Pull-Hook
Also known as: pull hook, left-left miss
A pull-hook starts left of the target and curves even further left, produced by an out-to-in club path combined with a clubface that is closed relative to that path.
A pull-hook combines a pull (the ball starts left of target because the club path is moving left through impact — out-to-in) with a hook (the ball curves further left because the clubface is closed relative to that leftward path). Both components push the ball in the same direction, which makes the pull-hook one of the most severe directional misses in golf — routinely producing shots that finish 30, 40, or more yards left of target with a driver.
The pull-hook is common among golfers who have strong grips and aggressive hand/forearm rotation through impact combined with an out-to-in swing path — often the same golfers who are trying to fix a slice by "turning the face over" more aggressively without addressing the path itself. The face closes fast enough to overtake the leftward path, producing a shot that starts left and then hooks further left rather than the push-slice pattern (where the face stays open to an in-to-out path).
Correcting a pull-hook requires identifying whether path or face is the primary driver of the miss. If the path is severely out-to-in, path work (fixing the transition sequencing, addressing an over-the-top move) is the priority even though the ball is curving left, not right — because the hook is riding on top of an already-left path. If the path is close to neutral and the face is simply over-rotating, grip pressure, grip strength, and release timing are the more direct fix.
Example
A player who "flips" the hands aggressively through impact while still swinging out-to-in from an over-the-top transition produces low, screaming pull-hooks that start left of the fairway and dive further left into the trees.
Why it matters
A pull-hook is often mis-diagnosed as "just a hook" and treated with face-only fixes, when the underlying out-to-in path is doing as much damage as the face. SwingVantage reports path and face angle separately so the fix targets the actual larger contributor rather than the more visually dramatic curve.
How it shows up on video
From down-the-line, the path shows the club moving left of the target line through impact (out-to-in). From face-on, the clubface closes rapidly relative to that path — often visible as an aggressive forearm rotation or a "flipping" motion of the hands through the strike.
Common mistakes
- Only working on the hands/face because the ball is hooking, while ignoring an out-to-in path that is contributing just as much to the miss.
- Weakening the grip as a blanket fix — this can reduce hook severity but does nothing for the path, often just trading a pull-hook for a plain pull or a push-slice.
- Swinging progressively further right at address to "aim away" from the hook — this typically increases the out-to-in path and makes the underlying pattern worse.
In SwingVantage Motion Lab
SwingVantage estimates club path direction and face closure rate from video, which helps separate whether a pull-hook is being driven primarily by an out-to-in path, an aggressively closing face, or both — a distinction that determines which fix actually addresses the cause.
Frequently asked questions
What causes a pull-hook with the driver specifically?
Driver amplifies both components of a pull-hook: the longer shaft and lower loft make an out-to-in path start the ball further left, and the shallower launch conditions give a closing face more time to add curve before the ball reaches the ground. The same swing that produces a manageable pull-draw with a mid-iron can produce a severe pull-hook with a driver.
Is a pull-hook a path problem or a face problem?
Usually both, but rarely equally. Checking club path and face angle separately (via launch monitor or video analysis) identifies which one is contributing more, since the fix for an out-to-in path (sequencing, transition) is different from the fix for an over-closing face (grip, release timing).
Related terms
- HookA hook is a shot that curves sharply toward and past the target line — to the left for a right-handed golfer. It happens when the clubface is closed relative to the swing path at impact.
- Out-to-InAn out-to-in club path means the clubhead is moving left of the target line through impact (for a right-hander). It is the fade, pull, and slice path.
- PullA pull is a shot that starts left of the target (for a right-hander) and continues straight without significant curve — caused by an out-to-in path with a face matching the path direction.
- Snap HookA snap hook is a sudden, sharp left curve that appears late but violently in the ball flight, typically from a clubface that closes rapidly relative to path in the last moments before impact.
- Over the TopOver the top means the downswing starts by throwing the club outside the backswing plane, producing an out-to-in path that causes pulls, pull-slices, and loss of distance.
- FlipA flip is when the hands flick or scoop under the ball at impact rather than the shaft leaning forward — it adds loft, kills compression, and is a defensive reaction to poor sequencing.
Related guides & benchmarks
Put this into your swing
SwingVantage can spot this in your own swing — free to start.
See a sample Golf report first