Golf tip: Make your hook a thing of the past

Editor's note: Steve Charters is in his 10th year as a pro at Twin Pines Golf Course. Born and raised in Cedar Rapids, Charters competed at Central College in Pella and has been a pro for 17 years in Dubuque and Cedar Rapids.

The hook, a shot that travels severely from right to left for a right handed golfer, can frustrate any good golfer.

Here are some simple things to check to try and correct this:

- The easiest way to correct a hook may lie in your grip. For a right handed golfer, when you grip the club and look down at your grip, you should see at least 2 knuckles of your left hand. If you're seeing three or more you are gripping it with a closed face or “strong” grip. This allows the clubface to open little but close easily at impact imparting the hooking spin on the ball.

- If your grip is fine, check your balance. If your weight is on your heels and not toward the balls of your feet, there is a tendency to pull across your target line and send the ball left.

- Also check your ball position to ensure it's not in the back of your stance and more toward the middle.

- A final cause could be your position at impact. The left arm should be straight and extended at impact, if it's bent at all this will help shut the club face and send it exiting stage left.

If hooking is one of your issues, try these tips and lets keep hooks on the end of fishing poles.