Cure that golf hook

A badly sliced drive is among the most common bad shots by weekend golfers. It causes a player much frustration and angst -- not to mention lost balls and lost strokes on the scorecard. A badly hooked drive can be just as bad. What happens?

You step up to the tee and hit your drive. The ball takes off on a badly curving trajectory to the left. It ends up in the rough, or even the woods. If it lands in the fairway it rolls along a curing path sharply to the left. What is wrong? How can you cure that golf hook?

What causes a hooked golf ball? Excessive counter-clockwise ball spin

Consider what happens in slow motion. The clubface cuts across the ball on a sharp path from inside the target line causing the ball to spin in a counter-clockwise direction. The aerodynamics of this ball spin causes the hook.

Why does a counter-clockwise spinning golf ball go to the left?

As the ball spins, the airflow on the left side of the ball is faster than on the right side. The faster velocity on the left side of the ball causes a decrease in air pressure resulting pulling the ball to the left. This is the same principle that causes lift on an airplane wing.

You can see this principle at work in ping-pong, Strike the ball with a sharp inside-out motion and watch the ball curve to the left. When it bounces on the table watch it bounce sharply to the left.

A sliced golf ball is caused by excessive spin in the opposite (clockwise) direction, it is just the opposite of a hook. In a slice, the ball spins to the right (clockwise) causing a lift force on the right side of the ball that pulls the ball into a slice.

How to cure a golf hook

The root cause of the bad hook -- a sharp inside-out strike on the ball -- needs to be changed. The plane of the swing needs to aligned with the target. Check the alignment of your feet. Make sure your feet are in line with the target. A slightly "closed" stance may work -- it may impart a slight fade to the ball. An excessively closed stance will likely lead to a bad hook.

When you tee up the ball, is it placed opposite your left foot (for right-handed golfers)? If so move the ball a couple inches to the right.

Check your grip. Make sure your hands are firmly but not tightly gripping the handle and that the clubhead is aligned along the target line.

As you start your downswing be sure to lead with your hips, pulling your core and shoulders along. Shift your weight to your left foot, and most important -- don't let the clubface get ahead of your hands.

Do golf warm-up exercises before you tee off at the first tee -- or on the driving range. This will stretch your muscles and loosen you up. Practice your swing changes at the driving range.

Additional help is available to help you fix your golf swing

Articles, instructional materials, DVDs, drills and more are available to assist you in every part of your golf game. Produced by seasoned golf instructors, they are designed for golfers just like you. Listen to their advice and tips. Practice, practice, practice -- and you will fix your golf swing.

Get rid of that bad hook and enjoy your game!