There’s no miss with a driver that’s more scary than a snap hook to the left. While a right miss lacks power and floats in the air, a snap hook is the opposite. It’s got plenty of speed and will run until it hits something. When the snap hook comes out, there’s not a lot you can do to control it.
I’ve been lucky enough for most of my golf career to avoid the snap hook (most of the time). But when it comes out, I feel helpless. Seemingly no swing change I try makes a difference.
Part of reason for this is that I didn’t understand what caused these snap hooks. Fortunately, during a “Driving Accuracy Bootcamp” with GOLF Top 100 Teacher Jason Baile, I learned what causes these snap hooks — and how to fix it.
Fix a snap hook
When you hit a shot that makes a beeline left off the tee box, it’s because the clubface is closed relative to the path when you make impact. There are many reasons this could be the case, but one of the simplest explanations is a manipulation of the clubface through impact. When you do this, the trail arm twists on top of the lead arm and the clubface is turned down and to the left after impact.
To combat this, you should feel like the clubface is facing up and to the left just after impact. By doing that, you will ensure that you are not manipulating the clubface and closing it down, which causes the hook.
“Any time that it goes into the ball and twists, the sweet spot is pointing down and left,” Jason said. “As it comes through, the sweet spot should face up and left because it didn’t have any twist to it.”
An easy way to visualize this when you are practicing is to look at the logo on the top of your grip. If you are twisting the clubface, that logo also twist and point more to the left. But if you release the clubhead and keep the clubface square (by feeling it pointing up and to the left), the logo will stay on top of the grip.
If you ever start to feel yourself losing the ball to the left, keep this feel in mind. When you can point the clubface up and to the left, you’ll never lose the ball left and hit those nasty snap hooks.
