and face is bigger.
Typical result: the ball starts left and curves sharply left.
2. Neutral Path With a Closed Face
A golfer can also pull hook the ball with a fairly neutral swing path. In this case, the club is traveling close to the target line, but the face is closed to both the target and the path.
Typical result: the ball starts left and hooks left.
3. Out-to-In Path With a Closed Face
A pull hook can also happen with an out-to-in swing path. Here, the club is traveling left of the target line for a right-handed golfer. If the clubface is even more left than the path, the ball can still start left and curve left.
This version often produces less curve because the difference between the face and path may be smaller.
Typical result: the ball starts left and curves left, but often not as dramatically.
How Curve Tells You About Face-to-Path
The amount of curve gives you a clue about the face-to-path relationship:
- Big hook curve: the clubface is much more closed to the path
- Small hook curve: the clubface is only slightly closed to the path
If the ball starts left and hooks hard, there is usually a significant gap between where the clubface is pointing and where the club is traveling.
What to Fix First
Because a pull hook always involves a clubface that is closed to the target and closed to the path, the first priority is to improve clubface control.
Common areas to check include:
- Grip position, especially if the grip is too strong
- Clubface position during the takeaway
- Lead wrist angle at the top and through impact
- Release pattern through the hitting area
- Ball position and alignment
The swing path matters, but the clubface is the main reason the ball starts left and curves farther left.
Key Takeaway
A pull hook is caused by a clubface that is closed to the target and closed to the swing path at impact. The path may be in-to-out, neutral, or out-to-in, but the closed face-to-path relationship is what creates the left curve.
