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Why am I hooking my 5 iron?

Author

Emma Payne

Published Jan 07, 2026

The upper body obstructs or interferes with the club's path to the ball. The most common reason players get stuck is, they don't keep the arms and club in front of the chest as they turn back and through. When the club trails the upper body on the way down, the hands have to flip the clubhead over to recover.

Why do I struggle hitting a 5 iron?

Chances are you are struggling with your long irons because your swing speed is not quite fast enough to be able to hit them properly. What is this? As we mentioned, the long irons have a low loft, and the clubs are longer. This requires more speed and great efficiency in the golf swing.

Why am I hooking my irons all of a sudden?

Probably the most common cause of a hook is the swing path. A perfect swing path would be slightly inside out. The players that hook the ball come very far inside with their path. You will notice with a golfer who has a terrible hook problem that the club may end up on an inside path directly after take away.

Why do I keep hooking my golf shots?

The better player hooks the ball for one primary reason—their swing direction is too much from in to out, or out to the right. As a result, the clubface is closed relative to the path of the clubhead, which causes the ball to start relatively close to the target line and then curve wildly to the left.

How do I stop snap hooking golf shots?

Drills to Stop Snap Hooks

  1. Walk out about 5-8 yards in front of your ball position on the range and put the pole in the ground, so it stands straight up in the air.
  2. Then, walk back to your ball and take aim at the pole. ...
  3. Your goal is to try and swing the club and ball to the left (for a right-handed player) of the pole.
16 related questions found

Why can't I hit my irons very far?

One reason you might not be hitting the ball very far is that you have too high of a spin rate with your driver and irons. An easy way to spot this is watching how high your shots go in the air. Golf shots that get hit with high back spin rates tend to climb higher into the air.

Why do all my iron shots go the same distance?

The first factor is speed. Without a good amount of club head speed or with a decelerating club head, it will seem that all your clubs fly the same. Sometimes when this is the case even shorter clubs can fly further. Imagine a 90 year old that is stiff and can't move quickly.

Why am I hitting a draw with my irons?

The most common reason for a consistent pull is a poor ball position. An easy way to demonstrate how the club works on an arc through impact is laying down balls as pictured below.

What causes a hook?

A true hook in golf is a shot that starts out to the right of your target (for right-handed players) or starts straight but then curves back to the left. This is caused by a combination of club path through impact and face alignment at impact.

Why does my 7 iron only go 150 yards?

Speed. Your club head speed will have to be around 80mph with your seven iron to get it to go 150 yards. You may need to be fitted for a lighter shaft or a graphite shaft. The graphite shaft will be easier to swing faster and could help you get the clubhead speed that you need.

How far do average golfers actually hit it?

Driving distance figures from the R&A and USGA's most recent Distance Report show that the average hit by an amateur male club golfer is 215 yards. Five handicaps and below average 240 yards, 6-12 handicaps average 220 yards, 13-20 handicaps average 204 yards and 21 and overs average 187 yards.

Where should the ball be in your stance when hitting irons?

The ball should be in the middle of the tracks and you should be standing on the outside of them. The third alignment stick should be laid perpendicular to the other two and placed right around in the center pointing straight at the golf ball. This stick represents where the ball is placed in your stance.

Is a 5 iron a long iron?

Long irons are the 2-, 3- ,and 4-irons; mid-irons, the 5-, 6-, and 7-irons; short irons, the 8- and 9-irons and pitching wedge. (Two-irons are becoming obsolete and are exceedingly rare for recreational golfers. Because of this, some sources now count the 5-iron as one of the long irons.

What is easier to hit a 5 iron or 5 Hybrid?

Hybrid golf clubs have a lower center of gravity than their iron counterparts resulting in a higher trajectory. Since the trajectory of the iron is lower than that of the hybrid you will get more roll out of a shot struck with a 5-iron.

Why are my iron shots weak and to the right?

When your grip is weak, your left hand is going to be wrapped a little too far around the top of the club. This weak grip then makes your other hand (the right hand) have to wrap too far around the bottom of the club.

Why am I hitting the golf ball so short?

Golfers who are tense or anxious when they address the ball have trouble generating maximum clubhead speed. Tight muscles cause the swing to be shorter and slower. Your goal is a long, loose swing not a short, tight one. Consciously think about relaxing your shoulders before you begin your swing.

Why am I pull hooking my driver?

Rather than being caused by a lack of rotation in the lower body, a pull hook typically results from lower body rotation that is too fast. When your lower body races out ahead of your upper body – and the club – the result is commonly a wild pull hook.

How do you stop hooking hybrids?

Adjust your grip. If the main problem leading to your hook is a closed club face, one of the ways to get into a better position at impact is to weaken your grip slightly. Before starting your swing, turn your hands just slightly to the left on the handle of the club.

How do I stop hooking my driver?

Smith says the key is to keep turning. “It's hard to convince yourself to do this, but you have to trust it. Let your chest and hips rotate forward until your shirt buttons and belt buckle point left of your target. This stops the clubface from flipping closed and will help keep your ball in play.”

How far should I hit a 6 iron?

You should hit a six iron about 150 yards. The average golfer gets just over 150 yards with their six-iron. Players with faster swing speed will get closer to 165 or even 170 with a six iron.