Instruction
How to eliminate the snap hook from your golf game forever
I went through a rough period as a kid fighting a nasty snap hook; almost 30 years later I can still remember that dreaded feeling. I tried changing to stiffer shafts and “holding on” tighter through impact, but nothing helped. Sadly, no one at that time knew much about the real ball flight laws. I was left to guess-and-check, and basically wait it out.
Today, we are blessed with devices like Trackman that give us an instant MRI of what is going on in the swing. All I would have needed back in the day was one swing and I could have understood why I was snap hooking the ball. I could have fixed it in one range session!
Now, there’s no reason to let your snap hook run wild and poison your game. Read this article, then get on Trackman to diagnose your own swing. Let’s dive in.
Above is a sample swing I made showing a healthy snap hook. The ball started well left of my target and continued to curve further left… not to mention that the ball launched extremely low, so the ball landed hot and keep running. That’s not ideal for hitting greens. This was my plight as a 16-year-old kid during that time period. Ugh!
The real issue here is the club path (which is -4.3 left of the target) and its interaction with the face angle (which is -5.7 degrees left of the target.) We know that the ball mostly begins in the direction of the face at impact (the red arrow) and curves away from the club path (the blue line). So, as you can see above, the face is left of the path by -1.4 degrees, which means this shot is going to curve to the left with a centered hit.
Here is the issue; if you try and manipulate the face right of your current path you will hit a fade as shown below, but if you shove the face right of the target line you will hit a weak slice. That’s a playable shot, but not ideal. The key is to fix the path so you can move the ball right-to-left.
Below is what we’d like your path to look like during impact to eliminate the pull hook, that is, if you want to still move the ball right-to-left.
The path is right of the target and the face is slightly left of the path, but it’s still right of the target during impact giving us a simple little push draw.
So what are the keys to shifting your path to the right during the transition?
- Focus on keeping your rear shoulder back during the transition, allowing it to move slightly downward so the club falls to the inside naturally.
- As the shoulder moves correctly, you will find that the club shaft will flatten a touch during this period.
- From there, you will arrive in a much better delivery position to allow you to begin the ball to the right and have it curve back to the target.
It’s a transition thing: nothing more, nothing less. Fix your path and your snap hooks will go away forever!
The LPGA Tour is kicking off its 2026 season this week at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando, and the pros are dealing with something most Florida golfers rarely face: freezing temperatures.
“It’s colder here than in the UK at the minute, which is a first,” said England’s Charley Hull during Wednesday’s media day at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.
Even Lydia Ko, who lives at Lake Nona, seemed surprised by the cold snap. “We’re pretty much getting to below zero in celsius here, which maybe in other parts of the country they would be thankful, but when you’re in Florida it is a little bit of a surprise,” she said.
If the world’s best players are adjusting their games for cold weather, recreational golfers should, too. Here’s how to play smart when the mercury drops.
Understand What Cold Does to Your Game
Before you change anything, you need to know what you’re fighting against. Cold air is denser than warm air, which means your ball won’t fly as far. Period.
Hull noticed this immediately during practice rounds at Lake Nona. She mentioned hitting a gap wedge into the 18th hole during a previous win but needing a 4-iron during Tuesday’s practice round. That’s a difference of four or five clubs for the same shot.
Action item: Expect to lose 5-10 yards on every club in your bag when temperatures dip below 50 degrees. Plan accordingly and don’t be stubborn about club selection.
Layer Up Without Restricting Your Swing
Hull admitted she wore three pairs of pants during practice. While that might be extreme for most of us, staying warm is critical to playing well in cold conditions.
Your muscles need warmth to function properly. When you’re cold, your body tightens up and your swing gets shorter and faster. Neither of those things help you hit good golf shots.
Action item: Wear multiple thin layers instead of one bulky jacket. Look for golf-specific cold weather gear that stretches with your swing. Keep hand warmers in your pockets between shots. And don’t forget a good hat because you lose significant body heat through your head.
Take More Club Than You Think You Need
This is where ego gets in the way of good scores. When it’s cold, the ball doesn’t compress as well off the clubface. Combined with denser air, you’re looking at serious distance loss.
The pros at Lake Nona are dealing with a course that measures 6,642 yards but plays much longer this week. If they’re adjusting, you should too.
Action item: Take at least one extra club on every approach shot. In temperatures below 40 degrees, consider taking two extra clubs. It’s better to fly the ball to the back of the green than to come up short in a bunker.
Adjust Your Expectations on the Greens
Cold weather affects putting in ways most golfers don’t consider. The ball is harder and doesn’t roll as smoothly. Your hands are cold, making it harder to feel the putter. And if there’s any moisture on the greens, they’ll be slower than normal.
Ko mentioned that she still sometimes reads the greens wrong at Lake Nona despite being a member for years. Cold weather makes that challenge even tougher.
Action item: Hit putts more firmly than usual. The ball needs extra speed to hold its line on cold greens. Take a few extra practice strokes to get a feel for the speed before you putt.
Embrace the Mental Challenge
Hull said something interesting about cold weather golf: “I like the mental toughness of it.”
That’s the right attitude. Everyone on the course is dealing with the same conditions. The player who stays patient and doesn’t get frustrated by the extra difficulty will come out ahead.
Action item: Lower your expectations by a few strokes. If you normally shoot 85, accept that 90 might be a good score in 40-degree weather. Focus on solid contact and smart decisions rather than perfect shots.
Warm Up Longer and Smarter
This might be the most important tip of all. Cold muscles are tight muscles, and tight muscles get injured easily.
World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul revealed she’s been protecting a wrist injury that bothered her late last season. Cold weather makes those kinds of injuries more likely if you don’t prepare properly.
Action item: Spend at least 20 minutes warming up before your round. Start with stretching, then hit easy wedge shots before working up to your driver. Keep moving between shots on the course to maintain body heat and flexibility.
The pros at Lake Nona this week will adapt and compete at the highest level despite the cold. You can do the same at your local course by following these tips and keeping a positive attitude.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
Brooks Koepka is back on the PGA Tour, and whether you love him or hate him, the guy knows how to win when it matters. After his LIV Golf stint, the five-time major champion returns this week at the Farmers Insurance Open.
What makes Koepka fascinating? He doesn’t fit the mold. His swing isn’t textbook. He doesn’t obsess over mechanics. Yet he’s won three PGA Championships and two U.S. Opens, regularly making it look easier than guys with prettier swings.
So, what can average golfers learn from someone who treats the game so differently? Quite a bit.
Stop Overthinking Every Shot
Koepka describes his approach as “reactionary” rather than mechanical. While most tour pros grind over swing thoughts, Brooks sees the target and hits it. No mental checklist.
This might be the most valuable lesson for weekend golfers who’ve watched too many YouTube swing videos.
How to actually do this:
On the range, hit five balls where you stare at the target for three seconds prior to addressing the ball. Don’t think about grip or stance. Just burn that target into your brain. You’ll be shocked at how pure you hit it when your brain focuses on where the ball is going instead of how you’re swinging.
Next time you play, give yourself a rule: Once you pull the club, you’ve got 15 seconds to hit. Koepka is one of the fastest players on tour because he doesn’t give his brain time to sabotage him.
If you feel tension in your hands at address, you’re trying to control too much. Koepka’s grip pressure is famously light. Loosen up until the club almost feels like it might slip, then add just enough pressure to hold on. That’s your swing thought: soft hands, see the target.
This approach works better under pressure. When you’re standing over that shot with water left and OB right, the last thing you need is a mental checklist. See it, feel it, hit it.
Play to Your Strengths (Even If They’re Not Pretty)
Koepka uses a strong grip that wouldn’t pass muster in some teaching circles. But he’s built his game around what works for him, elite driving distance and recovery skills. He doesn’t try to be someone he’s not.
Here’s how to build your game like Brooks:
Look at your last five rounds and figure out where you’re actually gaining strokes. Bombing it off the tee, but can’t hit greens? Lean into it. Play courses where distance matters more than precision. On tight holes, grip down on your 3-wood instead of trying to thread a driver through a keyhole you’ll miss seven times out of ten.
Koepka knows he can scramble, so he’s not afraid to miss greens. If you’re deadly from 50 to 75 yards, start leaving yourself those distances on the par 5’s instead of going for them in two every time.
Know when to take your medicine. Koepka in the trees at the PGA? He’s punching out to 100 yards, not trying to bend a 6-iron around three oaks. You’re in the rough with a flyer lie and water short? Hit your 8-iron to the middle and move on. That’s not playing scared, that’s playing smart.
Save Your Best for When It Counts
Here’s a wild stat: Koepka’s putting average in majors is often more than a full stroke better per round than in regular events. He elevates when pressure is highest.
How does an amateur tap into that gear? It’s not about trying harder, it’s about caring differently.
Here’s what actually works:
Decide which rounds matter to you. Club championship? Member-guest? That annual trip with college buddies? Circle those dates and treat them differently. Koepka doesn’t care much about regular tour events, but majors? That’s when he locks in.
Two weeks before your big round, change your practice. Stop beating balls mindlessly. Play nine holes in which every shot has consequences. Miss the fairway? Hit from the rough on the next hole too. Three-putt? Twenty push-ups. Koepka’s practice intensity ramps up before majors because he’s rehearsing pressure, not just swings.
Develop a between-shot routine that resets your brain. Koepka is famous for his blank expression after bad shots. Try this: After any shot, take three deep breaths while walking, then find something specific to notice, a tree, a cloud, someone’s shirt. That’s your reset button. By the time you reach your ball, the last shot is gone.
The Bottom Line
Brooks Koepka’s return reminds us there’s no single path to success in golf. His “substance over style” approach proves that results matter more than looking good.
You don’t need a perfect swing; you need a reliable one that holds up under pressure. You don’t need to hit every shot in the book; you need the shots you can count on. And you don’t need to play great every time; you need to play great when it matters.
Welcome back, Brooks. Thanks for the reminder that golf is ultimately about getting the ball in the hole, not winning style points.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
Blades Brown made a big impression last week in the California desert, and not just because he’s only 18. He put up numbers that would catch any weekend golfer’s attention. Most of us won’t hit 317-yard drives or find 86% of our greens in regulation, but there’s a lot to learn from how Brown managed his game at The American Express.
Here are three practical lessons from his performance that you can use on your own course this weekend.
Step 1: Give Priority to Accuracy Over Distance Off The Tee
Brown’s driving stats are impressive. He averaged almost 318 yards off the tee, ranking 12th in the field. More importantly, he hit 76.79% of his fairways, tying for fourth place in the tournament.
Think about that ratio for a second. Brown could have swung harder, chased more distance and tried to overpower the course. Instead, he played smart golf and kept his ball in play.
Your Action Item: Next time you’re on the tee box, ask yourself a simple question before pulling the driver. Do you need maximum distance here, or do you need to be in the fairway? If there’s trouble lurking or the hole doesn’t demand every yard you can muster, take something off your swing. Grip down an inch. Make a three-quarter swing. Do whatever it takes to find the short grass. Brown’s approach illustrates that fairways lead to greens, and greens lead to birdies. He made 22 of them last week, along with an eagle.
The math is simple. When you’re hitting three out of every four fairways like Brown did, you’re giving yourself legitimate looks at the green with your approach shots. That’s when scoring happens.
Step 2: Commit To Hitting More Greens
This is where Brown really separated himself. He hit 62 of 72 greens in regulation, an 86.11% clip that tied for first in the entire field. Read that again. An 18-year-old kid tied for the lead in one of the most important ball-striking statistics in professional golf.
How did he do it? By keeping his ball in the fairway (see Step 1) and giving himself clean looks with mid-irons and wedges.
Your Action Item: Start tracking your greens in regulation. You don’t need a fancy app or a statistics degree. Just mark down whether you hit the green in the regulation number of strokes. Par 3s in one shot. Par 4s in two shots. Par 5s in three shots.
Once you know your baseline, set a goal to improve it by 10%. If you’re currently hitting five greens per round, aim for six. The beauty of this approach is that it forces you to think strategically about club selection and shot shape. Brown’s strokes gained approach number was positive (0.179), meaning he was better than the field average. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be on the dance floor more often.
When you hit more greens, you eliminate the need for heroic short game shots. Brown only had to scramble 10 times all week, and he got up and down 70% of the time. That’s solid, but the real story is that he rarely put himself in scrambling situations to begin with.
Step 3: Minimize Mistakes And Stay Patient
Here’s the stat that jumps off the page: Brown made only three bogeys all week. Three. In four rounds of professional golf against the best players in the world.
He also made just one double bogey. That kind of clean card doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when you play within yourself, avoid the big miss and trust that pars are never bad scores.
Your Action Item: Before your next round, decide that you’re going to play boring golf. No hero shots over water. No driver on tight holes just because you can. No aggressive pins when there’s a safe side of the green.
Brown’s performance shows us that consistency beats flash every single time. He didn’t lead the field in any single strokes gained category, but he was solid across the board. That’s how you post numbers and cash checks.
Give these three steps a try. Your scorecard will thank you.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “The Starter” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
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Swiv
Jul 10, 2017 at 3:23 am
Not true at all
SoonerSlim
Jul 8, 2017 at 9:54 am
This article is about a pull hook, not a snap hook! There are two entirely different fixes depending on which you suffer from. Tom is OK on how to fix your pull hook. However, to fix a snap hook, the last thing you want to do is swing more right!! That is your biggest problem, the swing path is way too much inside out, the body gets in the way on the downswing, and the hands flip over through impact, thus the “snap hook”. To fix this, first check your grip. If you weaken your grip to the point the clubface is square to the path you will see the ball start way right, the push. The snap hook almost always results from a backswing flaw of getting the club too far across the line at the top and coming from underneath on the downswing. In short, to stop the snap hook you have to get a more online swing path. Exaggerate this correction by trying to hit fades and slices. You will see better impact contact and a higher ball flight immediately.
SoonerSlim
Jul 8, 2017 at 9:37 am
Wrong title for this article! Should have been titled how to cure a “Pull Hook”. A pull hook and a snap hook are two entirely different ball flights. They look very similar, but the swing path for a snap hook is not left of target. It is almost always too inside out and the clubface is way too closed to that path. It almost always results from the club getting way too far behind you on the downswing and the body not properly turning through the shot. The body slides too much, blocks the turn and there’s nothing for the hands to do but flip through impact, thus the “snap hook”.
Anthony
Jul 7, 2017 at 11:35 pm
Hitting with a shut club face at impact causes the on the sweet spot pull draw. Looks great but not optimal. Everything starts at target and curves left. Misses when I get quick and out of sink with longer irons are snap hooks or 50 yard high hooks. You can try to swing inside out all you want but if the face is too shut at impact it will never be a push draw. Launch monitor at Golftech a couple years ago showed me as club face open 5-6 degrees and swing path right 10-11 degrees and that does produce a high push draw; not optimal either. So back to what I am working on to fix my pull draw. The grip can be the issue. My grip is unbalanced and thumb position when to what is easy instead of what is correct; i.e. my grip is getting sloppy so I end up re-gripping the club in the back swing/transition and it becomes shut. I hit a good clean solid shot(not fat and not digging) but hold my finish then re-setup without letting go of the club and the club is shut and pointing towards the direction my last ball took off. This always happens when I take a break from golf.
BrianM
Jul 7, 2017 at 9:19 pm
I cured a bad hook by opening the club face at address and also rotating the club clockwise at the top of the swing (a la Ben Hogan). Using different degrees of opening or rotating, I can vary a fade. A way of stopping the left wrist from closing the club face at impact is to change the grip of the left hand so that the back of the hand is facing the ground – this helps to prevent the right hand overpowering the left. Works for me
david
Jul 7, 2017 at 8:46 pm
sorry most here are incorrect. Besides perhaps a very strong grip, the other main reasons for a hook is: alignment way right of target so your brain has to either pull the ball back to the target or wrist it over, causing the hook. The other reason is because you slowed down your swing, perhaps because you weren’t comfortable or tried to guide it, and the upper body took over and hooked the ball. the other stuff here is way too technical and makes no sense.
Scratch golfer
TG
Jul 7, 2017 at 9:10 pm
As a PGA pro that has taught more lessons then rounds of golf you have played in your life. I have to step in and tell you how stupid and wrong you are. The only way to hit a snap hook is have a closed face in relation to your path. Its all about the face when it comes to the snap hook. It doesn’t matter how fast you swing the club. If you have a fast crappy swing and you slow it down what do you get? A slow crappy swing. Your grip does not hit the golf ball, the face hits the golf ball.
PGA Golf Professional
Brian
Jul 7, 2017 at 2:52 pm
How/where exactly can you “get on a trackman”?
Bob Jones
Jul 7, 2017 at 11:25 am
Another factor that causes a snap hook is a grip that is too strong. The hands naturally return to a weaker position that closes the clubface.
JC
Jul 7, 2017 at 9:59 am
Man, if we could only take Trackman with us on the course……I don’t know how people played golf before Trackman. People are human and will never eliminate bad swings….maybe on Trackman…but out on the course it isn’t going to happen.
Va
Jul 7, 2017 at 2:05 am
How do I stop hitting it on the toe and snapping a hook from there? I seem to be able to hit the toe on command
SoonerSlim
Jul 8, 2017 at 10:08 am
If your correct your inside out swing path for the snap hook, you will start hitting more the center of the clubface. The reason you hit the toe, if you are a hooker is because the face is so closed that the toe of the club is what contacts the ball first. Most people hit the toe of the club because their swing is too much up and down and they hit slices, this is not you’re problem if you are a hooker! Your problem is a swing path problem and possibly a grip fix. Exaggerate your downswing path so that you start fading or slicing the ball and you will gradually see your toe hooks disappear. The best tip I’ve seen for this is to cut a tennis ball in half, tee the ball up, put one half of the tennis ball about six inches in front of the ball and one inch outside your target line; put the other half 6 inches behind the ball and one inch inside the target line. If you are a true snap hooker I’ll bet you will not be able to miss both tennis balls on your downswing. Practice until you can miss both tennis halves and you will stop your snap hook and toe hits.
coops
Jul 7, 2017 at 12:49 am
It is indeed more of a pull hook that he describes – which is an awful thing anyway, as i know very well…
Get a copy of “The Perfect Swing” form the 1960’s – that’s more than 40 (!) years ago – and you’ll find the ‘modern’ ball flight ‘laws’ aren’t remotely modern or anything whatsoever to do with Trackman.
And you don’t need Trackman to diagnose the flaw at the range, either.
Use your eyes – and brain.
Ball starts left of target line – therefore your face is pointing a bit left of the target line at impact.
Ball then curves further left – your face is also closed to the club path.
That’s all you need to know in theory – of course, in reality to fix it is another matter.
If the curve u]is not too vicious, then indeed try to get your path out the right a bit, and the face will probably ( not guaranteed, though) follow it… so maintaining a draw curve but starting to the right of target and resulting in a nice push draw.
A real horror snap hook is another world of pain, mind…
Simms
Jul 7, 2017 at 12:27 am
Single plane setup and swing without a lot of hand action cures this in seconds, just need to work on the straight push right because of path, get the path right and you have a straight shot….thank you Todd Graves..
Yup
Jul 6, 2017 at 8:48 pm
FACE TO PATH???
moses
Jul 6, 2017 at 5:54 pm
Sorry but this article didn’t help. Most people who snap hook are ones who aim too far to the right and have a severe inside to out swingpath. That is an outside in swing path with a closed face at impact which is a recipe for a pull snap hook. Goes left and stays left.
Andrew Cooper
Jul 6, 2017 at 4:43 pm
Sorry Tom, but what was so bad about the 2nd shot? Looks like a decent fade, with good trajectory, carry and landing angle?
Andrew Cooper
Jul 6, 2017 at 4:21 pm
Isn’t this more a pull hook rather than a snap hook? A proper snap hook has a path to the right with a very closed face. The ball starts left and goes further left because of the very closed face, but the swing path is still to the right.
Old Putter
Jul 6, 2017 at 3:10 pm
Hope Tom ran all this information by Observate before he posted it…
I’d hate it if he got something wrong and misinformed the masses
Matt
Jul 6, 2017 at 2:45 pm
Wait….the result was a face to path that is greater than the original (center to center contact this would mean more of a hook than what you started with) just starting more right……. Now toss in a toe hit because i’m coming more from the inside and the snap hook comes back.
Zeke
Jul 6, 2017 at 2:28 pm
That’s what I thought, as well.
Minnesota golfer
Jul 6, 2017 at 12:01 pm
From your analysis, I have to draw the conclusion that Face angle Adjustnent is the only factor to get ride of snap hook, because the face to club angle has stay pretty much the same before and after the fix. No?